Are travel agents worth the extra money?
Hardly a week goes by that I don’t recommend the services of a competent travel agent in one of my columns. And the conventional wisdom — which is that a real travel agent can make your trip better — has gone unchallenged for years, if not by me then by my readers. Until last week.
Bob Barstow, a long-time reader of my stories, e-mailed me to question the validity of that claim.
In many, if not most of your columns, you give an impression about travel agencies that I just have not found to be true.
You imply that the business is full of agents dedicated to the travelers well-being, and will go out of their way for their customer. In all my years of traveling, both business and personal, I have yet to meet this agent.
Barstow suggests agents just book trips — and not always as efficiently as you can online.
Every single one I have worked with has done their job of arranging my booking — no more, no less.
For example, no agent has ever done a recommendation on which resort property I might like better. They have never asked what my interests are. I have even told them what I am looking for, and the best I get is a list of hotels that “would work for me.” When a flight has been messed up, no agent has ever done more for me than I have been able to do for myself on site.
He cites his most recent trip as an example.
Barstow used an agent to book a trip to Hawaii. “I asked him to look for flights that I could use my miles to upgrade to First Class,” he remembers. “He said he couldn’t do that, that I would have to handle it. Which I did, but when I made the arrangements, the Northwest Elite contact asked me why my travel agent didn’t do it in the first place. When I asked my agent, he said he couldn’t do it because it was travel agency policy not to use miles.”
Then, on the ground, his disappointment with his agent deepened.
Both properties were Sheraton – on Hawaii and Oahu. I gave the agent my Starpoints number so I would get credit for the stays. He said, no problem.
Upon arrival at both properties, neither had the number in their system. I am still arguing with Starpoints for the credit. Because I paid the travel agency for the reservations, I am having difficulty getting credit for the stays. My receipts from both properties only show incidental charges, not the full amount I paid.
When contacting the agent, he has been no help. I get the impression that he really doesn’t care — we’ve taken the trip, he’s gotten his commission, case closed. He’s polite when I call, but gives the impression it’s not his problem.
Barstow’s question — and I think it’s a valid one — is, where can he find the go-the-extra-mile service travel agents are supposed to offer?
Are there any agents out there who care to answer?
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Comments
63 Responses to “Are travel agents worth the extra money?”
I have to agree with Mr. Barstow. Although Chris Elliott is probably entirely correct in recommending a “competant” travel agent, these are few and far between. For the most part, they are a waste of time. The travel agents I seem to run into are pathetic and know little about their craft. Despite having superior databases to the ones I can search online, they show little inclination or desire to seek out the correct fit. I think there needs to be a big clean out of the industry and some better qualification. Perhaps a test such as “Okay, if the traveller is taking a trip arriving on a Saturday and leaving on a Wednesday, how many hotel nights do they require?”. Sorry, I am pretty much through with travel agents. I could give examples of this supreme incompetance, but suffice it to say, the screw ups are the norm and not the exception.
I use the same travel agency regularly for business travel. Most of my trips are short 90 minute jaunts between New York and Toronto. I always search on the net for fares before asking the travel agent. Nine times out of ten the travel agent provides me with a cheaper airfare than I could find online. My travel agent is also able to sort things out more easily than I can, for example my partner will be joining me for the last four days of a ten day meeting next month. The TA was able to ensure we are sitting next to each other on the way home - I could do this online, but there is always a risk that I’ll foul it up.
The one time I thanked the heavens for my TA was when I was stuck in an airplane that was heading back to the terminal, and I wasn’t sure if I would have to spend another night in Toronto. While we were taxiing back to the terminal, I was able to phone my TA and ascertain that there were plenty of hotel rooms near the airport, but regrettably no space on any other flights. If there had been space on another flight, I would have had a seat before anybody else on this full 737-800 got back to the terminal to harass the gate agents.
I only use travel agents in two circumstances - when i travel for work (my office actually has agents “in-house” that book everything for us) or if I’m trying to arrange a complicated/particularly “exotic” trip (like a recent trip I took across southern India).
The work thing is easy - they know the company rules, will book the appropriately cancelable tickets, and will rearrange things for me at the drop of a hat (I’ve spent a lot of time traveling back and forth to europe in the past few years, and regularly need to reschedule flights/hotels).
As far as a multi-destination trip to a place like India, I wouldn’t know the first thing about where to stay, how to travel from city to city, so having a tour company/travel agency that specialized in booking such trips was fantastic. Drivers and guides to meet us everywhere, a local airport liason to “push” us onto an earlier flight leaving in 15 minutes from Cochin to Mumbai when it turned out that our original flight was delayed for 12 hours, and all sorts of local activities that we would have never known about but for the company bookings.
That being said, for “straightforward” personal trips, where you’re staying in a single destination, there’s really very little point to travel agents.
I recommend trying an AAA office. One of the things I’ve found out is that they have high customer service standards. I have had wonderful experiences booking trips through them and have gotten great feedback from the agents.
I’d try it before you stop using travel agents all together, they seem to have thier act together. Also, I’m not an AAA member and I can still use the agency and get their perks.
Lastly, the title of this article “Are travel agents worth the extra money?” isn’t correct. I’ve never paid more money using AAA. I’ve compared prices and booking with an agents SAVES me money.
As a travel agent, there is one specific thing that separates us from the airlines, hotels/resorts and car rental agencies. SERVICE. In June of 2007, I celebrated my 10th anniversary owning my own business. I know a lot of agencies that have come and gone in those 10 years and the basic reason is two fold. Bad management and bad service. Both go hand in hand.
If there is one thing that I have learned over the years, that if you want to stay in business, some customers are difficult, others are not. I have specific and personal information in each travelers file. What seat they like, all of their mileage numbers, frequent stay numbers etc. If I can not get the seat they prefer, I let them know in advance. No surprises at the airport. I consider myself to be a first class travel agent that wouldn’t be where I’m at without my loyal and dedicated travelers. I consider each and every one a friend and would hate to do anything cause them to have a bad trip or anything short of easy and efficient.
I will agree there are alot of travel agents - some even in my office that would never go the extra mile - like booking a mileage award ticket or an award stay at a hotel, but thats their loss. I would assume that every agent charges a fee, and just because they don’t get “revenue” credit for a reservation doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.
Barstow, Bill, Matthew and Sam and anyone else with doubts -
Give those of us with knowledge and true service a second chance. Don’t go to the AMEX travel agencies, Liberty, Tazell or other mega agencies, try one of us that is available 24-hour 365 - emergency cell phone at no extra cost agencies, that thank you each and every time for your business. You will find travel agents are like doctors, accountants, book-keepers and any other service professional. There are bad, just ok, and great travel agents - of which I consider myself to be the latter.
For any of you that have had horrible experiences - Call me - I will do EVERYTHING I can. Jack
I agree with using an AAA travel agent. A couple of years ago a woman tapped me on the shoulder in the Budapest,Hungary airport and asked me where I was going. It happened to be a riverboat cruise. My husband and I hung out with them and we became friends even though they liver in an othrer state. She is very well traveled and knows what to do and what to see. This May we are going on a cruise to Asia with them.
On the other hand at one time we had a local AAA travel agent and she did not return phone calls promptly and her knowledge of Europe was very limiter.
So ask questions before and do a bit of reaearch.
I’m not sure where Mr. Barstow is located, but I know several agents in my office, and many more working for competitors, who are knowledgable about destinations and more than willing to go out of their way to provide extra value to their clients. While a simple point to point ticket is just as easily done online, even a trip to a single destination involving a stay at a resort can sometimes be cheaper through agents because of their connections. This not to say that all agents are equally competent. I have met dozens that I would never entrust my travel plans to, but Mr. Barstow should be able to weed those out by interviewing them, just as a good agent should interview him.
Is finding a competent travel agent any different that finding a competent accountant or real estate agent? There are many to choose from and if you go by the luck of the draw, you’re likely to be disappointed. You should exercise due diligence, check references and credentials, and interview the agent before entrusting your travel dollars to one. What is Bob’s line of work? I bet if he is honest, he could look within his own industry and find people who are mopey and barely competent and those who are extremely competent.
