If you were one of the millions of travelers who spent some
of the billions of $$$ on travel last year, read on for tips on how to spend
your travel budget most wisely in the future.
~IN 2012 U.S.
CONSUMERS CROSSED THE $100 BILLION TRAVEL SPENDING THRESHOLD~
It is no surprise that the majority of spending was through
on-line travel agencies (OTA’s), particularly mega agencies such as Expedia,
Orbitz and Priceline. These large OTA’s
do a good job of presenting information, and a user-friendly method of making
reservations. However, when a company
presents virtually every hotel, airline, cruise line, etc in the world, how
knowledgeable and helpful is the service staff when you call for
assistance? Do they have the best
price? Do you get the exact same room or
cabin type upon check-in if you book through an OTA or through a smaller
agency?
~IN AN
ON-LINE SEARCH, THE SAME ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON CHICAGO FOR THE SAME DATES
WAS PRICED FROM $545 TO $629, WITH DIFFERENT CANCELLATION POLICIES~
For this article I just researched room rates from 8
different OTA’s for the same dates at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago (a fantastic
award-winning property where I have worked as Concierge). I found price differences as much as $84,
with different cancellation penalties.
Calling customer service for more information, after spending way too
much time on hold I could not get any additional information other than what
was online. This comes as no surprise to
most, and in the interest of brevity for this short article, I won’t elaborate
further. You get the picture I’m
sure. This is the case when it comes to
other components of travel, from air to luxury cruises.
Air is very basic, you have flight times, layovers and
costs. Different seating configurations
and other minor details of minor consequence may apply. Rental cars as well, price for the same auto
type is easily comparable. OTA’s are
perfect for reserving air, or for renting cars, or hotel reservations if you
use the right OTA and especially if you have hotels in mind.
~THE BEST USE
OF RESOURCES IS A BLEND OF MEGA-ONLINE TRAVEL BOOKING SERVICES ALONG WITH THE
SERVICES OF A SMALLER TRAVEL AGENCY WITH PROFESSIONAL AGENTS~
Major travel programs requiring complex planning such as complex
international vacation packages and luxury cruises are such that you owe it to
yourself to engage the services of a professional travel agent. To consult with an agent initially does not
cost a dime. Typically agents do not charge you a fee, they receive a
commission from the travel vendor at NO additional cost to you. As there is no risk to you, there is no
reason to decline contacting a travel agent to assist with your travel
planning, as opposed to doing all kinds of research on your own. You can certainly still do some research,
however use the professional advice from a knowledgeable travel agent as well. Some agencies charge a fee as there are many
travel components that do not pay commissions at all, or are very minimal. Reputable agencies ALWAYS disclose in advance
if there are any agency fees involved in your request. If you make a request and are billed or
charged a fee without prior disclosure (make sure to read all small print
carefully), dispute it and quickly find another travel agency.
~THE
ADDITIONAL ADVICE RECEIVED FROM A KNOWLEDGEABLE TRAVEL AGENT CAN EASILY MAKE
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD VACATION AND A GREAT ONE!~
There are numerous real-life examples of how a professional,
knowledgeable well-traveled travel agent can be a tremendous asset; from
well-received advice to knowing product and destination intimately. From having well-placed contacts to providing
assistance even while traveling. Just one
such example; recently a well-traveled couple in their 60’s who have always
planned their own travel called me to join another couple on a cruise, as I was
handling that cruise for their friends.
They wanted to be on the same deck and side, in a balcony cabin. I suggested that they stay on the same deck
but choose the other side. That way,
while cruising no matter which side was more scenic, they can all get together
on a balcony as they desired, to always be able see the most interesting sights
depending on where the cruise was at that moment. They saw the wisdom in this simple piece of
advice and did so. If they would have
booked this online themselves as they usually do, they would not have had this viewing
flexibility, and probably would have thought about it while on board, alas too
late. Just one more example, I was
helping a retired airline executive who was used to having his staff simply
book him onto any flight he wanted. Now
retired, he found he couldn’t get seats using miles, and that non-stop was
about $1400, asked if I could find better.
I did, was able to get the exact same flights that had published rates
of $1400 for only $1200 from an air consolidator that works with travel agents
only. Savings of $400 for the couple, which
is now going to be spent on the spa on board!
I have oh, about a million more examples, however as blogs shouldn’t
be that long, I will end this here now.
If I can assist you further in any way with your travel planning, or
simply to prove to you the advantages of working with a professional travel
agent, please let me know!
I will leave you with an actual quote from the client I
mentioned above, from the survey they were sent from the American Express
Travel Consortium I belong to. Next
week, I discuss how I use OTA’s and Hotel Concierge to your advantage. Happy travels….
Quote from recent client: I have never used a travel agent in all our
worldly travels until Hans was introduced to us. He has made it so easy for us
to plan our next trip with many variables. He is so accommodating and responds
to our individual needs....and I have many! I am a converter!