I’ve just finished reading a newspaper column reporting the fact that increasing numbers of travelers are abandoning the Internet and going back to travel agents for their trip arrangements.
No surprise as far as I’m concerned. My one brush with the Internet in arranging flights to an out-of-town meeting was a disaster.
This was a one-day, turnaround trip, so no hotel booking was involved. My meeting went along very efficiently, enabling us to complete our agenda in about half the time we had anticipated. So naturally, I grabbed my things and made a bee line for the airport, hoping to catch a three o’clock plane, instead of the seven o’clock I had been booked on.
I arrived just in time, as the standbys were being called. When I asked if there was any space left, the gate counter attendant assured me there would be, but when she looked at my ticket, it was another story. The type of ticket I had purchased through the Internet could not be changed! If I wanted to get on the earlier flight, I’d have to buy another ticket at full price!
Well, the Scots in me wouldn’t allow me to do that, so I sat for four hours, fuming and vowing never again to make my own travel arrangements via the Internet. Maybe the fault was mine for not reading carefully all the "boilerplate" associated with the transaction, but the point is that there was no human involved in the transaction to make sure I understood the limitations of what I was buying.
Ever since that experience, I’ve made all my travel arrangements—simple to complex—with the help of a knowledgeable travel agent. The one I use happens to be a CTC (Certified Travel Consultant), a credential that testifies to a certain level of expertise. With her help, I know I’ll get the best available prices on flights, hotels and rental cars. Moreover, if my itinerary changes in mid-trip, I have an able advocate to cut through the difficulties that are inevitable in trying to make changes in any type of reservation.
My agent happens to have been in business for a good number of years, and consequently has developed relationships with people in various parts of the travel business. In other words, she has "clout," and as a frequent traveler, I can attest to the fact that clout is an invaluable asset.
After working with me on many trips, my agent knows my tastes. So I don’t have to tell her I want an aisle seat, or a non-smoking room on a high floor away from the elevators and equipped with down pillows on a queen-size bed. And if I’m going somewhere I’ve never been before, she very helpfully includes a list of restaurants and, depending on the destination, even a brief description of the area and what’s worth seeing. In the infrequent instances when I’ve gone somewhere she’s not been to and feels she doesn’t know enough about, she’s involved another agent who has a particular expertise in that area, and gotten the help she needs to complete my arrangements with confidence in her recommendations and choices.
That’s what you can expect from a pro! Top-notch personal service without having to take hours out of your own day to try to accomplish what she can do better in less time and with less effort.
A good travel agent is an essential element in assuring successful travel. I feel so strongly about the importance of the agent’s role, that I’ve asked the Passport Newsletter people to allow me to compile and publish a list of agents that friends, business associates and I, myself, know to be highly skilled and fun to deal with. I’d be very grateful if you know of a good travel agent whom you could recommend for this list. And please mention any areas of special expertise your agent might have. Thank you.
Paula "Book it!" Gifford