Since I was a little girl, planning travel was something I delighted in. I would peruse travel guides and tour books while Mom and Dad mapped out of summer vacation route. As an exchange student in high school, I could hop on public transportation and cure my wanderlust with a friend. So,when I found myself with a bachelor’s degree and political experience and an inkling that I wanted nothing to do with politics, a wise friend suggested that I try the travel industry since that is where my true passion resided. I nabbed an entry level position at a Travel Agency and within 8 months was training to be a full-time Travel Agent.
I learned quickly that the travel industry is not as glamorous as people want to believe. There are missed connections, delayed flights, and passport and medical issues. With things like Groupon and Travelzoo, there is so much price competition. And, with the added barrage of travel websites and TripAdvisor, sometimes clients want to rest on their own intuitions other than the advice of a seasoned professional. Nonetheless, I had a core group of clients that trusted me and we became great friends in the meantime. They valued my time as opposed to counting every dollar and cent and knew I was saving them resources in the long run.
All that said, here are my top 4 things Travel Agents want you to (secretly) know:
1. Your agent really does want to find you the best price. Please honor this by not going home to search Orbitz, Travelzoo, and the like to see if he/she can come $37 lower to price match aforementioned consolidators. If his/her services are not worth that to you, then don’t bother. That may seem harsh, but there is much time involved in coming up with quotes. I never just went to one vendor and looked for a price, I was always searching multiple scenarios to come up with the best deal for my clients. Honor your agent’s time by trusting him/her to do the work you ask. That said, if your agent forgets to ask you if you are a member of AARP, AAA, or in the military, please tell them. They aren’t psychic and want to know how they can help get the cost down for you! Along with this, prices may seem higher because most agencies only work with reputable tour companies. You may find the deal of a lifetime online, but the tour company could be a sinking ship. One of my favorite former clients only came to our office after they lost a few thousand dollars because the Central American tour operator they found online went belly-up.
2. Please don’t expect your travel agent to know it all. Think of him/her as a personal assistant to your travels. My clients knew that I had knowledge of USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. Once we were out of that realm I would do all of the research I could, but I was not the leading expert in the field. There are a few travel agents that have seen it all, but unfortunately, most have been at home working on others’ travels. Show them grace as they recruit colleagues and tour operators for additional information.
3. We’re hounding you about your travel documentation for a reason- it must be correct. Don’t brush off whether your mother’s passport has a middle initial of A or the full middle name of “Agnes.” If your kids want grandma along on this trip, we must know! Double check your vacation calendar before sending off dates and make sure a sitter is booked if you’re traveling solo. I had a client reassure me that his wife’s passport was good to go and then he called me three weeks before her Europe vacation to ask me how he could get a passport expedited!! It was due to expire while she was away! What could have been a really epic disaster (showing up at the airport with a delinquent passport) worked out only because he thought to double-check- although unfortunately 6 weeks AFTER I’d ask him to check the first time. Most countries require that your passport is good for 6 months past the date you plan to return, so check and double check dates- most good travel agents will try to keep a record of this, but we’re not responsible for your negligence
4. If you saw what I saw, you would take the travel insurance. Before working in the travel industry, I always thought that the optional travel insurances offered by airlines and tour operators were something of a racket, but spending 7 years in the industry changed my mind. Let’s review some dilemmas: I had a client whose appendix burst 6 days before her and her family were to leave for an Australia & New Zealand cruise. I had a client whose son passed away while they were on a cruise ship in the Panama Canal. Oh, and maybe the most worrisome of all was when my own mother became ill two days into their UK/Ireland trip and ended up in a London hospital (that’s a phone call you don’t want to get). Thanks to travel insurance, none of these sudden emergencies translated into a financial debacle You may not get ill, but your 90-year old grandma may pass away while you’re on the other side of the world or your teenager may come down with strep the day before departure. Budget for the travel insurance ahead of time. If you think the coverage offered by the agent is too much, check around on a site like www.insuremytrip.com, just don’t be left without coverage. For clients that were outright persistent against the insurance I would say, “Can you afford to lose x amount? If the answer is no, you may want to reconsider.” Use this test for yourself as well.
