Your Advocate...The Travel Agent

We get a lot of clients who come to us for help in planning their vacations because they don't have time to do it themselves or they need help with a complicated itinerary or they just need help with a destination that they are just not that familiar with etc.  Some even come to us because they have read somewhere that travel agents can save you money.

Those are all great reasons for using the services of a travel professional, but one of the reasons that gets overlooked is that we are the client's advocate when things don't go according to plan.  While we all hope everything goes as scheduled and things are better than expected during the vacation, things can happen that are out of the control of the client as well as the travel professional.  And when things do come up that are unexpected and not as you hoped, you want someone in your corner who will fight for YOU, not the resort, or the cruise line or the airline etc.


Case in point.  Sandals Grande Antigua announced a few days ago (from the time of this writing) that they were closing the resort from Sept to December for "major repairs."  Well as you can imagine, vacationers who were looking forward to their tropical getaway during that timeframe just had their entire vacation uprooted.  Yes, Sandals is offering options to the guests who cannot change their travel dates etc, but so many are left with the question of, "what do we do next?"  I should say that the ones who did not use a travel professional are left with that question.

Our clients know exactly what their options are.  One such client didn't have to hear the news and panic because our consultant, Julia, had already heard and was putting together the options before the client had heard the news.  Within a day, the client was given an alternative that fit their schedule and fit what they were expecting for their vacation.   The client did not have to try to get in the phone queue with Sandals or with one of the online booking companies and spend their valuable time trying to figure things out on their own.  They did not have to spend hours of researching what was available to them for alternate resorts etc.  It was taken care of by their travel professional who interacted on their behalf with the tour operator and resort.

So hopefully you see that we do more than quote and book vacations.  We stand ready to assist our clients when assistance is needed and make sure their best interests are being represented when things come up before or during someone's well-deserved vacation.

All Inclusive vs European Plan

The all inclusive fad is in full swing.  So much so that we get a lot of requests for all inclusive resorts for destinations here in the U.S., even though there are basically none.  It seems everyone thinks all inclusive is the way to go.  Well is it really?  The answer to that question is no and also yes.  Let me explain.

Actually before I explain the no and yes answer, lets make sure everyone truly understands what an all inclusive resort is.  A resort that is truly all inclusive will include all meals, all beverages, room service and even whats in the minibar in the rooms. There are a few exceptions to this but 99% of all inclusive resorts will be offering all of your food and drink for one packaged price.   This is in contrast to resorts that are not all inclusive or European Plan (EP), as some are called.  EP simply means no food or drink are included with the exception of the occasional breakfast daily or a resort credit of some sort which are usually offered as promotional items at the time of booking.

So are we clear on the differences between the two?  All inclusive resorts allow you to pay one price for all of your food and drink AT the resort and resorts that are EP will be charging you for any food and drink that you consume onsite at their resort above and beyond the room rate you might have paid.

So some are probably reading this thinking, "why on earth would I want an EP plan when I can pay one price and get all of the food and drink included?  Well the answer depends on the type of traveler you are.  If you want a beach, some sun, and you really don't want to move yourself from the pool or ocean for your entire trip, then an all inclusive is a great option.  If you are not one who needs top cuisine or craft cocktails, then an all inclusive is a great option.  If you have children and you don't want to have to worry about what they are about to order off of a menu while on vacation, then an all inclusive is a great option.  If you fit into one of those 3 categories, my answer would be yes, an all inclusive is the way to go for you.

BUT...if you are not in those 3 categories, then here is why an all-inclusive may not be a great option for you.  First, all inclusive resorts tend to "dumb down" the food and drink quality.  What I mean by that is demand for non stop food and drink makes it hard for the resorts to keep up and the quality suffers.   They have gone the way of the cruise lines.  Cruises used to be known for excellent cuisine and pampered service.  Now, cruisers can't wait to get onboard so they can hurry to the buffet and eat as much as possible before then heading to their stateroom so they can get ready for more food at dinner to only be followed by a trip to the all night pizza or burger or cookie stations around the ship. The constant demand for food has created a situation where cruise lines have to cut down on quality just to keep up with the constant demand for more and more food.  Well, all inclusive resorts are now faced with the same issue.  They know that as long as they can keep food in plentiful supply 24/7, their average guest will be satisfied with their stay.   They can no longer afford the best of ingredients and the time needed to produce true gourmet cuisine.  So if you like to taste incredible dishes while on vacation, you may be better off at a resort that is not all inclusive and where you pay for the actual amount of food you consume.

Second, if you are a traveler that likes to get out and see and do and eat more of the food that the destination actually offers, then you may be better off by not doing an all inclusive.  If you pay for an all inclusive resort, you are paying for breakfast, lunch and dinner and all snacks.  If you were to venture off the property and come across a great place to eat, you would most likely not eat there because you realize you have already paid for all of your food while on vacation. Staying at a non-all-inclusive gives you the freedom to eat wherever you please including great options away from the resort.

And third, if you enjoy sitting in a wonderful lounge and enjoying a cocktail that was produced by a true mixologist, then all inclusive resorts are most likely not for you.  Again, because things have been dumbed down at all inclusives, top spirits and beer are not always available and please don't count on being wooed by anything a bartender may produce at an all inclusive.  Can they make a margarita or a mojito and it taste ok?  Sure!  But they are again producing drinks as fast as they possibly can because they have to keep up with those vacationers who like to have 2, 3 or 4 drinks in their hand at one time.

