Are Travel Agents Staging a Comeback??
Are Travel Agents Staging a Comeback??
Here are 10 major reasons why travel agents make better travel planers than a website booking agency:
1. The Best Value for Your Vacation Dollar: Travel agents can help your dollars go further because they have access to the deals – flights, hotels, cars, even dinner out!
2. Location, Location, Location!!!! Travel agents can help find the perfect place to stay – a hotel with a view of the ocean in Hawaii, a jungle hut in the Nilgiri foothills… A travel agent can make your location dreams come true.
3. Knowledge of All the Ins and Outs: Travel agents can acquaint you with the local laws and regulations for your travel destination.
4. Credentials: Travel agents attend training sessions, seminars and advanced classes to prepare themselves for customers just like you.
5. Tourist Attractions: Travel agents can recommend the not-to-miss spots – amusement parks, museums, nature preserves, historical locations, etc.
6. Avoid International Flight Confusion: Travel agents can brief you on those confusing international flight transfers that the internet search engines don’t explain.
7. Where to Go With Kids: Travel agents can help you to find the kid-friendly locations.
8. Trip Cancellation: Something has come up and you need to cancel your trip? Call your travel agent and he’ll take care of it all.
9. Travel Insurance: Travel agents can help you pick an appropriate travel insurance plan.
10. Personalized Trips: Travel agents can prepare a personalized trip, based on where you want to go and what you want to do.
Enter the new Tripology…
So What Exactly Does Tripology Do?
When you visit the new Tripology website, you will be asked to input your trip details and create an account. Shortly after that, you’ll be contacted via e-mail by up to 3 travel professionals who will offer price quotes and professional assistance – travel agents who want your business! Tripology offers you highly competitive price quotes and professional expertise that you can’t get from a website price generator. They have thousands of travel agents in their network who can handle your trip requests – as diverse as safaris and as common as domestic flights + hotel packages.
Give them a try!
A native Hawaiian (kānaka) and student at Hawaii University, Going2Oahu writes articles and maintains several websites dedicated to Hawaii travel including the Hawaii Cruise Superstore and the Going2Oahu Hawaii Travel Blog.
Article from articlesbase.com
How to Choose Best Travel Agents for Your Vacation
Travel agents are not considering as often as in the past due to the beginning of the Internet. However, they are still a great resource of information and provide you with an entire range of services, which will make your trip, run easily, as well as save you time, problem, and cash. Here is the process you should follow when choosing a travel agent.
Things you will need to do:
o Date, Place, and price range of Your Trip.
o List of agencies in your near by area.
o List of query
A good quality travel agent will ask you to outline your trip. They will ask where you’re going and why, how you would wish to travel, how long you plan to stay, and what your travel budget is. Be open and honest with your answers. A good agent will gladly put together a sample tours that describes availabilities in transportation, accommodations, and estimated costs.
Steps for Choosing Best Travel Agents
Recognize your needs
A good travel agent will always take your needs into thought. However, while an agent will typically ask questions to bring out this type of information from you (and you should take it as a bad sign if the agent does not), you will also need to do your part by speaking your mind.
• Clarify the main purpose of your trip.
• Decide where you want to go and when, making sure the trip will fit into everyone’s plan.
• Choose your mode of transportation, whether it’s Airline, Cruise, rental car, or something else fully.
• Try to determine a realistic budget for your trip based on all your other considerations.
Ask the right questions
Once you have pointed your choices, call around to ask questions. You should ask most of these questions to person, in addition, when you meet with those agents:
• What kind of travel do you specialize in?
• Can I contact you 24 hours a day?
• Which services do you charge for and how much will they cost?
Meet With Travel Agents
Travel arrangements like shopping of any car and other commodity, if you are too eager to jump on a deal right away. When you do meet with travel agents don’t feel required to purchase anything. As you start to discuss travel options with an agent you like, keep these guidelines in mind:
• Do not rely on vocal agreements alone.
• Do not suppose your accommodations will look as impressive as they do in the glossy direct mail.