As a travel agent too busy to accept any new clients, I am able to add plenty of value to many travel transactions. When I don’t think I can add value, I tell the client. Example: client knows he wants to fly Southwest between 2 city pairs. All he needs is the ticket. If I issue the ticket, I have to charge a ticketing fee. I point this out to the client and tell them I’d be happy to do it for hm, but if they would prefer to do it themselves online and avoid the fee, feel free to do so. How can I add value to an air transaction? I can access premiere seating on many airlines and assign those seats even if the client is not an elite frequent flyer. I can obtain an advance seat assignment on an airline such as British Air months in advance when a customer dealing direct with British Air could not. I have access to special negotiated and contract fares that will not show up on any online air site. I check fares on the airline GDS system and then I flip to at least 2 online airline aggregator sites before suggesting a fare/schedule to a client. I not only input frequent flyer numbers, I obtain frequent flyer numbers for clients when they don’t have them. I know how to find the low cost airlines in other countries that don’t show up in the GDS systems or in most online air sites. When a client is traveling and a flight has been canceled or delayed, I am available to my clients 24/7 to rebook and protect them on other flights. I have special numbers for airlines that enable me to get through to them quickly when normal hold times are very long. After 30 years as an agent, I know airline sales reps, station managers, and names and numbers of all sorts of helpful people at various airlines. And if I don’t know the information, there are a lot of cracker jack agents within my company who respond 24/7 with insider information if an email is broadcast within the company. My clients who were stranded in other countries by the September 11, 2001 tragedy, will tell you that I jumped through hoops to keep them up to date on the situation and to get them on the first flights cleared to fly.
As for frequent flyer reservations, I will do it for a client for a fee. There is no compensation from an airline for the reservation and it often takes a vast amount of time to search multiple gateways and routings and partner airlines to try to obtain a reservation. I wonder if Bob was willing to pay his agent an appropriate fee to find a frequent flyer reservation. Many of my colleagues won’t touch a frequent flyer booking because they’ve been burned too many times by clients who expect them to work for free and who don’t want to pay for time if a suitable reservation cannot be found.
As for hotels, I have access to industry only publications evaluating and reviewing hotels. I have several shelves of books on destinations and hotels at my fingertips. I read so many consumer and travel trade publications and online newsletters to stay current that I couldn’t begin to list them all. I spend a lot of time considering what hotel would work best for a client. If I don’t know them well, I try to find out what they’re looking for, what hotels they’ve stayed in the past that they liked or hated and what contributed to that opinion. I have a huge card file and rolodex of hoteliers and if a client is going to a particular property, I send an email to the sales or general manager at the hotel about a week prior to arrival to ask that they take good care of the customer. Through affiliation with the top industry consortium, I can offer upgrades and amenities at many hotel properties that a client could not obtain on his/her own. Beyond that, I’ve traveled to almost 100 countries and I always spend time on hotel site inspections, even on my own vacation time. Can I do much if a client is going to a Holiday Inn Express or some other budget or mid level chain property? No, but if there are frequent stay numbers involved, I use them. If they need to know which properties are closest to where they’re conducting business, I can easily determine that.
I’m feeling irritated that Bob has painted all travel agents with the same broad brush. In the same way that I expect a new client to interview me, I interview clients and turn some of them down. No matter how reasonable the client or competent the agent, there also has to be a personality fit. I’m guessing that Bob and I would not be a fit.
As an agent in the business for 26years, it is sad that Mr. Barstow has not been able
to find an agent that cares. We are a small office that thrives on the assistance that
we provide to our clients. We call the airlines to assist with cancellations, seats, whatever is needed. We DO assist with mileage awards. We take the time to research the destination resorts to be sure they will provide the client with the things
they want and need. As for the Starwood points. On several occations, we have
helped the client get their points when the hotel blamed us for not providing the
appropriate numbers. The Travel Agent is always the one that gets blamed for
failing to provide the necessary info. We pride ourselves in our customer service.
That is the thing that separates us from the internet.
Mr. Barstow says he’s always had bad luck with agents, yet he gives only one example of a bad agent while tarring the entire industry with his bitter brush.
If he’s always had such bad luck with agents, why did he use yet another one?
I suspect Mr Barstow isn’t telling the whole story. I also suspect he’s one of those massive pains in the neck who does nothing but complain.
I’ve primarily only used a travel agent for business. My old job had an in-house travel agent that was affiliated with a larger agency. He was wonderful! My firm had contracts with all the major US carriers because we had to follow the Fly America Act and he consistently got me the best routings. He once spent an hour searching for a routing for a colleague and me to get a free guaranteed upgrade to business class because Fly America pushes for economy class. And when we got caught in Atlanta due to a broken plane and missed our connection out of Frankfurt on to our final destination, he made sure that we had new tickets waiting for us at the Lufthansa counter for the next flight. And when my dad needed to go to Asia for my grandfather’s funeral, he got me a great deal on the ticket and hotel and waived the agency fee. Alas, he hated the agency that he worked for so much that he left the travel business entirely.
At my new job, the travel agents couldn’t care less and I have to spend my time looking up the routings before I even contact them and then I have to fight with them to correctly interpret the Fly America Act for contractors. It’s exhausting.
However, I can say that I’ve always been very pleased by my interactions with AAA on personal travel. I know that they are steering me towards their packages, but they’ve always worked with me in a friendly and knowledgeable manner.
While Mr. Barstow has had a bad experience, I never go on a trip without utilizing my travel agent. I figure the added value of having an advocate in my corner is worth the few extra dollars I pay in fees. While Mr. Barstow says that his agent doesn’t do anything, mine has always been very proactive and protective of me and my interests. Sure, I’ve picked some off the wall places to travel to and sometimes she doesn’t have first hand experience with the destination however she has a network of agents to work with and between them they seem to have been everywhere that I would want to go.
The time that one truly discovers the value of one’s agent is when things go wrong while you are on the road. In my years of travel, both for business and pleasure, been a number of times when my agent has managed miracles and saved me countless dollars and hours, if not days, by anticipating the problems of the day. As an example, I was scheduled to return home out of Philly one fine winter day and a storm blew in. While I waited at the airport to see if my flight was going to go or not, she found out that it was going to be canceled and went ahead and got me a hotel and rescheduled my flight for the next morning. When I got to the ticket counter the ticket agent told me that my travel agent had already changed my return. As this was before cell phones I had to call her from a pay phone to thank her and she told me where I was staying. In this day and age of booking it yourself, you would be stuck having to do all of this without any assistance. Off the top of my head, I can think of half a dozen other examples that illustrate the value of a professional agent.
I suggest that Mr. Barstow find himself a professional travel agent who will take his interest to heart. It means asking friends and family members for referrals and then interviewing the prospective agents, just like picking a dentist or doctor.
If there is anything complicated about your trip, you are traveling for a major event, or if there are travel complications, I’ve found it’s great to have an agent working on your behalf.
This summer, we went to Calgary for the Stampede. Our agent found a great tour with a downtown hotel, Stampede tickets, and transportation. My own internet searches had downtown hotels totally sold out, and I found hotels available… at the airport… for the same price or higher. The agent connected us with another tour to the Canadian Rockies afterwards - not only was the planning seamless, but the trip was as well. I’m really savvy with travel booking online, but I don’t know a thing about tour companies. Agents do.
I’ll echo the sentiment above about when you’re “in a jam.” Though the iPhone might be a game changer, an agent (or their colleague) can take care of everything for you over the phone. Yes, the airline’s 800 number might be able to do the same thing, but an agent will give you YOUR best options, not the airline’s.
If you’re booking a simple round trip flight, maybe save the money and do it yourself - that’s what I do. But for a complicated routing, nothing beats a great agent who can see the “big picture.”
I think Donna has stated the case very well for those of us who are true travel professionals. Also, while I don’t want to get into a war of words with Jack Gaffney, his lumping of AMEX, Liberty and Tzell (not Tazell, by the way) shows that he does not understand the Tzell business model. In addition to its large corporate operation, including many in-plant locations, Tzell also shelters within its corporate umbrella a very large number if indepenedent agents and agencies, each of which employs one or more agents, and which run their own businesses. Thus their policies, fees, areas of expertise and overall competence may vary, although they must have demonstrated a certain level of professionalism to be accepted into the Tzell family.