Now this sounds like I am poo pooing all over all inclusive resorts but really I am not. I am just making sure everyone sees and understands what you get for the price you pay.  Going on vacation with wrong expectations is usually why you see some really bad reviews on travel review sites.  Someone saw an all inclusive that was supposedly 4 star and thought they were going to get the same quality of food and drink as they would have at a real 4 star resort that is not all inclusive.

So before you jump on the all inclusive bandwagon, please talk to a travel professional and let them explain to you the pros and cons before you spend your hard earned money on your next vacation.

The Modern Travel Agent (Part 2)

Awhile back I had written a post with the intent of answering a lot of questions that we receive frequently which really boil down to this one..."what is the difference between using you or going on the internet and doing it myself?"  I focused that post on explaining who we are as modern day travel agents.  Please feel free to go back and revisit that article at your leisure.  But I feel a part 2 is required because we still get asked a lot of questions that lead me to believe that a lot of potential customers have no real idea of what we do and how we work & benefit them when it comes to travel planning.

So instead of focusing again on who we are, lets focus this article and who we are NOT.

1.  We are NOT cyber robots.  That seems obvious but when people compare us living and breathing professional travel consultants to the likes of Booking.goodluckwithgettingwhatyouthoughtyoupaidfor and cyber gnomes, it makes me think the obvious is not so obvious.  When you call or email or text or do a face to face visit with us, you are speaking to real people who have real families and live in real homes just like you do.

2.  We are NOT order takers.  We do not encourage our clients to do all the work and all the research and spend countless hours on hoards of websites perusing scores of travel options and then simply take what they want and hit the "book it" button.  Instead, we do all of the work, spend our time and energy scouring the resources we use, as professionals, to find that perfect vacation that fits what our clients told us they wanted out of that perfect vacation and then we send that perfect option to the client for their final approval before anything is ever booked.

3.  We are NOT the cheapest option.  Many will come to talk to us only because they think or they have heard that travel agents are cheaper than the internet.  While some travel agents attempt to buy a client's loyalty by offering kickbacks or huge discounts, we are not that agency.  We offer the best value.  Value is very different than cheap.  If someone is looking for the cheapest option, then there are countless websites saying they are the cheapest which means no one will really know if they received the cheapest price.  Do you pick your Dr's based on them being the cheapest?  Do you pick your lawyers or financial planners because they said they were guaranteeing to be the cheapest?  We don't expect you to choose to work with us because we are the cheapest either.

Modern travel agents are again thriving because of the things we are as well as the things we are not. Clients are coming to us because we save time and energy.  They are coming to us because they trust our knowledge and experience and can offer ideas that they may never have thought of.  They are coming to us because they appreciate our service and love knowing we are THEIR agents, not the resort's or the cruise line's or the tour operator's etc.

So are you wanting to take a dream vacation and don't know where to begin with the search process or can't seem to pull the trigger because you are overwhelmed with countless options and opinions from friends and online reviewers?  Search out a professional travel consultant (i.e. us here at H&K) and let us show you why you will never want to try to book a vacation without our
help again.

When To Buy Your Airfare

This article may NOT contain the answer you are looking for, but I do hope it clears up some of the confusion and misinformation that is floating out in cyberspace when it comes to the best days and times to buy airfare for your upcoming dream vacation.

First, here is a fact about airfare prices,  they fluctuate on almost a minute by minute basis.  The fluctuation is due to computer algorithms that set prices based on the number of seats still available on a certain flight.  As seats sell, prices change.  Its good ole supply and demand, plain and simple.  There are a lot of detailed articles out there trying to give more detail into why prices are so different for the same flight on any given day, but it all boils down to economics.  If a flight is a popular route, you can count on the fact that prices will reflect it (i.e. supply and demand) and that won't matter if it is on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc.

Second, we get asked all the time whether it is cheaper to fly on a Tuesday vs a Friday etc.  The answer still goes back to supply and demand.  It very well may be cheaper because a lot of business travelers leave out on Sundays and Mondays and come back on Fridays or Saturdays.  But keep in mind that airlines know this and the number of flights reflect the busier days and routes which brings up the issue of availability and the number of connections.

Third, what you see when it comes to the published fare may not be the real cost of flight.  For example, you bought a ticket on "ABC Airlines."  Then when you went to choose your seat, the only available seat for the price was a middle seat near the back bathroom.  So you see that the seat is in an awful location but you also see there are other seats that you can upgrade to for the everyday low price of $60.   So you waited until Tuesday to buy that airfare that was $30 lower but ended up paying $60 more for a seat you actually want to sit in.

So with all of this said, here are the factors that should play into your decision of when you want to buy your airfare:

1) How committed are you to the trip?  If your trip dates are set due to vacation schedules and you are set to a certain departure and return date, you should consider buying your airfare as soon as you can. I say that because if your vacation destination is a popular one, the good flights (good times and connections) can sell out while you wait to see if the fare is going to drop $20 to $50.