• Always read out the paperwork carefully before you sign on it, especially when it comes to package deals.
Finding a best travel agent might a little complicated at first, but it could simplify your life vastly. I would like to suggest you few best travel agents website as I found while searching on Google. These are Airtkt.com, Cheapfareguru.com, Eros Tours & Travel Inc., Latinfare.com.
Happy Traveling
Sunny Khurana having experience of more than twenty five years in travel inudstry. He is very interested in searching and negotiating for the best value available for travelers.He has traveled extnesively around globe. He has successful relationship with all major travel vendors and suppliers. He is well qualified in travel management,rich knowledge of world’s tourist place. A successful businessman as well author of Tours and Travels.
Article from articlesbase.com
Why Edmonton Travel Agents Can be Your Best Friend
When I tell people about my fascination with Edmonton travel agents, they usually wrinkle their nose and wonder why I wouldn’t just go online and book through Expedia or Travelocity. They wonder if I’m paying more for the added convenience, or if I’m sacrificing some of my picking-and-choosing freedom. People are shocked to learn that travel agents in Edmonton are some of the best friends you can have!
Myth # 1: Don’t You Pay More For Edmonton Travel Agents?
First off, my Edmonton travel agents have an astounding network of contacts in the travel industry – rental cars, airlines, hotels, cruises, city tours and more. I don’t have time to filter through 5,000 different accommodations online, but my Edmonton travel agents can gather answers with a few clicks of a button and phone calls. Obviously, more options naturally equate with lower prices. Secondly, my Edmonton travel agents recently sent me a rebate cheque for 0 just for referring a friend! There are many ways for frequent travelers to earn rewards through a travel agency. Thirdly, my Edmonton travel agents offer five-star accommodations at /week in over 114 countries, but unlike timeshares I can travel 365 days/year without hassle. I simply call them up, tell them what I’m daydreaming about and they make it happen. Lastly, think of it this way: I pay my tax guy 0 to save me thousands — so by the same token, I pay my travel agents in Edmonton a small fee to hook me up with a sweet deal. When they saved me ,000 on an all-inclusive to Africa, I knew these were truly the best travel agents in Edmonton. Sure, I could sit online and spend hours praying I found the best prices, but why?
Myth # 2: Don’t You Give Up Some of Your Freedom Going Through an Edmonton Travel Agency?
With Edmonton travel agents, you will still have total creative freedom for your trip. I discuss my dreams and preferences before the travel agents in Edmonton get to work for me. They know where I want to go, what amenities I need for my five-star hotel, what kind of tours I want to go on, my favorite foods, if I like aisle or window seats, etc. It’s not like Priceline.com where you put in your bid and then get stuck with it if your bid is accepted. Edmonton travel agents genuinely want you to be happy and they understand that customer service is what keeps their clientele coming back. In fact, most of their business is done with repeat customers, so they’d be crazy not to take utmost care of you! They usually give me the option of rating my trip afterwards too, so I can provide valuable feedback that enables these Edmonton travel agents to be the best.
I used to get so stressed out about vacations that I sort of gave up on them for a while. It got to the point that it “wasn’t worth the hassle” and I was so overwhelmed by all the little decision making along the way that I’d return home exhausted / needing a vacation from my vacation. Now I just leave it up to my new best friends – the travel agents in Edmonton – and they book me unforgettable all-inclusive trips that minimize the hassle and maximize the relaxation!
Edmonton travel agents offer five-star accommodations at /week in over 114 countries, but unlike timeshares you can travel 365 days/year without hassle. Edmonton travel agents genuinely want you to be happy and they understand that customer service is what keeps their clientele coming back.
Article from articlesbase.com
Top Hotels Recommended by Travel Agents
The hotel you choose to stay in while on vacation can often make or break your entire trip. The best and most comfortable hotels will enable you to completely relax and enjoy every minute of your much-deserved retreat. While there are many places on the internet that you can easily research and book hotels, you often will not obtain the best deals, and exactly what you are looking for, without help from a qualified travel agent.
