“Why use a travel agent anyway?”
When I tell people I work in travel, one of the first things they ask (after the inevitable “Wait -- there are still travel agents?” - yep! We didn’t all die out in the 1980s!) is “Well...what’s the point of using a travel agent anyway?”.
Here are 3 great reasons to use a travel advisor when using your next trip:
The Perks
Most travel advisors affiliate themselves with a larger network of agencies and travel industry professionals called a “consortia”. Being aligned with a consortia has many benefits. Most importantly, the consortia requires the advisor to complete in-depth training on a variety of different destinations, hotels, cruise lines, and resorts. We even get tested on it! A consortia partnership also means we get exclusive benefits for our clients that you won’t get anywhere else!
For example - I recently booked a client for a weekend staycation at the Ritz Carlton. For no extra cost to her, she received complimentary early check in, late check out, champagne and sweets delivered to the room one morning, a $100 resort credit, and breakfast at the resort’s beautiful rooftop restaurant on their last morning. All these extra goodies just because she booked with a travel advisor!
Flyway Travel is proud to be affiliated with Signature Travel Network - a member-owned community of leading travel agencies and supplier partners in the industry, founded in 1956. The Signature Hotels & Resorts collection includes more than 1,100 of the world’s best hotels, resorts, lodges, villas, and spas in 90 countries and 450 unique destinations.
The Inside Scoop
Another key benefit to using a travel advisor is our access to private and fully customized tours you can’t find anywhere else.
Why book the same boring ol’ “Roman Colosseum Tour” as everyone else from Tripadvisor or Viator when your travel advisor can arrange pickup from your hotel and a private, behind the scenes tour with a Roman-archaeology expert?
Love “Downton Abbey”? Anyone can do a bus tour to Highclere Castle, but a travel advisor can get you a private tour, high tea in the afternoon, and arrange a photo shoot in 1920’s costumes (go get your Lady Mary on).
Ever watch or read Anthony Bourdain and hear him talk about using a “fixer”? A local guide who knows the language, all the best spots to eat, and can make you feel like a local for a day? A travel advisor can make this connection for you.
These highly customized services are also great for large groups who need a little extra coordination, large families (child-wrangling anyone?), and travelers with reduced mobility or other special needs. A travel advisor can make sure you know exactly what to expect at each point of your trip so there are no surprises and all you have to do is enjoy.
The Heavy Lifting
A travel advisor is the best resource in your toolkit if you’re too busy to plan a trip, or overwhelmed by the detail work involved in planning. And let’s be real - with all of the new travel restrictions, covid-testing rules, and entry requirements that seem to change every day - who ISN’T overwhelmed? Your advisor can handle the research for you and give you back valuable free time.
And if something goes wrong during your trip, like a cancelled flight, your advisor is there to make it right. We often have preferred access to the airlines and other travel vendors so we can bypass long hold times and get you back on the way to enjoying your vacation.
Where to Next?
Ready to start planning? Contact Ashley at Flyway Travel today for a complimentary planning call and custom travel quote!
