Reasons For Using a Travel Agent to Book Your Vacation

Travel - Travel Tips

By: ActorOutOnLoan 23-May-2011

Introduction:

When you are booking your dream vacation, you want to feel safe and secure about all of the arrangements that have been made. If something goes wrong, having a real person that you've met face-to-face on your side sure beats having nothing more than a website to go crying to! Here are the top five reasons for using a legitimate travel agency to book that trip-of-a-lifetime!

The All Important "Relationship"

When you do business with a professional travel agent, they come to know your likes, interests, limitations and needs. This relationship becomes a powerful tool that will ensure your travel plans really reflect your desires.

Instead of getting the "deal of the week" on a hotel you will end up unhappy with, your travel agent will give you the full story. And this doesn't mean your travel agent still can't save you money. But wouldn't you rather save money AND get what you want, instead of just the latter?

Get to know your travel agent, and let him or her get to know you. It will pay off every time!

From Dreams to Memories

A professional travel agent will be part of your vacation experience from beginning to end. Do you want to book a tour on a website and HOPE the guide will REALLY show up to meet you in the hotel lobby? And if the guide DOES show up, how can you be sure they are licensed or certified? To guide, or drive for that matter!

And if these issues turn into a travel nightmare, how do you reach that website from the lobby of your hotel in Venice, Italy? Your travel professional will not only qualify your needs and research and book your vacation with trusted suppliers they know, he or she will also wish you a bon voyage, then take steps to reconfirm your plans (probably without you even knowing it.)

When you are on the trip, if something goes wrong, your travel agent has a phone number and will actually answer your call and try to help you. (Some agents even give customers their cell and home numbers.) And you can expect a phone call from your travel agent after you've returned home. They will not only be anxious to welcome you home, but they will want to know how everything went! If something didn't go well, they can contact the supplier that they have a relationship with, and get something done about it!

Destination Knowledge & Experience

The best professional travel agents are very well-traveled and have had a lot of first-hand experience with the very services and activities they are selling to you. When you are booking a cruise, would you rather do it with someone who has BEEN on the ship, who has BEEN to the island, and has TAKEN the shore excursions, or would you rather talk to someone in a call center who is making $8 an hour and has never been on a cruise ship in their life?

Travel With Someone You Trust

These words are actually used by AAA Travel Agency, one of the largest travel agency consortiums in the United States, and yes, that's AAA as in the Automobile Club.

This is a great slogan, because it drives home the point that whether you are going to use AAA Travel Agency, or American Express Travel, or any certified professional travel agency, you are going to be dealing with a reputable company that has the financial resources, professional clout, and long term reputation that are going to make you feel pretty safe and secure about your plans.

You Get What You Pay For

It's true that some travel agencies have been forced to charge fees for their services, and it is also true that sometimes travel agencies will offer you travel products that may not be the "cheapest deal" you can find. But it is equally true that there is "no such thing as a free lunch" and that "you get what you pay for."

After working hard, saving, and dreaming about your special trip for so long, is this really something in your life that you want to cut corners on? Everyone wants to save money, and a good professional travel agent will do everything possible to get you any discount they can, because they want to build a relationship with you, and they know how valuable your dollar is. But a good travel agent will also protect you from that "bargain" that just may be too good to be true!

Final Thoughts

Professional travel agents are passionate about what they do, and love making their customer's dreams come true. Before clicking 'BUY' on that "BARGAIN TRAVEL" website, give your local travel professional a call, make an appointment, go sit down and talk about your dream vacation face-to-face with someone who really cares. You won't regret it!