Great agents are out there! Ask your friends and relatives for recommendations. My best clients have my home number, and my cell phone as well. I have had clients call me at home during weekends and holidays, and I always help them when the airlines, weather or personal emergencies create havoc with their travel plans. I have even rebooked one of my best clients on alternate flights using my own personal credit card when they lost their wallet at TSA security (knowing the client would reimburse me).
I offer my clients the same type of service I would expect to receive if I were the traveler. It’s just that simple and it’s ALL ABOUT SERVICE!
I am a great agent. My office does every single thing that Mr. Barstow’s agency did not do. We charge a proper fee for working with frequent mile transactions and we explain that some of the lowest fares are not upgradable. For every tour booking, we review the hotels and features, and yes we make sure that the frequent traveler info is in the record. By the way, frequent traveler perks are the cause of all the extreme costs in the travel industry. If every person redeemed 1 ticket today that was eligible, the airline industry would cease to exist.
Long ago I was advised by my father, look for the agency where the agents are choosing gum, playing solitare, etc. or wait in line for the agent that is on the phone, working with somebody at their desk, and has not opened his mail yet. The public knows who to go to. Obviously Mr. Barstow does not.
The key is to interview them and make sure you select your agent like you would an accountant or other professional. There are some criteria that can indicate a professional agent–affiliation with ASTA or maybe with a large company such as Amex or Carlson Wagonlit. But the good one is going to do all those things that your reader found lacking.
Travel suppliers often speak with a forked tongue as well. They tell us one thing and the client another. “The client will need to present his Starwood card to accrue points at this rate when he checks in.” And then to the client, “Well, your TA could have done that.” There is a certain competition there. When a booking is through a TA, the rate is likely the same or lower than what you will get at the hotel, but it is taking work away from the hotel res agent, so they can put an agent in a bad light–it works to their advantage. They think.
Another serious issue is the recent infestation of people pretending to be travel agents. There has been a resurgence of card mills and multi level marketing schemes that essentially sell credentials. These folks are all of a sudden “travel agents” and likely have not ventured out of the local Greyhound station. To give an example, in 2005 there were an estimated 110,000 people employed as a “travel agent”. In 2007, one company sold the “agency in a box” to 80,000 people! So there are 80,000 people out there attempting to gain your trust and business. And with a 80% chance of hitting one of them, it is not surprising. If you want to read about these MLM companies and get an insight to the mentality and level of expertise, read tis blog and especially the comments:
http://notravelmlms.blogspot.com
Really Bob, I don’t think you have looked hard enough or in the right places for a “good” travel agent, we are out there. As in any profession, we are not all equal, some are good, some are ok and some should be looking for another job. How have you picked the agent you decided to work with? Did you get a referral from a friend or read a good review on a web site about them ?
As some other professionals before me have stated, those of us who really know what we are doing and enjoy planning a trip for our clients DO ask questions and give opinions, we are not “order-takers”. Trust me, this is not an easy job to do right, the amount of knowledge we have to have is absolutely staggering and what we don’t know first hand we have to know how to find from a source we trust. This is where we are different from the information you may find on a web site, I really do try and send you where I think you will be the happiest, even if it’s not where you originally thought you wanted to go. We will discuss it and come to a decision together.
Over the years I have rescheduled cancelled fights for clients before they even knew it was cancelled, I have emailed contacts at hotels to advise we are sending a good client to them, (that would be every client we service), I watch for a price reduction on any cruise or land package that we have booked to make sure our clients get the better price even if they are already paid, I advise a potential client that unless they are animal lovers to avoid a certain resort in Tahiti as the owner’s many dogs have full rein of the property, I tell another client to make sure they stop in their drive around the Big Island for Malasadas at a local restaurant, I contact them on their return home to see how everything went. This is what a good travel professional will do for a client, and you, Bob, have not yet found the one you can work with, so get going and do your leg-work, there is a good match out there for you.
I hope Mr.Barstow realizes that in all professions there are people who take pride in what they do and others who are only interested in collecting a paycheck. Choosing a great travel agent is similar to finding a great realtor or dentist; ask co-workers, friends, neighbors. As owner of a full service, retail travel agency that has been in business over 40 years, we do not advertise yet over 90 percent of our new clients come to us by referrals. We would not continue to grow, nor continue to be in business if our clients were not happy with our service. Yes, we assist clients with frequent flyer reservations but do charge a minor fee, which is similar to what the airlines charge if you choose to talk to one of their reservationists. The major difference is that we want you to be happy with us and continue to call us; the airlines don’t care about anything except the bottom line. Bob, if you would like to know how a good travel agent can simplify your life, please call me. JoAnne, Travel By Gagnon, (800) 452-2547.
How do you find a competent TA that cares about service? People in my AAA office seem to only have the ability to hand you a brochure and book the flights you specify.
As a former airline employee, I wanted to briefly comment. Most of the problems we had in dealing with passengers was due to bad information they were given by a travel agent. Most , I believe, was unintentional but rather a failure to use up to date information–or bother to verify the information. The most problems we had with incorrect documentation, came from clients of one of our areas largest agencies AAA!
Are travel agents worth it? I think from my experience and the other posts, the answer is Sometimes. There are both good and bad agents out there, just like good and bad doctors, lawyers, and whatever other type of person you need to provide service. As travelers, we need to do our homework and pay attention. We need to remember we can walk out the door or end the call and go elsewhere if we don’t believe we are getting the service we think we should. I’ve experienced both bad and good travel agents, and have booked on my own. I was planning a solo trip a couple of years ago. Bad agent was more concerned about pushing her own agenda, hotels, etc with very few questions about what I actually wanted. It was ‘we have this package or that package’ often to places I really had no interest in. I left. Good agent took the time to ask me about what my goals for the trip were, my interests and my expectations. Based on this information, my personality, budget and interests, she steered me away from one place I initially considered-Abacos Island-to a place that ended up meeting all of my expectations and more-Grand Cayman. The total trip cost was less (even with the high exchange rate) and the activities and lifestyle of the island suited me. After the trip, the agent even emailed me to ask how the trip went and if it met my expectations.
I have also booked trips on my own. Don’t always rely on expedia and the like either. I contacted a hotel in the caribbean directly, asking for a special cut rate for traveling solo and having to foot the bill on my own. I got a way better rate than the online and travel agent services because the management was willing to work with me.
I am a Certified Travel Consultant, a Master Cruise Consultant & A Certified Meeting Planner. 2008 marks my 42nd year in the Travel Industry having been in executive capacities with 4 major cruise lines and for the last 21 years my ownTravel Consulting Firm, HOLIDAYS BY LAND & SEA catering to Indivdual & Group Travel.
In all the time in the industry, I have seen lots of changes - some good and some not so good. The advent of the Internet has certainly created a wonderful travel awareness to those people who never thought they could explore the world. With its wealth of information the Internet highway has enlightened millions of people with its vast information highway.
I heartily recommend the Internet as an excellent source of information. However, as a Professional Travel Consultant, I build dreams for my clients and arrange their “vacations of a lifetime” keeping within their realistic travel budgets. In reading all the blogs here in Elliott’s List, I am the first to agree that more than 95% of the Travel Agents in this country are unprofessional. It is the top 5% that make the difference.
I take pride in being in that top 5%. I do not advertise. My clients are all by referral and they are nationwide. Most of the clients I have for more than 15 years I have never met in person. We have established a working relationship through my toll -free telephone system and e-mail.
I invite any of Elliott’s List readers to contact me and allow me to prove to you that I DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I would be pleased to supply numerous references upon request.
Happy Travels~
Jonas Rolyn, CTC/MCC/CMP
Las Vegas, Nevada
My heart really goes out to Mr. Barstow. Obviously he has had a pretty rough go of it. I can only chalk it up to bad luck. I mean, what are the odds of consistently getting a bad agent? Pretty darn high. Because if you’re a lousy agent you tend to also be out of work.