A travel agent can help you determine exactly what hotel you are looking for along with all of the specific accommodations you want to revel in while being away. A travel agent can also help you deal with any added stress that might come from dealing with and booking a hotel at a far away destination. It is highly suggested to invest in the use of a travel agent when booking hotels, flights, car rentals and more, so that you are sure to get the best deals, most discounts, and a guaranteed fantastic trip.
There is a laundry list of top hotels recommended by travel agents at most popular resort locations. It is very important for you to find the type of hotel that is going to be best for you and your family, so that you can be eligible to get the best deals. No matter where you are going, there is usually a star-rated hotel in the vicinity. If you choose to stay at a travel agent recommended hotel, not only will you be staying in a wonderful place, but you are also more prone to receive discounts and special advantages as per request from your travel agent. Many hotels have relationships with travel agents and will treat their customers like royalty as part of a thank you to the travel agent for sending business their way.
There are several qualities in a hotel that can make them one that a travel agent will recommend. It is important for the hotel to first be in a good area where the traveler will feel safe and comfortable to bring their friends or family. Another great reason to use a travel agent is that they will be able to steer you clear of any unsafe areas in destination location. You might be unaware of the local conditions of a hotel when you book it yourself, whereas a travel agent can inform you with those necessary details. If you are spending money on a hotel you want to be one hundred percent sure that you find exactly what you are looking for including your safety. A travel agent can look at the hotel and let you know whether your preferences will be accessible from that area.
Being safe and in a highly touristy area are two very important aspects that will determine if a hotel will be recommended by travel agencies. Another criterion for a recommended hotel is that the hotel meets high standards on the inside. The hotels need to be clean, comfortable and reliable. If a hotel has a 24 hour concierge desk, room service, and other amenities they will most likely be a highly praised and highly recommended place to stay. Hotels with other accommodations such as an indoor pool, sauna, gym, and complimentary services will often be on the top of the recommended lists and will, in turn, be the most popular. Again, the more business a hotel will get the more prone they will be to give discounts as a thanks offering for doing business with them.
A travel agency also tends to recommend any hotels that carry a good reputation and an impressive history. This is very important because it is part of what makes staying in a hotel a memorable experience for you. When you find a hotel that has a good reputation, you will be able to confidently enjoy your stay, knowing that you and your family are being left in good hands that will take care of every need you may have. It is very comforting when a hotel enables you to feel right at home while you are enjoying the perks of a new and exciting destination.
Whether you are using a travel agency to book your trip, or to get great hotel recommendations from them, you can rest assured knowing that the hotels they recommend will be worth staying in. These hotels are going to be safe, in a good location, have all of the necessary amenities and perks, and will have a valuable reputation and history. Using a professional and qualified travel agent to book your next hotel stay will be a great way to get wonderful discounts and a guaranteed fabulous vacation.
Josh Webber is a freelance writer who writes about travel agents and the travel industry, often focusing on vacationing tips like finding discount cruises.
Article from articlesbase.com
The Benefits of Working with a Travel Agent
In this age of do it yourself, Internet-based travel booking, it is natural to wonder why there is still a need for the traditional travel agent. In fact, there are a number of benefits to working with a travel agent that can help you get more for your money, and enjoy your vacation to the fullest.
The following are some of the most important benefits of working with a professional travel agent.
What are the benefits of working with a travel agent?
- Planning. A travel agent knows all in the ins and outs of just about every travel destination in the world. That means they can help you plan out every minute of your vacation so that you don’t miss a thing! You give a travel agent the dates of travel, and the types of things that interest you (everything from historic landmarks to fine dining) and they will do the rest – planning out a perfect travel itinerary.
- Price. Say you’re looking for cheap flights to Europe. You get online and find a couple of flights within your price range, but who is to say that they are lowest prices out there? A travel agent has access to ALL the flights available on any given day. That means when you book an international flight to Europe with an agent, you’re going to end up with more money in your pocket. Travel agents often offer great deals on low-priced package trips – something you won’t find possible doing it all on your own.