2) Single vs multiple connection flights.  Let's assume there are no direct flights between where you are and your destination so you will have at least one connection.  You need to weigh the importance of the number of connections as well as the layover time.  Waiting to buy on a certain day of the week and at a certain number of days before your trip can put at risk losing the best connection and layover times. Was it worth the difference in airfare if you now have to stop at 2 different airports before reaching your final destination?  Each connection carries its own risks such as the chance for bags to get lost or issues with weather or airplane equipment.  The money you might save may seem insignificant if you spend the first two days of your vacation in the same clothes you started in.

3) Time of year.  if you are flying to a destination that is popular during a certain time of year (i.e flying to Europe in June or July), the prices will not only change rapidly, but again, flights can literally sell out.  The direct flight you wanted from Chicago to Rome not only could be sold out, but the longer connecting flight may also now cost more because you waited.

Let me summarize by telling you how we consult our clients when it comes to purchasing their airfare.  If we know that the client's dates are set and we know that destination is a popular one for that time of year, we always encourage them to buy as soon as possible with only a few exceptions.  We advise them to consider the single vs multiple connection.  We help them see that taking the last flight out may appear cheaper but it may not be worth it if that flight is canceled and there are no longer anymore options out that night.  We make sure sure our clients see that the cheaper flight may have a layover until the next morning which means there will be an overnight hotel stay which also now adds to the cost.  We make sure our clients know that if it is important that they are seated together, then we need to grab the flights and seats when we can to make sure that happens.

So do you see that waiting to buy airfare on a certain day or picking days of the week that you think will be cheaper may not be the best choice?  Its not a simple answer of "always buy on Tuesday because its cheaper."  Let professionals help you understand the pros and cons of waiting or not waiting.

Making the Right Travel Decision

Any consultant worth his or her salt, seeks to provide their clients with the best possible information so their clients can then take that information and make the best decision possible.  Making right decisions, for the most part, relies on having the correct information ahead of making that decision.  We rely on experts in certain fields to provide us with that correct info whether its health related, financially related etc.  We don't turn to friends who have not been to medical school to advise us on how to treat some health ailment. We don't rely on someone who has never worked on a car engine to help us determine how to fix our broken down car. We don't take advice from financially broke friends on how to better invest our money.  The same logic should apply when someone is wanting travel advice.  Turning to non-professionals can sometimes render bad decisions because the non-professional information was flawed and possibly even incorrect.

We see this a lot in the field of professional travel consulting.  We hear of travelers being encouraged to take a cruise solely because a passport is not currently needed for a lot of cruises.  But that information is only partially correct and may lead travelers to make the wrong decision for them and their family.  We have clients come to us and say they only want to visit 2 of the 4 parks at Walt Disney World because a friend said they didn't think the other parks had enough for small children.  Again, that is not a factual statement.  Similarly we have had clients say they don't want to visit a destination like Universal Orlando Parks and Resorts because too many of the rides have a height requirement of 50in or taller.  Clients were ready to not consider that option based on that one friend's comment.  The friend's comment was incorrect.   Many discount the idea of Mexico being a vacation destination based on friend's comments about safety in Mexico.  99% of the time, those friends are not stating facts but only passing on news stories that are also not stating facts. These are just small examples of how wrong information and opinion can alter a family's vacation plans.

It is our job to help clients sift through the gobs of opinions and counter some of those opinions with simple facts so our clients can make the best decision possible for what is right for them, not for their friends. We can help clients see that having a passport is still highly encouraged even when taking a cruise for a variety of reasons.  We can help clients see what is offered for all ages at every park that makes up Walt Disney World and then let the clients decide how they want to spend THEIR time.  We can provide actual ride heights showing that the majority of the attractions at Universal Orlando are under that 50in requirement.  We can even provide actual crime statistics that show Mexico is safer than places like the Bahamas, Jamaica. Punta Cana etc for tourists.

We have opinions too.  Clients come to us for our opinions.  But even our opinions are based one what we factually know about a destination or certain type of vacation. This is why we take the time and spend the money to travel to the places we sell.  We can then offer facts, personal experiences and opinion which gives our clients the best possible info so they can weed through the hoards of options and make the right vacation choice.

So the next time you get an opinion from someone who is NOT a professional travel consultant, reach out to us or find a professional who is a right fit and trust their skill and knowledge. It could make the difference between an ok vacation and a great vacation.

The Modern Travel Consultant

First let's make the statement that should be an obvious one since I am a travel consultant myself...we exist.  Yep.  Surprise surprise.  Travel consultants still exist and in fact, we are thriving.  We are thriving because we are not what so many travelers out there picture we are.  And when I say we, I am referring to the more modern travel consultant.  This is not an all-encompassing rule because there are still exceptions to what I am about to say.

We are not order takers.  We don't sit there and listen to what you want us to book and then simply type it all up, take your money and then book the trip.

We are not the same as the internet.  We are living, breathing, creative-thinking people who you can actually text, snapchat, call, see in person or video chat with.  The internet cannot give you personal recommendations.  We can.  The internet cannot act on your behalf when problems occasionally arise.  We can.

We are not the "cheapest" vacation planning option.  The internet has made people think that cheap is somehow always a good thing.