I’ll admit, sometimes it is fun to hop on Expedia or Southwest.com and plan a quick weekend getaway or week at the beach. However, there is something to be said for working with a travel agent- not only may you build a lasting friendship (like I did with some of my clients), but you can leave the price wars, the hotel reviews, and the layover times to the seasoned professionals. More than that, you’ll have someone to call when a snowstorm closes the airport or your luggage doesn’t arrive (Alitalia= luggage nightmare, FYI). And you can let the rock of the cruise ship lull you to sleep knowing there is someone out there who has your back… and your travel insurance policy number.
I work for a tour operator in Atlanta,Ga and I agree 100% with what she is saying.Especially about purchasing insurance.!! I tell them you would spend $3000.00 on your vacation and not spend at at least $59.00 to protect it??? Their response is”I’m going no matter what”.ok……. but when the time comes and they need to cancel…guess what….they are losing money then get mad at me because I can’t give them a refund. Being in the industry does have its perks,but there is also the demanding side of it.
WOW…thank you so much Leah…you summed that up so well!!!
Spot-on! Thank you!!
How do you find.a reputable travel agent?
Word of mouth and experience. Interview an agent like you would a realtor or insurance agent. Experience speaks volumes.
You hit it right on the head.. thank u so much for sharing.
After 20 years of owning my own store front travel agency, it is so nice to hear someone say how hard we work. You are so right about everything you discussed. Everyday I hear can you beat the internet. Now, maybe I will give them a copy if your article. Thanks for the support.
Thank you so much for writing this positive article about travel agents. I am a travel agent and often get surprised reactions when people ask me what I do. This is one of the many reasons I started a Travel Agent Awareness campaign to spread the word that real travel professionals still exist and that we are the best option when booking travel. We care about our clients and our goal is to make their dreams come true. Thanks again!
Although most of what you say is true i disagree with “agents want to find you the best price”. Sure they do and then tack on $$$ commissions. For example, a trip that would have cost my husband and I around $1800 total, including taxes, insurance, etc my travel agent tried to charge me almost $3000!! Explain that one.
I don’t know any agencies who “tack on commission” since they are factored into the cost of travel whether you do it all yourself or on your own. This sounds like a trust issue. If you ran into an agent who tried to hide fees in a booking previously I would suggest not using them again, but I would not recommend holding this experience against all TA’s. 🙂
Not all travel agents,are like that. Seriously.
I love travel and I love being a Travel Agent. I want people know we are out there to be there for them, but what about the clients that run us ragged looking for the best deals then just dump us. I had a client that had me on a string for almost 3 months looking for the best deals for flight and hotel in Thailand until my team leader said cut her lose I would be in the hole waiting for her to OK any trip I sent her. So unhappily I told her my team leader said I couldn’t do it anymore especially since she wouldn’t give me a set date (always looking for the cheaper flight date). She was really upset at me and let me know she was. The next thing I hear is she and her husband flew to Spain for a week’s vacation. I didn’t charge no research fee or anything, no tip for all the hard work I put into her vacation. Now I see where some store fronts are charging a upfront fee. Up to $100 but if I suggest any upfront money they run. I even heard of charging a research fee to be refunded if they book with the agent since I am a online agent. I really hate to charge but I am really tired of being used then they book online with Expedia.com, etc. I let them know I am there for them, that no question is to small or to dumb. So what do you do with clients that contact you, run you ragged then dump you? A lady, not to long ago, did this to me because she couldn’t decide which cruise line she wanted to go with that had the best deals. No matter what I sent her she found fault. Then there is the ones that don’t answer your questions that you need their full names, birth dates, and address then feeds you little at at time the whole time they want to know if you found them that great deal. I do have great clients that I love working with but then I get these. They don’t understand we don’t get pay until they book their vacation with us that is why they don’t have to pay us. Sorry for the long comment, but it goes both ways. Debbie
Perhaps you are not comparing apples to apples? Oftentimes, taking the CHEAPEST flight means awful connections, and the CHEAPEST hotel room may be overlooking machinery to keep you up all night. You may want to compare before accusing them of adding commissions. Sometimes better options do cost more.