Travel agents have always been, and these days certainly are, a pretty amazing group. And to now be succeeding in an industry that was turned on its head financially, completely reinvented structurally and “written off” promotionally is nothing short of amazing. I know because as an owner of an agency I work with them every day. They work hard, go the extra mile constantly and they really really care about their clients.
Mr. Barstow should contact ASTA or just have him contact me. I’d be happy to help change his luck.
Alexander Eaton
President
World Travel Service
A BCD Travel Joint Venture
and Virtuoso Affiliated Travel Management Company
800.324.4987
918.743.8856 — Office
918.232.6500 — Cell
http://www.WorldTravelToday.com
Does Mr. Barstow just pick agents out of the phone book? Or is he walking into an agency and picking the agent who doesn’t look busy? In any profession there
are good and bad…
Most lousy agents are out of business these days but there are still some who probably don’t need the money and are hanging on for the increasingly smaller perks.
I often tell my clients that they are choosing a place that may not be what they want - ie, rooms too small, beach not good, location is lousy, too many kids, heck, down to things like warning them that you will wait 30 minutes for the elevator at the Marriott Marquis in New York during busy times. And most agents will help with upgrades…although I find Northworst to be one of the hardest to deal with, so I don’t blame his agent on that one.
If he wants a good agent, ask his friends if they have an agent they are happy with…that’s the best way to find a pro. But be sure to ask someone who has at
least similar tastes/travel plans to yours…you don’t want an agent who only books high end travel if you like to stay at Days Inns, and you may not want an agent who
specializes in Disneyland when you want to go to Hawaii.
And they can’t do better than he can do for himself? Shame he didn’t talk to my client going to San Juan this week. American cancelled his flight, booked him
for the next day, and I got him on a flight later that night with a 75 person waiting list. (And he is NOT a frequent flyer.)
One thing in possible defense of travel agents whose clients think they don’t do enough work. Some people still can’t see why they should pay for our time. I love most of my clients, but there are those who complain every step of the way about fees, or continually try to negotiate a lower fee - and mine aren’t high - but then will try to spend hours getting free advice - ie “Which hotel should I use with my free point? , I booked online but now my plane is cancelled, can you help?
And there then are those who will try to find every bit of info they can get without paying a fee to an agent, and then book online to save 20.00.” If any of those apply to anyone reading this, and you don’t make it up to your agent in other ways, then you might also feel that you are not getting great service.
The problem with all of our professional travel agents is finding them.
There are literally millions of car mechanics - only 5% are probably any good, even if 90% might be honest.
I have had ‘travel agents’ mess up so many things that I ended up telling my clients and my employers that if you want me to travel - I do it myself or I don’t travel.
I’ve had major corporate travel agencies book me into Hyatt Regency level hotels whose properties told me that I had to change my room every day of a 3 night stay because of their needs. The big fancy corporate travel agent I could hear shrug their shoulders on the phone - ‘what could they do, they were in Minneapolis’ was the attitude I got - even from the supervisor. So, I left the hotel, went to a competitor and thereon stopped using travel agents. This was after booking the wrong flight, to wrong cities, or airlines I specifically stated I did not want to fly, using fare classes I asked them not to use. I’ve had agents tell me that I needed to book upgrades, it took too much of their time, would not coordinate different hotels or airlines in different cities. I heard way too much I’m sorry Mr. Farrell, I cannot, will not, or whatever, do that. That’s against agency policy. Mr. Farrell.
The truly professional agents on this board may not like to hear it, but 95% of your professional is honest, but simply not competent. From someone who used to spend $50k a year personally on airfare, and another $50k on hotels and cars and other travel expenses, [this was pre-1992] I simply got tired of hearing excuses, apologies and what could not be done. EVERYTHING can be done with a phone call, some thought and liberal applications of cash. I STILL spend over $100k a year, but now less than $25k is on airfare, I fly myself most places, and call the hotels directly and get routinely upgraded to club floors for the price of a regular room simply for asking.
Four years ago I thought I’d give it a try again. I was booking a cruise for a family vacation which was a bucket list event for two people on the cruise. There were lots of moving parts in that people were coming in from all 4 corners of the nation along with the midwest, arriving at different times, coming to the same hotel, scheduling a dinner for 12 in a nice restaurant, transportation etc. I spent extensive amounts of time with a cruise specialist recommended to me by several people, We booked three balcony cabins and three suites on a major cruise line. Pretty good payday for that agent, huh? You know what I got three days before departure? The phone call telling they messed up the limo pickups at the airport and could not ‘confirm’ a limo pickup at the different times for the elderly members coming to the reunion.
I told them to never mind, I’d handle it - which I did in 10 minutes with a phone call to the Ft. Lauderdale FBO instead of the limo company the travel agency was using. When we got to the ship, after $65,000 in cruise fare, air fare and suite reservations at Ritz Carlton level hotels, not a bottle of wine, not anything from the agent acknowledging the business or celebrating the event. i did get a 2005 refrigerator magnet calendar from the travel agency.
While you may get what you pay for, and this agent did 90% of the job competently, if i’m paying someone I’d like to see it done 99-100% right and some thanks for the business.
Maybe I would not be a good customer for the choosier travel agents here - I know what I want, I expect good service, I expect you to do your job properly, i expect if I’m paying for a service that you appreciate the business, and then I’ll do my job. I’ll return your calls, make my decisions timely, cooperate as needed, and write the check when its time. i’ll smile and be happy too.
We are not frequent travelers, usually 1-2 trips a year, mostly for vacations. I have had little luck with travel agents. I usually will note times we are interested in traveling in, our budget, interests, things we want to do while there, and the kinds of hotels we are used to staying in. Only 1or 2 even bothered to call or email back information on possibilities, and a couple that I checked on were available online, same dates, for a lesser price. It didn’t seem that they spent any time coming up with even a few destinations we could compare and choose from. Perhaps frequent travelers get more in depth and better service.
As a “Recovering travel Agent”, I read the previous posts and found myself defending the T.A. and the industry I came to despise. After giving some of the posts more thought and putting myself in the shoes of those that have been less than pleased with their service, I feel that I can clearly see both sides.
Once upon a time, I loved being a travel agent but the travel industry, like so many other industries, has changed.
The perks that were once given out freely, are almost non-existent, thus leaving little incentive to put up with the clients that are never satisfied. When I realized that I would hate to have me as my t.a., I quit……never to look back. If I had one more person complain about their seat, the kind of wine or champagne I sent, or the price of the flight or trip, I would scream !! Actually, I wanted to do much more than scream, but knew I wouldn’t enjoy a life in prison.
I worked many, many hours for free. Yes, for free. People shop agency’s, which they have a right to do and should, but the work I put into researching a trip, in hopes of confirming a potential clients travel arrangements, was many times an exercise in futility. Either they don’t go and are “just looking” or wanted to see if I could get them a better price, than their friend that works as a t.a. from home. This would be alright if the confirmed trips paid a decent commission. Without the travel benefits of the past, it was just not worth the aggravation, as it doesn’t pay a livable wage, other than maybe a studio in an undesirable location.
As you may notice from my tone, I have done the traveling public a favor by not subjecting them to running into me, as their t.a. The industry is awful and changes minute to minute, for no apparent reason and the agent gets the blame because they are the ones that you give your money to. I am not defending all agents, as their isn’t a standard, or requirement to become an agent,(other than basic computer skills) therefore, there are many agents that just wanted to get out of the house. I was in the industry 18yrs and still have friends involved in the field but I can count them on one hand.
I guess my point is: Lower your expectations, as many agents don’t know much more than the general public, although they have access to the info. many or most don’t bother, as there are no standards to becoming a t.a. It is probably still okay, as a part-time, get out of the house job.
Just in any occupation there are the good and the bad. One will go to a doctor and may have to get a second or third opinion? The same would be for a lawyer, a real estate agent, a hair dresser and I can go on and on. So why do people think you do not have to do your research or get a referral to find an excellent travel agent??? There are MANY great travel agents out there and the value of having a good one is ten times better than booking on the internet.