We are not a "Costco-type" travel agency.  Our motto is not "book a ton of business and give away the farm in the way of kickbacks so we can get more business."

We are not amateurs.  The internet is full of those who may have traveled once or twice and think their reviews and opinions are the same as those who do this for a living.  Sites like TripAdvisor make everyone think they are a travel professional.

So those are things that we are not.  And here is what we are.

We ARE consultants.  We use our knowledge and experience to help our clients find the best vacation options possible.  We consult when it comes to true budgets needed for destinations of interest.

We ARE value oriented.  We provide vacation options that are the best value for our clients.  Big difference between value and cheap. The best value may be the upgraded room category coupled with great flight times and connections.  The best value may be the resort that is known for better food and beverage.  The best value may be using a supplier that we have a great relationship with knowing that our clients will get special treatment upon arrival.

We ARE a small, service oriented agency dedicated to making sure every client of ours knows how important they are to the success of our business.  Our clients know that we are there to help when needed.

We ARE technology savvy.  We communicate with whatever the best method is for our clients and their schedules.  As previously mentioned, we text, snapchat, vid chat, and utilize the technology needed to stay in communication with our clients even while they are on vacation.

We ARE professionals.  We spend time and money on training to make sure we are current when it comes to up and coming destinations, hotel trends, travel alerts etc.  We have the experience needed to be able to provide real reviews of hotels and resorts.

That is a glimpse into the modern travel consultant.  We are real, tangible people with real professional travel experience. We are highly trained.  We are your advocate and advisor.  We don't hide behind a desk.  We get out and see the destinations and work hard at establishing key relationships with those staff members that can make your vacation even more special.  We will give you our professional opinions because it is our job as consultants to do so.  This is who we are.  Let a modern day travel consultant show you the real value in using a professional help you in planning your next dream getaway.

Want to see what real breathing travel consultants look like?  Click on this link to visit our "About Us" page.  H&K Luxury Travel

To Fee or Not to Fee...

That is the number one prevailing question in the travel agency industry right now. Do we deserve to get paid for our time and expertise? Or should the general public expect us to give our consulting skills away for free?

Let's roll the clock back about 9 to 10 years ago. Some folks came into the travel planning industry and touted the idea that you should never have to pay any fees for booking hotels, airfare, car rentals etc. These new companies made it sound like you had been getting ripped off for years because you were walking into a travel agency office and sitting down with a real person, asking them questions, hearing their professional opinions and ideas and actually paying them a fee for that experience. Those new companies are what we refer to as OTA's in our industry. That stands for "Online Travel Agencies." The more famous OTA's are companies such as Expedia, Hotwire, Priceline and Orbitz.  These OTA's made it sound like you didn't ever need anyone's professional advice because you could go to their site, see every hotel in every part of the world (or at least they want you to believe you can), see the lowest price and simply book it yourself and save a lot of money. This basically lumped everything every professional travel person had done for years into this idea that they were nothing but middle men/women and order takers. So you could now avoid the middle person and place the "travel order" yourself.

These OTA's did a great job at marketing. Their "no fee" ads were causing hoards of travelers to run from professionals and turn to their one-stop shop for booking vacations, business trips etc. Mom and pop travel agencies were closing right and left because fees were needed to maintain employees, pay for office overhead etc.

A new breed of travel professional was born out of the ashes and I am not sure the big OTA's saw what was coming. Professional travel agents were learning to evolve with the change in market and many changed their work environment to where they too could operate without passing along fees and just live on whatever hotels, car companies and tour operators were willing to pay in the way of commissions. That's correct...hotels, car companies and tour operators pay travel agents commission as a thank you for bringing clients their way. And guess what...the large OTA's get commissions too.  They wanted you to think they were not a travel agent and you were cutting out the agent and therefore saving money, but guess what, they are middle people too and they get commissions and in many cases brow beat hotels and other travel related companies to give them even more than what most professionals would have ever received and then they turn around and kick some of it back to the consumer and call it "savings." You can imagine what that is doing to their relationship with hotels, resorts etc. But that is a story for another time.

Here we are now 9 to 10 years later and our industry is back stronger than ever and more and more travelers are turning to agents again because they are hearing that we no longer charge fees and they can still take advantage of our expertise, our experience and our relationships with key companies in the travel industry. And many have learned that when going through an OTA, you are taking on the role of the professional agent because YOU are selecting that hotel and YOU are choosing those flights and YOU are doing all of the research and YOU are left to deal with issues on YOUR own when you hit the "book now" button on their site.

So let's be clear of the difference between a professional and an OTA. A professional travel agent offers destination advice. They offer destination experience. They offer resorts that are vetted. They offer flights that actually exist with connections that make a vacation that much better. They offer great vacation value and experiences that make vacations memorable. They are trained and skilled in the art of travel planning. They are professional. OTA's are none of those...none.

And guess what...reading stuff on the internet no more makes you a professional travel consultant than does sleeping in a Holiday Inn Express. Reading things on the internet does not make someone a professional wedding planner or a professional interior designer or a professional style consultant etc.  And almost every person understands that going to a professional and seeking consultation or help will most likely result in a fee to cover their time.

