Why Use a Travel Agent?

About 3 years ago, I decided, I want to be a travel agent!  I had just retired from teaching, I needed a part time job, and I loved to travel.  This would be the perfect fit!  I could help other people to find great deals on travel and I would also be able to do what I love!  When I began this journey, I had a lot of hopes and dreams for this career, but I also had some misconceptions about what it would entail.  My hopes and dreams for this career are still alive and I feel like I am getting wiser about how I can help people plan the vacations of their dreams.

Being a travel agent is just like any other career - you get out of it exactly what you put in to it.  Here I am, 3 years in, life has gotten in the way, and I have not had much time to put much time in to this career.  Over the past 3 years, I have gotten married, moved, built a 2000 square foot log home (my husband and I did almost ALL of the work ourselves), went back to work full-time teaching online, decided my married life was not all that I had hoped for, moved again, and I have now decided to refocus my attention on being a Travel Agent AND I am going to start blogging!

I think a lot of people also have some misconceptions about why they should use a Travel Agent to book travel. With the world at your fingertips when on the internet, you can actually do your own research, find great deals, and book your own travel.  Why would you need to use a Travel Agent?

Travel Agents offer a service to you more than anything else.  We do all of the work for you:  we research the best prices and options based on the information that you give us; we book your travel through suppliers that our parent agency has a trusted relationship with; we provide you with travel insurance in case something happens and you are unable to travel or your trip is interrupted for unexpected reasons.  And when you need assistance, WE are there for you - making calls to our suppliers to correct the issue that you might be having.

Years ago, I decided that I would take a trip to Hawaii.  I made all of the plans myself - I didn't need a travel agent.  Believe me, I wish I would have had one!  We flew out of Arkansas to Denver.  Then we were flying from Denver to Hawaii, then on to Kuaii.  It was a dream vacation for me!  We landed in Denver and everything was going great.  We boarded the plane, then things started going wrong.  First, there was a storm moving in quicker than anticipated and we had to taxi to a different side of the airport so that the crosswinds would not affect us taking off.  That didn't work.  Then they decided that the luggage had not been loaded correctly - we had to taxi back to the gate, unload all the luggage, and reload.  We taxied out again and another storm came through.  After so many trips around the airport, we needed more fuel to make it to Hawaii.  It was one problem after another.  We were on the plane for 5 hours BEFORE we ever left the ground!  We arrived in Hawaii many hours after our connection.  I had booked through a discount air site online that was of no help.  I ended up having to pay for another flight the next day to get to the island where my hotel was.  I didn't have a travel agent to call - I really wish that I would have had the support that a travel agent can provide.

I also used to believe that if I used a Travel Agent, it would cost me more to book the trip.  This is NOT the case.  For example, if you and I both search for a hotel on a website, just an example, let's say Expedia.  We will more than likely find almost the same price for the hotel - you will just be searching on the public site and I will be logged in as a travel agent.  The difference is, if I book the hotel for you, Expedia will pay me a commission.  If you book the hotel yourself, Expedia gets to keep the commission.

I want to become the best Travel Agent that I can.  I plan to focus first on becoming an expert on the cruise industry.  Cruises are one of the most economical vacations.   I want to experience all of the different cruise lines so that I will be able to give my clients first hand recommendations when they ask me about cruises.  After learning more about cruises, I plan to move my focus to all-inclusive resorts and honeymoon planning.

Hopefully, I have helped you to understand why it might be important to use a Travel Agent to help you plan and book your next adventure.  I hope you have enjoyed first blog entry.  My next entry will be about a Southern Caribbean cruise on the Grand Princess!