Deborah
Dear Joel Wechsler,
I am VERY sorry that I mispelled TZELL. I assume you work for them or use their services. In any case, I have had MANY clients come to me from the larger agencies that fail to recognise the small to medium size companies needs. Yes, just like some travel agents, there are large companies that are neglect in servicing their clients.
I am merely pointing out that if someone wants a 200.00 ticket and a 69.00 hotel room, I give them the same EXCELLENT service I would give any of my 15,000 ticket clients and 1800.00 per nite hotel rooms. You never know when that 200.00 can turn to 20,000 or a referral. Something I think a lot of larger agencies do not always realise.
Sincerely,
Jack Gaffney
President/C.E.O.
Witmor Worldwide Inc.
http://www.witmornyc.com
I’ve had three experiences with travel agents and the first two times were very disappointing. One was when my husband and I were deciding between a cruise and a trip to Hawaii. A travel agent suggested we take a cruise around Hawaii. One would have thought this would be a great solution, but not so. The cruise was definitely for the 50 crowd, whereas my husband and I were in our 20s. It rained for half the cruise and on those days where we couldn’t visit an island we were so bored because there was not very much to do on the cruise ship that was geared to our age. We would have been better off either going to an island for a week, or a cruise to Mexico or the Carribean. A competent travel agent should have know this.
The second experience was the first time my husband and I flew to Europe with our baby. We knew about the infants fly free program in the US, but didn’t know how it worked for overseas. The travel agent (a different one), said our baby would still fly free, but we’d have to pay the taxes on the fare and we were to do so at the airport. Big mistake. Had we paid the taxes (like we could have) at the time we purchased our tickets at a discount price months earlier, the taxes on that discount price would have been minimal. But because we waited until paying the taxes at the airport, we now had to pay taxes on a full fare economy ticket, which was nearly as much as our discounted fare for a seat! So we paid nearly the same price for a seat we didn’t get. Isn’t that the sort of basic thing any minimally competent travel agent was supposed to know?
At least the third time I used a travel agent (yet again a different one, this time through my employer), I knew about the paying taxes on the lap baby fare and was able to pay it ahead of time.
While I agree with Jack Gaffney that a good agent will give ALL customers equally good service, I believe that sometimes the best service for the $200 air fare/$69 hotel customer is to suggest that they would do equally well online and would save paying my fee by doing so. People appreciate this, in my experience, and are likel;y to return when they have plans where I can really help them. And by the way, I am self-employed but affiliated with Tzell. I do not work for Tzell per se.
I agree with the above. We’ve always booked everything ourselves online, until a recent opportunity to go to an All-Inclusive resort in the tropics came up. I looked around online, and, for the first time, booked a trip using a TA. This resort typically has a fall rate special during when we were planning on going, but it is never certain that this will happen. The message board for this resort was replete with stories of people who had booked through travel agents who had rebooked them when the cheaper rates came out - with no penalties and no insurance. I specifically asked my agent (an elite agent with this resort) if she could rebook us with the cheaper rates later. She never answered my question, and kept pushing travel insurance on us. We refused the insurance and gave up on getting a straight answer about the rebooking. Her prices, at the time, were the cheapest we’d seen, and we (stupidly) assumed she could rebook us if the cheaper rates came out, like so many TAs do for travellers to this resort. Well, of course, it turns out that the prices did come down a month after we booked, and, despite being more than 8 months in advance of our trip, she told us she couldn’t rebook us without losing our deposit because we hadn’t taken out insurance. When I pushed back and told her that the majority of resort-goers on the message board had TAs who would rebook at the lower price, she said that “all tour operators are different” and that “all sales are a gamble” and that we were out of luck because she’d booked us direct through an airline’s vacation package program. We could have done that ourselves; what am I paying this person for?!? We could have saved over $500 on a 5-day trip with the lower rate. Her contact with me is confined to emails, wherein she is extremely condescending, disinterested, and rude - no email is more than 10 words long. The only reason we went with her is because she had the highest elite status of TAs in our area in terms of booking our resort.
This is and will be my only experience working with a TA. I could have done everything she’s done so far myself, and I would have booked through the resort directly (which she gave me the impression she did) because they allow you to cancel and rebook under the cheaper rate with no penalty.
Julie,
I hate it when other travel agents give the rest of us bad pr, but , you went with her because she was ranked as an elite agent from the resort. This doesn’t mean she is a good agent, just a good salesperson. I don’t mean to rub it in, but I just contacted two couples whose cruise had gone down over $600 and have done the same thing for a lot of others with land vacations. This is what a good travel consultant will do for her clients, you are not just a number, you are a treasure and we want you to keep coming back to us. Very probably the agent you used is the kind who sells a lot of that one property and doesn’t expect to see you again, thus the short emails.
Anyhow, please don’t judge us all by one, the best way is still to ask for personal recommendations from friends.
I always go the extra mile for my clients. I always research at minimum 3 vendors (if there are that many that do that trip) before coming back with a recommendation for tours so that I can make sure they are getting the best value available at the time. I always add that the price is subject to change until booked. When they do come back to book, i again research the vendors to make sure it is still the best value. If I don’t know about a place or hotel, I have a fantastic network of other agents that I can get information from very quickly. I participate in anywhere from 1 to 5 webinars from vendors a week to find out the latest information about their products in addition to reading the trade magazines and info that we get in emails daily and on the agent-only areas of vendor websites. I also go to trade shows a couple times a year where I can talk to vendors about their products and find new vendors that I didn’t know about, so that I can add that extra special bit of knowledge when talking to clients.
I just recently had a client tell me they found the same thing I had put in my quote for $1700 cheaper on Expedia. I went to Expedia and checked and found that he had only done the first part of the search and had only looked at the air & hotel for one person instead of following it thru and getting the total for 2 persons and adding the taxes, fees, transfers and insurance which I had put into my package. After I followed it thru, the Expedia price was more than $500 more than my package for them.
A few months ago I had clients that wanted the cheapest possible flights and hotel to go to a convention in Pasadena, CA and then another cheap one near Santa Barbara on a weekend where all that was left was dumps and high end. I warned them what they were getting by going cheap and they said no problem. I even sent her pictures of the property. When they got back she complained (as I had warned her she would). I had even waived my fee for booking the air since it was the first time she was using a TA and I wanted her to have a good experience. So not long ago i saw an article about a place that I knew she would be interested in for her business and sent her the link. She sent a nice thankyou for letting her know, and that she would never have seen it had I not sent it. The following week she sends me her newsletter referencing the article and saying she was going to that place on a bus trip and inviting all her readers to call a different agent who would be arranging it. So much for loyalty or gratitude.
It’s not just some agents that are bad. I’ve certainly had my share of bad clients. However, I treat every one of them the way that I would want to be treated.
In these times of change in the travel industry, I encourage everyone, both agents and clients, to be courteous, kind and don’t take advantage on either side. With more and more vendors not paying or lowering commissions to agents, we will need to (not want to) charge for our services. You don’t expect free advice from doctors, lawyers and accountants and you don’t work for free. Please understand and consider this when asking for our assistance.
Helga Leonard, ACC
Accredited Cruise Counselor
A Dream Trip 4 U
724-234-2033
helga@adreamtrip4u.com
http://www.adreamtrip4u.com
I cannot concieve doing that minimal amount of work that Mr.Barstow’s travel agent did. Mr. Barstow’s agent should provide a copy of the tour company invoice that shows the hotel booking. Mr. Barstow, in fact, should already have that in his hands.
There are many lazy agents in the travel industry. But you also find lazy airline agents, hotel employees and so on. In any industry you will find people who go the extra mile and those who do not. The problem of lazy employees is not limited to the travel industry.
Many agents are professional and have had extensive training. We travel when we can, these days at our own expense, to increase our knowledge. Many of us specialize in specific areas and travel to those areas regularly to keep up with what is new.
One bad travel agent does not make us all bad agents. If you continually come up with a bad agent then you should also look at how you are choosing an agent.
Interviewing an agent and recommendations from satisfied friends and clients are the two best ways to find a great agent.
Claire Schoeder
Travel Consultant
Atlanta Georgia
I am sorry to say that experienced , caring Agents are hard to find.