So again..yes, we get commission from companies, resorts, hotels, car companies and tour operators that we sell. But we don't make a dime when offering professional travel advice to someone who then takes our advice and goes and books things themselves. Not a dime...until now. That is officially changing as of the posting of this blog. My agents and I love what we do. We love planning awesome vacations for families and clients and seeing their pictures and hearing their awesome stories. But we can't spend the time and energy we need on our valued current clients when we are chasing down info for those possible new clients who just want our free advice and have no intention of booking through our agency. We can't afford to work pro bono. So any new client coming to us as of now will be paying a "plan to book fee" that will be discussed with the possible client upfront. Many agencies in our industry have already been charging for their skill and expertise and it is time every professional agent is recognized as being a professional.  Professionals deserve compensation for their time.

Again...can someone go online and hit a "book now" button and do things themselves? Sure. Many do and will continue to do so. And they are on their own if things go wrong and if they made a poor vacation choice. But again, no one goes to a wedding planner and expects them to work for free and no one hires an interior designer and expects their advice and help for free. And so it is with us. No one should expect to call a travel agent and expect them to work for free. If you come to us and book your trip...we will discuss with you how that fee is applied, but coming to us and picking our brains for ideas and plans will cost you something if you take that advice and walk away with it.

So to fee or not to fee...that is no longer a question with my agents and agency.

Millennial Travel

It seems as though everyone has something to say about millennials these days. Despite growing up in one of the toughest recessions, this disillusioned generation remains optimistic and is hungry for adventure and new experiences. I recently attended a major travel industry show in Las Vegas and millennial travel was a major topic of discussion.

Accordingto the Boston Consulting Group, the millennial generation, defined as those between the ages of 16 and 34, is more interested than older generations in traveling abroad as much as possible—by a 23-percentage-point margin. And although millennials are not yet the core travel customers of airlines and hotels, they will be in 5-10 years, when they enter their peak earning, spending, and traveling years. So what’s important to millennials when it comes to traveling? Let’s take a look and see how this intrepid generation is changing the way we look at travel.

-     Why Wait? – Rather than wait for the golden years of retirement like their parents, this generation wants to see the world and they want to see it now. While millennials appreciate the importance of work, they also desire more of a work/life balance than previous generations. They want the flexibility and the opportunity to travel the world now and experience new adventures while they are young.

-     Quick Communication – It’s not a surprise that millennials prefer fast and easy communication. This tech-savvy, on-demand generation prefers text messaging as the #1 method of communication followed by email. As a travel agent I am aware of the unique needs and preferences of all of my clients and make sure you get the information you need as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

-     Beyond the Beach – TheWorld Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation, found that young travelers are not as interested in “the traditional sun, sea and sand holidays” as previous generations are. Instead they are more interested in exploring remote destinations, backpacking, and extended trips that allow them to visit multiple locations and countries. By working with a travel agent like myself, I can connect you to some of the most remote, unique places around the world and create a custom itinerary that will not only save you time, but create one of a kind of experiences that you simply can’t book on a travel website.

-     The Real Deal – Simply put, millennials don’t want a “cookie cutter” vacation. They want to experience something unique and meaningful, to see and do what the locals do, and create memories that will last a lifetime. This is one of the main reasons millennials can benefit from working with a real, flesh and blood travel agent. I do not plan one size fits all vacations. I scope out travel trends, pinpoint the best locations, and orchestrate every detail for my clients to save them time and money. Top priority for me is researching where the locals eat, shop, play, and stay-cation, so I can pass this information on to my clients. From reservations, to accommodations, to private excursions, I tailor each trip to ensure the most incredible travel experience possible at the best price.

Ready to flood your friends' feeds with pictures of your own amazing getaway? Contact me today and let’s plan the trip of a lifetime. Adventure is calling. Why wait?

Price vs Value: When Cheap Is Not Always The Best Value

When consulting with clients about their upcoming vacation, I usually ask the all-important question...what is your budget for the trip?  Quite often I get the reply, "We want it as cheap as possible."

But do you really want the cheapest vacation possible?  What if the cheapest price consisted of the smallest room at the resort in the furthest spot possible away from the pool, restaurants and beach and adjacent to the employee entrance and trash dumpster?  What if the cheapest price possible meant that you flew on a flight that left your home airport at 5:30am, connected through 2 different airports, had 2+ hour layovers at each airport and did not arrive at your destination's airport until 8pm that night?  And coupled with that, what if the cheapest price then included a shared transfer that stopped at 3 different resorts before finally stopping at yours...1 hour later?

Does that "cheap" price sound like a bargain now?  This is why value has to trump "cheap" price.  So many of us pay $3 or more for a java-house coffee than what we would pay for making a cup of Folgers at home because we put value over price (better experience over the cheapest).  But when it comes to the life-long memories we will make on a vacation, so many think "must go cheap."

So let me lay out what might be a better value and experience over the one I just painted earlier.  Now you leave your home airport around 7am, you connect one time with a 1 hour layover and arrive at your destination's airport @12:00pm.  Your travel consultant has arranged private transfers for you.  You get through customs and you are greeted by a person who is now your personal concierge for the drive from the airport to the resort.  He or she chats with you on your drive about the things to see and do and you and your traveling companions are the only ones in the vehicle and the only stop is your resort.  You arrive at your resort and are checked in by 1:00pm.  You are escorted to your junior suite overlooking the blue waters of the Caribbean.  You change and are at the pool sipping your first umbrella drink by 1:30pm.