- Convenience. There are those among us who love to take on the extra responsibility of planning every single solitary detail of a vacation. For the rest of us, there are travel agents to handle everything from the flight reservations to hotels and rental cars. The travel agency industry relies on great customer service, so expect to be taken well take care of by these trained professionals.
- Business. If you are traveling for business, you don’t have time to book the entire trip on your own. Again, just give the travel agent the information about when and where you need to go and they will plan everything out for you.
Some of the things a travel agent can help you find
There is a wealth of amazing things that a travel agent can do for you and your family. Here’s a sampling to get you started:
- Find cheap flights to Israel
- Book a convertible rental car for your trip to Los Angeles
- Help plan a day trip to see all the monuments in Washington, D.C.
- Better understand local customs for your trip to India
- Find a five-star hotel at a two-star price for your second honeymoon to Paris
These ideas may not be for everyone, but they are meant illustrate the wide scope of services available at your local travel agent. When you want to enjoy the perfect vacation, and don’t have the time or expertise to book every detail of a trip yourself, contact a travel agent.
Whether you are thinking about a local weekend gateway or a month long international adventure, the experienced travel agents at www.DoAlltravel.com will provide you with all your travel solutions.
Article from articlesbase.com
Three Benefits Of Becoming A Travel Agent
How do travel agents travel for free? One of the top three questions I get from friends and family once I tell them I am a travel agent. If that were the case everyone would be flocking to the trillion dollar industry to take advantage of all the free trips! There are great benefits that travel professional enjoy as being a part of the travel industry. Beloware 3 benefits of being a travel agent:
Get Paid on Retail or Sale Pricing
When I travel as an insider, I get paid when I book travel for myself (and of course I get paid when I do it for others). The price I pay could be the same as any one that is not part of the industry, the difference would be I get a check and you don’t! Commissions are already built-into the price of what you see online or what your travel agent quote you already has the commissions built-in. (they are never in addition to price quoted, if you are told extra fees need to be added to cover commission… run! Commissions are always included in the price online and should be included when you are quoted a price)
Travel at Net or Wholesale Pricing
Now, if I decide that I want to travel at a lower cost and forgo my commission, I still have to pay the net cost, I just would not get paid for the trip. You can get travel at great bargains if you travel this way!
But, I must add that various agencies may have ‘special’ discounted trips that agents can take for themselves or sell to their clients and STILL get a commission! I love these because your getting paid AND the rates can be even better than net rate PLUS you have a great deal you can offer to your clients. Only downside is that there may be a limit on how many can travel and restricted to specific dates.
Travel on the Industries Dime
What about those really dirt cheap trips? Yes, dirt cheap destinations do exist and are exclusive for travel agents and are typically known as FAM trips or Familiarization trips. These trips are more educational for travel agents and teach agents about the property or destination experience they are visiting.
Vendors invite agents on these ‘FAM’ trips so they can get more in-depth knowledge to share with their clientele. The goal is to promote to get more bookings for those properties or destinations. Prices for these trips are such a steal that they might as well be free!
Just to recap, travel agents pay for their trips in three ways:
Travel at retail pricing & get paid the already built-in commission or Travel at retail minus already built-in pricing (therefore no commissions are paid)
Travel at wholesale plus get a commission (vary per agency and limits dates & quantity)
Travel on a FAM trip – steeply discounted trips (exclusive to travel agents
Learn how you can get these benefits and more by becoming a part-time travel agent, visit www.1stStateTravel.biz to learn more.
Natalie is very passionate about entrepreneurship and building successful businesses, especially her online Travel and e-Commerce business. She enjoys mentoring her team of independent Travel Agents and e-Commerce Business Owners, helping them to take full-advantage of all the income opportunities available with their business and achieve success! Natalie provides coaching to those who are committed and serious about building a successful internet business from home. Visit www.1stStateTravel.biz to learn more.
Article from articlesbase.com