I have been an agent since 1979. I am swamped with referral business as are my experienced peers. That’s why you will have a hard time finding us. We are very busy.
Nothing can be a substitute for our knowledge of knowing our way around the Airline rules. I will tell the public this:
You are slammed and lied to, by the airlines on a daily basis. They know that you don’t know the rules and they charge you for fees and additional collections you don’t need to pay.( I see this everyday)
The airlines developed the agency distribution system in the 70’s for a cheaper way to sell their tickets.
They don’t want agents out there competing for their online service, because we are a better value.
They want you to buy tickets online, because they know that you have no idea what a decent price for a ticket would be in all markets.
You will shop their long winded websites and finally settle and buy a ticket.
Their ticket profits are up 40% because of the publics lack of knowledge.
Check it out for yourself.
Remember, follow the money.
Take the passengers bill of rights…important right? I don’t want to sit on a tarmac for 8 hours without food and water. Why won’t this pass?
Have a look at your local Congressman’s list of financial contributions by the Airlines. Be prepared to be shocked. The congress is paid to keep these types of bills from passing. It would cost the airlines money to insure your right to comfort.
It has never been about making it easier for the public to book. It’s all about the airlines and profit margins, not your comfort.
Anyone who travelled 10 years or more ago, know what I am talking about. Flying is uncomfortable and you are nickeled and dimed for everything.
The public needs to stop blaming The Travel Agents and realize that we are and have always been there for YOU.
When did the public turn their back and not ask the question: ” why is a ticket non refundable, when NO service has been rendered?” I can see keeing a service fee 25.00/50.00 dollars. ..But to keep up to Thousands of dollars and give you 1 year to reissue?! The Gall!…
Here’s a new one…about 6 weeks prior to the end of the life of the ticket, Continental pulls the info off the computer and makes you pay a fee(25.00 more dollars) to get the documentation, so you can use YOUR credit.
As you can see, I am quite passionate about this. I have picketed my congressman and been on ABC 3 times in support of passenger rights. But without the public outcry, my voice is a meer squeek.
I have survived the rollacoaster that is the industry because I love it and I adore my clients and love being here for them.
It definitely not the money.
You, the public, need to work quickly to stop the blood letting, which is your bank accounts…
Hi I have been an agent for 20 years now and Customer Service is my highest priority. I work in a corporate agency now, but have also worked in the leisure side. If I treated my clients with the disregard that the agent Bob has described, I would be fired. Our Motto at the agency is OTT (over the top) Customer service. I get to know my people, If they tell me that their dad had an operation, I remember to ask how dad is the next time we speak.. I know the names of the kids, the pets the spouses and all of that.. There are several of our clients who will only deal with me either via phone or they send the email requests. Bob, there are those of us who take pride in our jobs, and go out of our way for the people we deal with.
Sorry you had a bad experience..
Susan
Greenville, SC
I keep reading here that one should interview prospective TAs in order to find a really good one. Would some of you agents please share the sort of questions that we should ask that would garner the most telling information?
My experience with AAA was also quite disappointing. The “International” expert knew nothing about Open Skies, and had no idea at which leg of my journey I would have to show my passport, so had no idea about layovers. Oh, and my local AAA office isn’t open after noon on Saturday, and not again until Monday morning.
I researched airline prices on Expedia. Continental was my best price. I used SeatGuru to research seats. I called Continental to ask about when to show my passport, so I could calculate which flight to choose. (The first flight is when you show your passport, even if the airport you are flying out of isn’t an international airport.)
I booked with Expedia, because if there’s a problem, I can reach Expedia 24/7, even if it is some accented person in New Delhi.
I really, really wish I could have worked with a competent travel agent, but I live in a rural area and can’t “go local” as suggested by Chris Elliott. I depend on travel columns and newsletters for advice and sites such as TripAdvisor and SeatGuru for help.
Competent travel agents/agencies, how do you deal with the situation where the client is NOT local? Would you deal with someone outside your local area? Does that make it more difficult to do business with the client? Are there drawbacks? I would have paid a fee to have advice on those r-t tickets, and the hotels that I arranged before and after my tour.
Thanks, all.
MillieB - thank you for explaining this issue from a travel agent point of view. I could not agree with you more.
Just to add on my own perspective to what MillieB said, I was in the travel business back from 1989 to 1994 and rejoined the industry a little over a year ago. I was shocked at the difference within the industry……airlines no longer paying commission, people comparing the information they are getting from a travel agent to what they are finding themselves on the internet, the onslaught of on-line web sites (and no, they are not travel agents or travel agencies as far as I am concerned) that offer rock bottom prices yet come with all sorts of complications when these sites don’t deliver the travel arrangements the general public thinks they’ve “booked” on their own. I do believe Chris has an area on his site that deals with the numerous complaints of these online discount websites - quite an interesting read, actually. These are just a few of the differences that I can think of at the moment. I don’t think people realize the amount of work that gets put into researching things like destinations, cruises, rail travel, airfares, airfare rules and regulations, connections, attractions, hotels, car rentals, visa requirements, health requirements, insurance needs, - the list goes on, to then be told by a potential client that they are booking it all themselves. It’s extemely frustrating. I don’t think it’s so much that travel agents don’t care, it’s just that they are frustrated with the brick wall they seem to be up against.
Jeanne - I work out of a small rural office. As everything is mainly done by e-tickets now as well as the use of the internet , we deal with people from outside the area as well. There are no drawbacks that I can think of and had it been before airlines decided to stop paying commissions to travel agencies there would be no need to charge a booking fee. I’m not sure why you take exception to your local AAA office not being open on Saturday afternoon or on Sundays because I am sure you can appreciate that travel agencies / travel agents are entitled to some down time just like the rest of the working world. Anyway, I am sure that you could research the names of travel agencies close to you on the internet and perhaps have a better experience with a different office or travel agent.
I am sorry to hear about all the poor service some people are getting from Travel Agents. My agent is worth her weight in gold. I live in NYC and she’s in Texas (wouldnt be surprised if some of you knew her). She’s a one-woman operation, but you’d think she had staff, with the great service she provides. I actually “met” her on the internet, and let her do one trip for me, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I always have a definite idea of what I want (specific hotel) or will give her a choice of 2-3. I do my research on flights (I only do reg. sched. flights - not charter), and frequently will book my own air since she doesnt get commission, but I always send her the flight information. She is always reachable. She follows up. She answers all questions………….I am fairly knowledgeable about travel, but if I weren’t I would definitely want her on my side.
- The best way to find a good TA is to check the “credentials” but that doesnt always guarantee anything. Personal recommendation is GREAT - likely the best way.
- Be wary of a TA who tries to push certain hotels on you.
- Know your prices (and note that when you look up hotel rates on a hotel’s website, that may not include taxes). IMHO, hotel sites are not the cheapest unless they are running a special, and alleged discounters frequently have higher prices.
In my next life I want to work in Travel.
I have been in the travel industry for over 12 years. The comments above about airlines/hotels lying are very true. For example, I booked a flight to London for myself on a certain airline which shall remain nameless. Of course I booked my seat, and arrived at the airport earlier then needed. As I was checking in, the agent told me “too bad your travel agent didn’t book a seat for you, I’ll have to assign you a middle seat in the last row”. My response - I am the travel agent, and I did book a seat. Surprise my original seat assignment magically reappeared!
Considering the airlines don’t pay travel agents a dime for booking their flights, it’s shameful that a TA is always the first to receive the blame.
I have been in this business since 1978, when my parents opened their travel agency. I still work here today, in the same location, a testament to our customer service, because I KNOW we’re not independently wealthy! Having made this a career, I have a little insight into what a good agent is all about (but I will keep it very short!).
A travel consultant is only as good as his/her “experience.” This industry has undergone major changes over the last few years and agents have had to adapt. If they didn’t, their business died. To a good travel consultant, the internet is a friend, not a competitor. In the beginning, “Expedia,” and “Travelocity” were dirty words. Then, we started using these sites to our advantage. They are a wealth of information, even for a good agent!
Travel experience is also key for a good travel consultant. As someone wrote earlier, we spend our own money to get this experience so our clients will benefit from what we know. It’s easy to sell a cruise, but hard to sell to first-time cruisers who have a lot of questions that you can’t answer because YOU’VE NEVER CRUISED!