I am sorry that you had such a negative experience with your travel agent. The majority of agents don’t add in a commission because commissions are paid by the vendor. I have never charged a fee even when I am doing extensive itinerary planning as this is part of the service that I offer my clients and part of what sets me apart from the online travel websites. I can book the same packages that Expedia and Orbitz can and when a client has a lower price most often it is because there is something different between the quotes such as comparing different room types. As an agent, I am constantly doing training to ensure that I am able to make the best suggestions to my clients and my job isn’t finished until they are home. I am there at 3 AM if they have a problem during travel, a service that I don’t charge extra for. Just like all hotels are not created equally, all agents aren’t created equally and I hope that you will give using an agent another try, especially with complex travel plans. Happy Travels!
It seems like you may have had a bad experience. Reputable agents do not “tack on commissions”. We are paid our commissions from vendors. Some agents may add fees for their research time, but those are usually nominal, and often used as part of payment when the client books.
Thank you, Thank you. Thank you.
I have been a travel consultant for over 30 years (yes I started when I was 20!) and this article is perfect. Thanks for putting it out there.
Great article! So the question is: why aren’t you a travel agent anymore?
Love this article! Thank you thank you! Whenever I speak with someone about what I do, many times people say, there are still travel agents? Yes, there are. I work long days as a home based agent, enjoy what I do and try to explain the value of using an agent to potential customers. You cannot convince everyone and I will not get into price wars trying to match an online price. Those customers end up being the worst. I have learned that my services are more valuable than that! And any way you slice it on any trip, there is commission built into the price whether you book through Expedia, the cruise line or through an agent. At least when someone books through me, they get the same person on the phone every time and not some random person on a 1-800 number.
Thank you for this article. It reminds me never to sacrifice quality because some clients still believe that they can travel to the Caribbean from LA for $1000 per person! I have to remind myself that they don’t have a clue all the work that goes in to providing a quote. It’s good to remind them from time to time.
You did a great job explaining what a Travel Agent does.
Excellent article, thank you so much! I always tell people that I, as their Travel Agent, are there for them, from researching trips, to securing all the documentation to being on call 24/7 when they travel…are you going to get that with an online booking site? uh….no! 🙂 And I compare using a TA to purchasing the same item from a large conglomerate or a smaller individually owned business, do you want that large conglomerate to keep all the profits or would you like it to go to the privately owned small business who is supporting their family, or building a business, etc… We appreciate you and this great article!
Thanks for sharing! I just had conversation with a good friend about agent vs “online cheap trip.” And lasting, the travel insurance, I always recommend it. It’s amazing how many people will spend thousands to vacation and not aecure their investments.
#TLSTravel #EscapeExploreEnjoy
This is a great article. for clients and agents to read. to understand the thoroughness a good agent
follows. I know because my granddauighter is one of these agents .
It’s cool that there are travel agencies that are dedicated to helping people with their traveling plans. I can see how some of them may not be the most efficient, but I can see how they can be a great help when you find one that is truly dedicated to helping you get to where you want to go. I hope that I can find a good travel agency that can help me out with this.
wonderfull article.have just learnt a lot.
I like that you point out that it isn’t fair to expect that your travel agent knows everything about everything. I can see why some people might expect them to have insight on every place there is to visit. My sister has used a travel agent a couple times for her trips to Europe. I’ll have to ask her if she has every asked her agent if there are places she doesn’t know much about.
In your article, you stated that most countries require that your passport is good for 6 months past the date you plan to return, so check and double check dates- most good travel agents will try to keep a record of this, but we’re not responsible for your negligence. My wife and I really want to take an exotic trip this summer and a friend suggested that we hire an international travel agent to help us. I wonder if the training required for international booking is different from domestic booking.