Now, scenario number 2 is not the cheapest option for that trip.  But which one has better value and will offer a better overall experience?  Imagine you paying for scenario number 2 and you sit at the pool (the next day) by someone who has paid for scenario number 1.  You both left the same hometown airport, you are at the same exact resort.  But the person who paid the cheapest is telling you that he paid $200 less than you did.  If you didn't know the details of their package, you might think, "Hey, that is not fair. I paid too much."  But if the scenario number 1 person was honest and told you about their long layovers and that their luggage got misplaced between connection 1 and 2 and they missed out on dinner because they arrived too late and you can smell trash every time they open their room door, would you feel like you then paid too much?

Should "cheap" always be the driving factor?  I say no.  But here is what you can do to help your own personal travel consultant; come up with a budget that you would be comfortable spending for your vacation.  Let your travel consultant know that upfront.  He or she has knowledge of what a good vacation will cost for a variety of destinations.  And if your consultant says, "It will be difficult to put together a GOOD package to that destination for those number of nights for that budget," listen to him or her.  Make adjustments necessary such as cut back the number of nights or possibly think of an alternative destination, or possibly look at a different budget etc.  But whatever you do, don't run out to the internet and think your "cheap" vacation you just found is apples to apples to what your consultant was trying to advise you about.  That cheap vacation may be just that...cheap.

Top 10 Reasons to Use a Traditional Travel Agent

Have you recently found yourself uttering the words “I need a vacation”? Well, you’re not alone. According to a new survey only 25 percent of employees with paid time off took all of their vacation days last year, and 15 percent took no vacation whatsoever! What’s even worse? Almost half of the people surveyed who went on vacation, ended up working at some point during their trip. I think the message is loud and clear – it’s time for American’s to take a break and enjoy their vacation for what it’s meant to be, an escape from the stress and strains of our everyday lives.

I often get asked the question, “Why should I use a travel agent when I can book trips myself online?”

While it may appear the easiest way to book a vacation, you may want to consider your options before planning your next trip. Below I have listed the Top 10 Reasons you should move from an online travel agency such as Expedia or Orbits, to a Traditional Travel Agent (i.e. a real person with real experience). Here we go:

1. We offer expert guidance - we know how to sort through the myriad of travel information
2. We are internet interpreters - we understand travel codes and jargon
3. We save time – saving you countless hours of research
4. We offer convenience - we provide a one stop shop for all aspects of a vacation
5. We offer a great value - we have access to information where we can find the best products at the very best value
6. We offer added value - we can offer guidance to the best restaurants, excursions, etc.
7. We offer personalized service - every client is different and we can adjust things to make sure we find what the client values
8. We offer unbiased advice - we work for the client, not the suppliers
9. We offer customer advocacy - we act on behalf of the client when things are not going right
10. We offer professionalism - we are experts in our field and trained in our industry

And as if those aren’t enough reasons to consider making the switch, one of the best parts about letting a travel agent like myself plan your next vacation is that it’s absolutely NO COST to you! If you’ve never worked with a traditional travel agent before, I urge you to give it a try. I have a feeling you might be pleasantly surprised.

A Vacationer's Dream

Ok, you have decided to take a vacation so you sit down and create your to-do list.  Hopefully it looks something like this:

1. Discuss possible destinations--check
2. Set a budget for the trip--check
3. Pick possible dates for the trip--check
4. Call a travel agent to help plan the details--check
5. Officially book the trip with the help of the agent---check

Now the excitement begins.  You find great apps or other ways to countdown the days until you leave. Time has flown and the time is getting close enough to start packing the bags and then...BLAM, a new form of stress hits.  Who is going to watch the dog?  Who is going to pick up the mail?  Do I have all of my prescriptions?  What about the groceries in the fridge?  The to-do's start to mount up again and they can zap some of the fun away from the vacation itself.

So what if I told you that there are services out there that can even take away those stress factors and give your brain more time to focus on the really fun aspects of your trip?  Wouldn't it be a dream to have someone you could call and they would literally take care of all of those tasks that you can't ignore, but would prefer never to have to worry about?  Imagine not having to worry about anything related to your trip other then things like, "did we load the bags in the car" or "do we have all of our travel documents?"  You know...those things that are actually a part of the trip.

So enough of the lead-in teaser stuff.  Let me introduce you to one such company.  The name of her company is Julie Hullett Concierge LLC and naturally Julie Hullett is the owner.  This is a sample of what she can do for you while you pack your bags (and I even have someone who can offer advice on what to pack, but that is for another post); Julie can take your pet to the boarding kennel, pick up your dry cleaning that you need for the trip, pick up any necessary medications from the pharmacy, and anything else that you might need or need to do before you leave home.