I find that reading industry magazines and newspapers is helpful in keeping agents up to speed with the happenings in travel, from the industry AND customer point of view. Even Mr Elliott’s travel column is very valuable, and make it a point to read it whenever I have a free moment.
A customer should ask what an agent specializes in before booking with him/her. For instance, one wouldn’t necessarily book an African photo-safari with an agent specializing in Carnival Cruises, and that agent should tell the prospective customer that he/she is not a good fit: “Perhaps my co-worker can assist you…”
Being personable as an agent certainly has its merits. I find that over the years I have become part travel consultant, psychological counselor, mother, and lawyer to my clients. The stories I have heard and the things I’ve been involved in are travel consultant-client privileged information, but worthy of a Lifetime TV Network movie. However, keep in mind that there are also “bad clients,” the ones who are abusive and believe they are always right, even when we KNOW they are not! Believe me, some customers don’t hesitate to tell you what they think of you if things don’t work to their advantage. And any agent out there knows that “one client” I’m talking about!
All in all, though, the personal bond I have with some clients (some of whom I’ve never even personally met!) is priceless and I wish all consumers who have “given up” on agents find one with whom THEY can have this type of relationship with.
Ina Schweitzer
Manager, European Travel International
6776 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, CA 92506
800-545-8653/ 951-684-4760
ina@eurotvlint.com
Bill Clements and Bob Barstow’s comments and experiences are their own, and do not reflect many others’ reality.
A good travel agent is priceless. I always let them deal with lousy airline employees, most of who offer little identifiable value to any travel experience, so I don’t have to. I let them deal with problems in far off places, so I don’t have to.
The paltry carrying charges agencies are forced to assess because airlines, in search of ever elusive profits, have stripped away what minimal commissions existed, are nothing compared with the headaches a travel agent endures when THE AIRLINES can’t seem to stay on schedule.
A good travel agent will listen to a client kvetch about a delay while booking him on another flight, even as the rest of theie fellow travelers in line are at the mercy of the gate attendant. A gate attendant who, by the way, probably isn’t in the mood to listen but who will, for the most capricious of reasons, make sure that airport security does.
Any seasoned traveler will attest to that which I say. Its the airlines who killed customer service, not the good travel agents. I know. I married mine.
What to ask in interviewing a TA?
1. how many years experience do you have?
2. what are your credentials, CTA/CTC/ACC/MCC?
3. do you hold an IATAN card or CLIA?
4. do you specialize in a particular niche?
5. are you/Agency a member of ASTA?
6. what are your fees?
7. what service do you provide for those fees?
THEN expect to be asked at least three times as many questions by the Agent than you have asked:
1. tell me, what are your goals for this vacation?
2. please tell me about your favorite vacation you have ever taken and why is it your favorite?
3. now please tell me about your least favorite vacation?
4. when you travel for business, what sort of hotel do you tend to stay in?
5. when you travel for pleasure, what are your hotel/resort requirements?
6. have you ever cruised?
7. are there vacation destinations that you absolutely won’t go to, and why?
8. when you dine out, what sort of restaurants do you prefer?
9. while on vacation, do you wish to have your kids in a “kids club”? (some people will say “no”, my goal for this vacation is to get great family time…)
10. have you considered what sort of investment you wish to make in this vacation?
11. are you a golfer, tennis player, shopper, etc….
And the list goes on…….
If you get an Agent who is too busy to ask questions - you will have a problem. The TA who does not ask these is nothing more than an “order taker” - just like the on-line bookig-engines - they are designed to take orders and not craft an experience for you. They do not care one fig about your vacation, they care only about making the booking and being compensated for that. So my advice is to ask questions and to very freely answer them - then you will find a good, competent Travel Agent.
I sincerely appreciate all the input from both the traveling public and the TA’s. I would like to clarify a couple issues that seem to have cropped up. I was not attempting to paint the entire TA Industry with a broad brush. I have never been mistreated by an agent. I have always received what I booked. My only statement was that I have not had the experience of the travel agent that I was able to call at 11 PM at night with a problem with an airline at O’Hare cancelling a flight. My responses from TA’s in those situations have always been “Sorry, thats the airlines.” I only used the most recent trip as an example. Other trips with TA’s have been similar. I have always recieved what I asked for, just nothing more. Another misconception from my original e-mail to Mr. Elliot was that I was asking the agent to book a trip using my FF numbers. I wasn’t. I was only asking him to book me on Northwest in an upgradable fare so that my FF miles could be used for an upgrade to First Class. I wasn’t looking for him to book me a free flight. I paid for the flight. In addition, I wasn’t looking for him to book us free rooms using my points. Since I was paying for the rooms, i just wanted credit for the stay so that soemtime in the future I might use those points. I paid the agent more than $4000 for all flights hotel, rental cars, etc. I wasn’t asking for anything for free. I am more than willing to pay for service. However, service does not consist of waiting up to 3 days for a return phone call from the agent. This happened twice during the booking process. All the questions I asked were eventually answered, just not in the time frame that I thought they should have been. My time frame may not agree with the TA’s out there, but I don’t think a return phone call on the same day was an outrageous request.
For those TA’s out there that put some some constructive thought into your answers, I sincerely appreciate it. I really appreciated responses from TA’s who advised correct questions to ask. I have not given up on TA’s, and even after over 40 years of traveling, and a member of 2 airline million mile clubs, I find I can learn something every day!
Hi Chris,
As a travel agent I agree with most of your article. I actually am a CPA but own property in Hawaii and I used to live on Maui. I have traveled quite a bit, independently like Rick Steve’s finding “off the beaten path” places.
I advise using the internet as a research tool. How wonderful to have tons of information at your finger tips, so go ahead and use the online travel companies to check flights, but then GO straight to the airline who has the best flight and book directly with them. The majority of the time the airline website will have the better price, and if you have to cancel you will get charged only by the airline. Now this is true if you book with a travel agent as well.
And to be honest the $25 or $35 booking fee an agent uses to research the options is worth paying. But in our do-it-yourself world many of us try to become travel agents, plumbers, auto mechanics, and tax planners in an effort to save money - when in fact, it is our quality of life that is being jeopardized as we put more and more on our plate.
We at Incredible Journey, whole heartedly feel that wherever you travel that using someone who specializes in that destination is without a doubt the best recipe for having a successful and memorable vacation.
Destination specialists are unbiased, they know the area inside and out (something you will not get straight off the internet, unless you spend hours of research), plus because we send so many people to these destinations we get preferential treatment.
For example, I had a VIP client come back from their much aniticipated trip to French Polynesia. She called me, bubbling with joy at how wonderfully they were treated at each and every resort. Complimentary upgrades from beach bungalows to one bedroom suites, beach bungalows to over water bungalows - and it made me feel wonderful to know that they were so happy with all the work that went into creating this trip of a lifetime for them.
Needless to say, we have many clients that feel this same way. So hats off to the travel specialists - who love what they do over the commissions. ‘Cause let’s face it, it really is NOT about the commissions…
Again, for all you that want to book trips on your own, go for it, but try to book your air direct with the airlines.
And for those of you who do appreciate and value service and expert advise, by all means use a destination specialist when planning your next adventure.
Aloha for now,
Joyce Craddock
For vacation travel, I have only used travel agents a few times. In four out of five instances, it was largely a waste. They didn’t know as much about my destination as I could learn with a little online research.
The one time they were worth a visit was an agency that specialized in the vacation area we selected. If the agent has actually been to where you’re going, they’re a great resource for planning your trip.
My advice - use destination specialists whenever possible. They can actually help you plan your trip.
Otherwise, plan your trip by yourself then - if you feel like spending the time - go to a travel agent with your plans and see if they can djinn up a package deal.
Wow! This has been an interesting read. I have been in the travel profession for over 8 years and have worked for the majors - Liberty Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, & am currently with Dillards Travel. I have been both a travel consultant and manager in store front agencies during this time.
