Navigating the world of travel can be complex. Find out how a travel advisor can simplify your journey, especially for unique trips like solo travel or senior travel. We’ll explore when to engage a travel advisor, how they can enhance your trip, their costs, and strategies to find the right advisor for your needs.
Fellow travelers, it’s not too soon to start thinking about your 2018 itineraries.
Yarisa Smith knows she has a good travel agent.
“He’s made cruises and European trips special,” says Smith, a manufacturer’s representative from Dallas. “His itineraries and attention to detail have made every trip flawless. He’s even managed to successfully intervene when acts of God have waylaid my plans.”
Yet you might not know by looking at Clark Mitchell, who works for Dallas-based Strong Travel, whether he’s the real deal. Yes, his agency is cited as a source for its travel expertise by mainstream news outlets. It also prominently lists its membership in Virtuoso, an exclusive travel agency consortium.
But until now, there’s been no instantly recognized certification that says an agent is legit. That may be about to change.
Nothing changes you like travel does.
I know, because after 26 years of suburban stability, I recently sold my house, pulled up my stakes and hit the road. I’m a different person because of it.
Next time you travel somewhere, consider talking to a professional first.
Much worse. The airline on which they had reservations, Bahamasair, didn’t even serve Richmond.
“We had non-refundable hotel reservations,” says Forbes, a homemaker who lives in McKenney, Va. “But we had no way to get there.”
Forbes had booked her vacation through an online travel agency called Hotwire, which offers customers steep discounts in exchange for not telling them the exact airline or hotel they’re booking until they’ve made their reservations. And all reservations are final and non-refundable.
Kristen Hernandez thought she’d found a bargain on the Carnival Breeze next month. Or, to be more precise, she thought her travel agent had found one.
She booked two separate balcony cabins for her 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruise for $3,440 each.
Turns out she and her travel agent were wrong.
“After researching the Internet, we found out that Carnival Cruise Lines had slashed the prices due to the fact of the many mishaps,” she says. “Yesterday I went online on the Carnival website and found out that the balcony cabins are now selling for $2,319. That is a difference of over $1,100 per cabin.”
Any day now, I’m expecting a call from Heather Barksdale’s travel agent. That’s because she owes the agency for a plane ticket to Europe — or at least, that’s what they claim.
Question: I planned an once-in-a-lifetime trip for my two children and me to South Africa a few months ago. I used a travel agency to book my airline tickets.