Then picture that the trip is coming to an end and you are about to head home.  Your brain starts to get out of vacation mode and into "what do I need to do when I get home" mode.  Now picture Julie going to get your pet and having him or her there waiting for you when you walk in the door.  Imagine the heat or the AC being at the right temp, your fridge being full with those staples that you knew you would need but hated to buy right before you left home, your mail laid out and organized on your dining table and so on and so on.  Are you getting the stress-free picture?  This is why I call her and her services a "vacationer's dream."  Life would not skip a beat while you were gone.  The transition from before the vacation starts to being on vacation to returning back home from vacation would be so smooth and stress free that you would never plan a vacation the same again.  You would forever be hooked and your concierge's phone number would be a "favorite" in your contacts list.

So the next time you plan a vacation, add one more planning item to your list besides calling a wonderful, all-knowing travel consultant like myself (was that a little much?)...make sure you make an appointment with a concierge service like Julie's.  And if you are in the Nashville area...call Julie.  She is awesome to work with.

Have you ever heard of a service like this?  Have you ever used a service like this?  I would love to get your feedback.

The Waiting Game

Not sure what it is.  Is it a cultural thing? Is it a generational thing?  Or is it simply a human thing?  I am referring to this idea that waiting will somehow give you a better advantage when it comes to the cost of booking a trip.

I am curious because it seems to cross over into other areas of life.  Back in the day when I was a Realtor, I had clients who would decide to wait on making an offer on the home they wanted or decide to wait to list their home to see if the market would improve.  In most of those cases, the waiting cost them money.  I am talking about 5+ years ago.  A couple would think that waiting might cause the owner to reduce their price before they made an offer, but then get upset when that same house sold right out from under them.

I am not intending to make this a post about real estate, but I want you to see that maybe it is more than just an industry-specific notion that waiting will somehow work out to your benefit.  Because here I am now working as a professional travel consultant and I see the same exact mentality.  "Let's wait and see if airfare will go down" or "let's wait and see if that cruise offers some steep last minute discounts."  That might have been the case several years ago, but the landscape has changed.

Today...we are experiencing a huge uptick in travel across the board.  In fact, this article, "Consumer Travel Attitudes Hit a High Note," shows that more people are traveling now due to several positive factors.  That means demand is up.  Airplane seats are being filled.  Hotel rooms are being booked.  Cruise lines are selling staterooms further in advance of the actual cruise date.  I already have clients booking vacations into December of this year and hotel rooms have already become scarce at the more popular destinations.

I say all of that to say...if you wait, you might not only pay a higher cost for your trip, but you may also lose out on the place that you wanted to stay.  I have had situations where someone wanted to ponder a little longer and that pondering cost them a few hundred dollars because the cheaper airfare had already sold out.

This is going to take a mentality shift for a lot of you, but here is my advice.  Decide where you want to go.  Determine the dates as quick as you can.  Sit down with yourself, your spouse or your significant other and determine a budget that you can afford for the trip.  Then contact a professional travel planner and give him or her that info and let them do their job.  And when they come back with options, don't think that you have lots of time to ponder and check prices etc.  That price you were quoted may not be there tomorrow.  So listen to your trusted professional.  He or she knows whether the place you are going and the time that you want to go will be something that you can wait on or not.  If it is Hawaii in December...I wouldn't cue the Jeopardy music and think you have plenty of time to decide.

So I am not sure I have an answer to my original question; is this idea of waiting unique to us Americans or is it a world wide trait?  Have you waited to book only to find out that you missed your chance at getting the lowest price?  Maybe you disagree with me.  You comments are always welcome.

Do You Charge Me a Fee?

That is a standard question that travel agents get asked by prospective clients.  I am finding that the majority of today’s travelers do not understand how travel agents get compensated.  So I wanted to write and answer the question, “how doe a travel agent get paid?”

In 99% of the cases where I am working with a client on a particular trip, my services are free to the client (I will explain the 1% in a moment).  The travel “system” as I will call it, has a travel agent’s compensation built in and is invisible to the client.  For example, major hotel chains, cruise lines and even resort destinations such as Disneyland and Walt Disney World offer commission to travel agents as a way of saying “thank you” for bringing clients their way.  The price the consumer pays would be the same whether they used a travel agent or not.  Naturally there are benefits for using a travel agent, but that has already been addressed in previous posts.

So please understand that our compensation is being paid by the suppliers to us (the travel agents) there are no additional fees being tacked on to the consumer’s cost.  

But here is where the exception comes in, the 1% that I mentioned; airlines quit paying commissions to travel agents several years back due to their own economic issues.  So if a client is only interested in booking airfare through a travel agent, the travel agent has to charge a service fee in order to make any income.  Those service fees are discussed ahead of time so there are no surprises.  I personally charge a small fee unless the client has booked other commissionable items such as a hotel, rental car, cruise etc, in which case I waive my fee.

But please understand this one last point.  Almost every professional travel agent out there works off of commission only.  We do not get paid salaries.  So if you go to a travel agent for help with learning about a destination or a cruise and so on, and then choose to take that information and book it yourself, that professional just worked for nothing.  Travel agents have bills to pay and families to feed just like every other working person so please consider that before taking their professional advice and info and then rushing out to book something on your own because you think you can get a better deal.

I hope this answers the question.  Please feel free to ask other questions or offer a comment or opinion.