My experience in these companies has been that the customer is valued and that we need to everything we can to prove that to our clients. We want you to come back! I’m appalled at the horror stories some people have related in their experience with travel agencies. I’m surprised those agencies are still in business!
Please don’t give up on our profession. I can give you countless times when we were there for our clients and made an impossible situation better. I always tell my clients to contact me immediately if something is amiss (they have my personal cell although our office is open 7 days a week). It’s a lot easier for us to correct a situation while it’s occurring than try to get resolution or some type of compensation after the fact.
The companies I have worked for only charge a fee for air only bookings and Liberty Travel will give you a voucher for the value of that fee that can be used on a future vacation package. Our expertise and time is free to our clients. We are a wonderful resource that people should utilize in planning any travel arrangements. We know the business!
Karen Weinert
Travel Consultant
Dillards Travel
Hulen Mall
Fort Worth, TX 76132
kaweinert@mindspring.com
I went to Sydney, Australia last summer for 16 days, arrange my travel on my own, paid total $1,600 for backpacking and airfare. It is so hard for one to travel solo. I want to go to Four Scandinavian Capitals for at least 18 days backpacking and airfare for $2,000 USD from Honolulu. I know it can be done! Denmark,Norway,Sweden,Finland I also have frequent flyer miles to use with Northwest and United. Northwest offer part way with frequent flyer miles how about other airlines doing the same?
In reply to Kay B, and Mindy M, here are some other questions you might ask:
Are you a destination specialist in [area/city/type of travel you want go]?
Most places that have a Tourism Board (or analog) offer a training course that allows one to be a destination specialist in that area.
Another good way to weed out the fraud/lazy/incompetent travel agent is to ask what GDS (s) they use. If they don’t know what you’re talking about hang up the phone. If they don’t use any of the major players (Travelport, World Span, Amadeus, Saber, Apollo, Galileo, [System 1- a little old]) then you shouldn’t necessarily exclude them, but they deserve much closer scrutiny. In the interest of full disclosure I use World Span and Amadeus for the most part.
On a personal note, I have only been a travel agent for little over a year. When I decided to continue as graduate student in my studies I needed a flexible side job, and travel had always been interesting to me. Before becoming an agent I had traveled extensively, and like many others, only used travel agents for very complex itinerary. I always let my clients know that being a travel agent is a part time job for me, but I have only let 18hrs pass before contacting a client once. I also make myself available to my clients well after business hours.
For those that think the business has gone way of the milk man, I couldn’t disagree more. To someone who is dedicated and intelligent you can quickly learn a great deal about the travel industry through the doors of an IATA number. In a scant one year’s time I have picked up 8 legitimate certifications (and two that I found to be sub-par), and have learned a great deal that I am always eager to pass on to my clients. I have a policy that if a client asks me to help him/her with a region I am unfamiliar with, I will give that person top priority and research all I can about the region. I then follow up with the client after the trip. This has been an effective and easy way to expand my knowledge base and help my clients.
All that said, I often run into potential clients (as in many people who never end up giving me a dime) who have outragious expectations from travel agents. Almost never can I find a flight from the US to Asia for $400 (USD). Taxes alone are often in that range. TA can frequently save you money on international flights (by using consolidators), but you should only consider that to be a % off what you find as published fare. Domestic flights are almost always more expensive to use a travel agent as the travel agent is pulling from published fares.
I have never once been undercut by a valid fare publicly available online. As someone mentioned above, I have recommended clients book tickets themselves because I could only match the price. But you should look for online rates and bring them to your agent. I call up vendors all the time and use these prices as barging tools. In the end I will use a commission over-ride to lower my price if nothing else works.
Yes, that’s right commissions. I have never made a decision about where to send someone based of commissions, but that is where the majority of my income comes from in this job. But like a good finical planer I offer a fee-only service (to the tune of $75 per $1000 of trip cost). Surprisingly few travelers take me up on this offer, even though the few that have saved hundreds of dollars in the end (given that the average commission for a product these days is floating around 10%, and for those of you who don’t care do the math, $75 on 1k is 7.5% giving you an average savings of 2.5%). I think it’s because people are more willing to pay a good institution than a good worker.
I’ve linked to your MSNBC artilce in my blog, http://conversationsatintersections.blogspot.com/
as I too was trying to make the point that travel agents can be a real help, especially when things have taken an unexpected turn.
I’ve lived in Zimbabwe and New Zealand for the better part of the last 23 years, with frequent trips back to the US. I’ve had smooth trips and bumpy ones, but what a comfort to know that one call to an emergency # provided by my agent was all I needed to sort things out.
I’ve had super travel agents assist me, people I knew and grew to call friends over time. Maybe that is part of the equation, the old time idea of relationship in our transactions. My travel agents know what I like in the planning stages and how I like to travel. They fit their arrangements to suit me and usually come in with a competitive fare. They know my preferences and represent me to the airlines.
I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve chucked a few of my best tips and links on my blog and added your conversation to the mix.
http://conversationsatintersections.blogspot.com/
Cheers from NZ.
I fly over 150K miles a year. I only use a travel agent - first because my time is expensive, and I don’t want to waste it surfing the web for net fares and second, because my travel agent makes my leisure and business travel easier. The key is to find the great travel agent, as many above have noted - and that isn’t easy. One thing to note - you will have a better chance at getting an agent to go the extra mile for you if you try and build a good working relationship. This may mean you pay a $20 fee for frequent flyer bookings, for example - but later, when you are stuck in Hong Kong airport with a ticket problem when it is 3AM back home, and your TA picks up the phone to deal with the ticket staff - you will see the benefit.
If you have no integrity, I don’t care what profession you’re in, the results will not be pretty. I’ve been in the travel business for only 2 years but I’ve lived in Spain, Italy, Venezuela, Ecuador and Mexico for more than 20 years. I know the problems that someone can confront in their travels.
I have empathy and I take seriously what my job represents. I care about people. If you’re a doctor and have no empathy, you’re a nobody in my book. We live in a corrupt world and if you doubt that pick up the paper and see who our president is unless you’ve been on Mars for the past 7 and one half years.
There are a lot of ignorant consumers who have no idea where any place is and when you tell them their air to Europe from California will cost more than $1500 per person and they have a total budget of $2000, they seem appalled. People where do you live? Do you read? Do you know anything about what’s going on in our world? Currencies? Political situations? A true professional, which I consider myself, will do everything to make the trip right. The clowns outnumber us by a large margin. I’m proud of what I do. Oh, and we’re expected to work for nothing, afterall we’re just above a used car salesman, right?
Some of us are professional agents that take pride in going the extra mile for clients. My satisfaction is when clients return home and note they had a prolem free vacation and got just what they wanted; this means I did my job. Anyone can book an airline ticket; arrange a car or find a hotel; it is the travel agent tht takes your requests into consideration and uses their experience and knowledge to make sure it is a seemless transaction.
There is a common thread that runs through travel related problems; The Internet is automating everything to the point where it all can be seamless, or disastrous. The information age is changing the face of business to such an extent that it can be a bit daunting at times to deal with information overload. Nobody has time to reference all of it, although it appears to be worth it financially.
As so many of the authors pointed out, do some research and take advice from friends or colleagues. Do plan your own trips if that’s what you have time to do, but do take care you are dealing with the correct individuals. Qualifications are great to have too, but be mindful that you connect with this person. This can be a simple as a couple of mails/phone calls.
Business boundaries are disappearing fast, and dealing with reputable companies via telephone and e-mail is becoming a lot more acceptable. There will always be a place for the traditional travel agent though. What I am experiencing is that there is a growing demand for people wishing to deal with the in-country service provider. This is certainly the case for niche travel.
There are a lot of people who go beyond the scope of service fee or duty. A regional airline went bust a week before a honeymoon couple arrived. Seven airlines went to the wall in this period as a result of high costs.
I probably dealt with this differently to the norm, but customer satisfaction was the only thing that was really important. Without customers you are nothing!
Tertius Bester
New Fusion Trading
1 La Camarque, Royal Ascot, Milnerton, Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 555 1600 ; +27 82 555 0423
Fax: + 27 86 654 1216
Skype: New Fusion Trading
http://www.newfusion.co.za
info@newfusion.co.za