“Do people still use travel agents?”
“Do travel agents still exist?”
I hear these questions often, and my answer is always the same…
ABSOLUTELY! At least, the smart ones do.
Another question I hear all of the time… “Can’t I just book this myself online?”
Maybe you’ve even asked these questions yourself.
While the internet is chock full of information about planning a Disney vacation and there are a multitude of web sites dedicated to allowing you to book your vacations yourself, travel professionals still provide a valuable service for today’s busy vacationers.
A quick Google search will put hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, blog posts, reviews, trip reports, photos and more at your fingertips. It can be more than a bit overwhelming!
How do you know what information is up to date and correct? Things change quickly with Disney and even information an article that is just a year or so old can now be just flat out wrong. Can you be sure those reviews are accurate and unbiased? Are those photos current and unedited?
And if you’ve ever said to yourself that you would never book with a travel agency because you prefer to do it all yourself, or you want to keep “control” of your reservation, let me fill in on a little secret…
Those web sites you are using to search for the best price? They are all travel agencies.
Not only that, they typically have more restrictions and fees than working with a personal travel advisor should you need to make a change or cancel your vacation unexpectedly. And then there is the issue of customer service, or in the case of many of these big online agencies, “customer no-service.”
Take a moment and look through the cancellation or change policies of your favorite travel discount. You’ll usually find them to be rather unforgiving. When you work with a travel professional, you’ll typically see far more flexibility and fewer fees.
And what about payments? Most of the time you will need to pay for your vacation in full when you book with an online discounter. A travel professional will be able to book your trip with as little as a $200 deposit and in many cases will allow you to make multiple payments on your vacation if you’d like to spread the cost out before you travel.
As a travel professional, I work with my clients providing them with top-notch service from the time they reach out to me until well after they return from their vacations.
I take the time to listen to their vacation wants, needs and expectations. I get to know them. I ask lots of questions to help make sure that the recommendations I make are right for them.
Sure, some of my clients come to me knowing exactly what they want down to the specific details, but more often than not what they’ve found either isn’t the right option to meet their expectations, or it isn’t the best value for their hard-earned vacation dollars. I am able to use my personal experience and my industry connections to recommend options tailor-made to meet their wants, needs, expectations, and budget.
Once we’ve found the perfect vacation options for them, I make sure that they get the best possible pricing from the time they book, until the day they depart for their vacation. If a special offer, discount or value add on becomes available, I take care of having it added to their reservation. Often my clients aren’t even aware there was a special offer announced; they just open their email to be pleasantly surprised by a message for me letting them know I’ve saved them hundreds of dollars on their vacation!
The services of a travel professional don’t end once your vacation is booked. In fact, that’s often where the essential services begin.
From dining recommendations to fast pass reservations and custom itinerary planning, I put hours of work into making sure that my clients have the best experience with the least amount of time spent waiting in lines or cris-crossing the parks unnecessarily.
It’s often the small details that make the difference between a good vacation and a well-planned, well-executed, outstanding vacation. Knowing that all of those little details are taken care of and have been double and triple checked by a professional means that you can relax and enjoy a stress-free trip.
You can also relax knowing that if anything should go wrong, you’ve got a professional in your corner helping to solve any problems and advocate for you should the need arise.
Whether it’s transportation delays or an issue at your resort, you need only contact me, and I will be working behind the scenes to resolve the situation. Because of my connections and the resources available through my travel partners, I can often facilitate a resolution sooner than you might expect.
Working with a travel professional is like having a personal concierge dedicated to ensuring that your vacation is expertly planned and customized to your family’s unique expectations. Allowing someone else to take care of the details and eliminate the stress and overwhelm of planning is a luxury you deserve to experience.
Planning the perfect experience begins with scheduling your vacation consultation call. Click here to request a time for us to meet. We’ll discuss the details and what you are looking for in your dream vacation. I’ll give you my suggestions and explain how we can best work together to plan the vacation of your dreams.