Who are we and what do we do? Who are we not? Why would I use one?
Today we’ll go through what a travel agent is, who we are, what we can and can’t do as travel agents, and why you should use one in the age of online aggregators.
Who are we and what do we do?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Travel agents sell transportation, lodging, and entertainment activities to individuals and groups planning trips.” Travel agents offer advice and/or opinions about destinations, attractions, and certain customs of specialty areas. Some travel agents are specialists in certain areas, some do everything. Travel agents can arrange for travel insurance, some provide you with immigration laws and local traditions that could make you stick out like a sore thumb if you don’t take their advice.
If you’re interested in more info from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, click HERE
What we’re not!
Miracle workers. We can only do so much. Yes, we will go to bat for you, but company policies can get in the way of us being able to do more than talk to managers and supervisors to try and get something accomplished. Sometimes things go wrong and each supplier has its own policies so we can’t make guarantees. We are not insurance brokers, experts, and we do not handle the details of pursuing a claim. We are able to put together a wonderful vacation for your family, but if you buy the insurance and something goes wrong, that claim needs to go through the insurance policy you bought. Again, we as agents can try to go to bat for you as best as we can short of yelling at people, but most of the time our hands are tied. This is a great reason to BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE. This way you have someone who may be able to do more for you than just speaking to a manager and either putting on my angry voice or my sweet and kind voice to convince them to help me.
Why use a travel agent and what can we do?
Convenience is one of the biggest reasons people chose to use a travel agent. Creating an itinerary from scratch is time-consuming. Why not let someone else do the work? You can save money with travel agents as well. If you’re piecing everything together yourself and purchasing things on different sites you’ve found, you may not be getting the best deals. We have ways of getting suppliers to discount things when we book them in bundles. Some travel agents may even be able to price match! You can’t get there on an online booking site.
Travel agents can match you not only with better quality products, but products and destinations that match your personality and what you’re looking for. We know the market, so we know when to book, and when to hold off for special pricing. We can get you connected with the vacation you truly match up with and want, as opposed to just the one you saw on a commercial. Once you’ve used a travel agent they get to know your style. They get to know your likes and dislikes, so they’re not going to try and sell you on something you won’t enjoy. They’ve also more than likely created a relationship with their suppliers, thus giving them leeway to ask for more upgrades on your bookings.
We have access to suppliers that don’t operate in the general public at all, meaning you will never have access to their destinations, resorts, hotels, etc… without the use of a travel agent.
We’re here to advocate for you no matter what. There are always limitations as discussed above, but we’ll always try to do what we can to get you back on track when your vacation gets derailed.
I hope this was helpful for all of you wondering what it is a travel agent actually can do for you, and we’ll chat soon!
Chat soon Sea Babes <3
PS: Need a travel agent? Let’s talk. Click the link, fill out the form, and we’ll get started!