Following the Dream (Conclusion)

So there I sat in the office of my local travel agent hearing options for various vacation ideas before finally settling on the idea of taking our first Caribbean cruise. We were excited. We had never been on a cruise before and the more I researched the ship and its itinerary, the more I watched the clock hoping time would go by quicker and quicker.

But something else was happening as we planned for this trip. The light bulb of destiny started to shine a little brighter. It was becoming clear again that I was doing most of the research. I may not have mentioned this, but one of the reasons I also chose to get into real estate was that we had a bad experience when we bought our first home and we were not informed or educated about the process of home buying by our Realtor. The Realtor we used back so many years ago was more interested in getting her commission than she was helping us through the process. I sensed that and I knew that I could be different and make sure clients never had to feel the way we felt. Well...the same sort of thing was happening with our first experience with a travel agent. She got the booking and we were left feeling somewhat on our own. I had to initiate all contact even though she knew quite well that we had never taken a cruise before in our life. I knew things could be different.

Then an event happened that I will never forget as long as I live. One sunny summer day, a friend and myself were enjoying a visit. He and I were discussing our jobs versus our career dreams. We both had good jobs, myself still in real estate and he was an insurance claims processor. We were making good livings but we both realized that they were simply jobs to us now. They were not what we dreamed of doing. So he simply asked me the question..."what is your dream career?" Without hesitation I said..."travel agent." I had never said that out loud before. But then I said what I had always felt..."but I don't think I could make a living at it." Well...to make a long story short, he questioned me on why I felt that way and talked about my travels and where I was raised and my experiences helping others with their trip plans and he could tell that there was some passion in my voice. I also listened to myself and how I was answering. I never said nor would I say today that I got into the travel business because I like to go on vacation just like I never said that I got into real estate because "I like looking at new homes" which some new real estate agents unfortunately had vocalized.

Traveling and the desire to learn about people and cultures and the desire to help people achieve their vacation goals all combined in my answer to why I had always wanted to get into the travel field. So that day, that afternoon even, I went home and started a search into what it would take to get involved in the travel industry. I researched...I studied...I trained...and here I am today. Now I am at the point that clients trust my experiences and knowledge which in turn makes me referable to their friends and family. I continue to achieve the necessary certifications that distinguish me from those who simply like to go on vacation and then tell others that they are "travel professionals." I am following the dream that I had so many years ago. I now feel that I am on my path and my career is no longer just another job. I feel it was what I was meant to do all these years, but had been afraid to try. I am now on my path and my wife and I travel as frequently as we can so I can continue to gain first hand knowledge of various destinations and experiences which better equips me to serve my clients.

So I am thankful for that friend who challenged my thinking and encouraged me to follow my dream and I encourage all of you to do the same.

Following the Dream (Part 3)

So if you have read parts 1 and 2, you are probably trying to now make the connection between going into real estate and following my destiny into the realm of travel. Life is like a big puzzle and the full picture never really appears until more and more pieces are connected. So follow along now as I reveal more of my puzzle.

I decided on real estate because I felt I was a good fit. I had a marketing and sales background coming out of college. I studied buyer behavior as well as developed skills in customer service throughout my corporate career. I also knew real estate would provide a great chance for me to learn the ropes of entrepreneurship and self-employment. I knew that, to succeed as a business owner, you had to commit 100% of your time which is why I knew I needed to quit my full-time corporate job and jump all the way into the pool...so to speak.

So fast forward again with me...I am now in real estate. I have a good client base being built up. I am focusing on service which is also making me referable. Things are going well, so well that my wife and I start to plan a future as a mom and dad. Without going into a long history...we were childless due to medical complications associated with a brain tumor that my wife had survived right before we got married. We always knew that someday we may consider adoption so my new career was also going to be a good fit with being an adoptive parent since I could be home each day. So we started the process that one must go through to adopt through private agencies. Life was just moving along down the path that we thought we were going to be staying on for a while.

But then it happens. Life throws you a curve just to see how you can handle change and adversity. No one can really prepare you to hear those words spoken to the one you love. But there my wife and I were in the Dr’s office as he was letting my wife know in the most gentle way he knew how...she had cancer. (to be continued)

Following the Dream (Part 2)

As I continued down my road (not knowing or seeing yet how it would all someday be part of destiny), I found myself one day accepting a position at a company in rural Tennessee. Little did I realize that this job would mark the beginning step into my career in travel. Also little did I know that this new job would soon send me to the very place I dreamt about as a child...Japan. My first view out of the window of that jumbo jet was the rice fields and tiled roofs of the houses and farms surrounding Tokyo’s international airport. It made me acutely aware that I was now a foreigner in a strange Country and I had become the traveler I had wondered about so often as a child.

Those many trips overseas taught me a great deal about people, culture and life, but I was also learning the intricacies of how to travel abroad.

It is funny how the pieces of life seem to all start coming together. While I had begun to stress over the amount of time I was spending away from home, away from my wife during all of my business related trips, I was slowly looking inward to find out what I truly wanted to do and what gave me true fulfillment when it came to my career and work.

I knew I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. I learned that working hard in the corporate world did nothing to truly give you true peace and security. So I had made my decision to seek some form of self-employment where I felt more in control and where I could work while still spending more time at home.

So off I jumped...pulled my chute and trusted I would succeed in the world of...real estate. (to be continued)