Travel Agent Facts & Myths

It might be tempting to jump onto one of the many travel sites, read a few reviews, and take the plunge, but Perry says that not only do those online sources not paint the complete picture, but they also miss out on one of the most important aspects of planning a trip: you. "I spend time getting to know my clients, and I spend time getting to know the world," says Perry. "By doing so, I can create an experience that matches each person to the best destination, resort, and adventure. That can't happen online." Armed with your trip goals, budget, and objectives, a travel agent can target your ideal vacation destinations with likely half the stress and half the time as non-professionals.

Cost savings are a big part of planning a vacation, and we're willing to take them wherever we can get them. It's tempting to save yourself on the upfront fee of a travel agent or advisor and go the road alone, but one thing we all know is that time is money. "I tell my clients from the beginning that the return of the investment that they pay to hire me will far exceed its value," says Perry. "Time is such a valuable commodity, and the time alone that a traveler can save by trusting their plans to an expert travel advisor is worth every dollar."
They'll undoubtedly save your eyes from hours spent scouring the web for the best resorts, flights, car rentals, and more. Still, on a more exciting note, an experienced travel agent also has the expertise to hook you up with your dream vacation scenario. "Travel agents are well-connected within the travel and tourism industry, and often they are travelers themselves," says Twidale. "Because of this, they know ways to save, hidden local gems, and other things that can really make a trip memorable."

Suppose you've tried to plan a multi-generational vacation or even a trip with numerous adult family members. In that case, you might be more than happy to pass the torch to a trained professional. Navigating tricky family dynamics is not for the faint of heart and, better yet, typically not best suited for someone personally involved in these sometimes complicated familial relationships—particularly if you're an in-law. Twidale says this is a time when a travel agent can "referee" the situation, making sure to hear all voices so the end result is a vacation that everyone enjoys.
Her number one recommendation for large family trips? "Cruising is actually an excellent option when traveling with a big family. There are a variety of activities, both on and off the boat, that will appeal to a range of ages and tastes."

Even if you use a professional planner, things sometimes go wrong on trips. It's inevitable. The benefit of having someone in your corner to squash the chaos might be the difference between a vacation that is a wash and one that only experiences a minor hiccup.

"This is really where a travel agent shines. They can contact the airline or hotel on your behalf and act as your advocate to get things back on track," says Twidale. "Since they deal with these kinds of issues regularly, they can quickly get things resolved without you having to get involved."

Whether it's a lost reservation, a misplaced passport, or even something as minor as needing a 24-hour pharmacy, an agent will be on the ball, so you don't have to be. "When you are on vacation, you should be vacationing, playing, relaxing. You should not be problem-solving! Leave that to the expert that you hired to assist you!" says Perry.

Now more than ever, traveling differs from what it used to be. It's complicated, and restrictions vary from one country (and even state) to the next. Travel agents should be current on all of these variances, ensuring you're more than prepared for your destination. "Life across the globe is different than it was three years ago, and we have made it our priority to become familiar with these challenges and changes so that we can always provide the best advice and assistance to our clients," says Perry.

When you think the trip couldn't get any better, your travel agent might have other ideas. "Travel advisors also have connections and relationships all around the globe that give us opportunities to provide clients with experiences that they might not be able to have, had they booked their vacation elsewhere. Sometimes that can be better pricing, and sometimes it may be the upgrade from a parking lot view to an oceanfront view with a bottle of champagne!" says Perry. "There's nothing better than providing my clients with fun surprises along the travel journey!" This benefit isn't to say that every travel planner will go above and beyond, but it might inspire you to ask for a few surprises along the way when they set about creating your itinerary.

Sure, you can book a trip yourself, but it may not be the same trip that you'd get through a travel agent.



"If they book it themselves, they're just a credit card number" to a travel supplier, says Anne Morgan Scully, president of McCabe World Travel, a Virtuoso agency in McLean, Va. "I make a point of knowing the general manager of the hotel where they might be staying and I usually call the GM the night before one of my clients arrives and see if they might be upgraded. If they book with a good agent, they're known on arrival."

"You could be correct," Scully demurs, "But it's not what you pay walking in the door, it's what you pay when you leave."



She's referring to the upgrades that a good agent can get for a client, upgrades based on a relationship with a hotel, a cruise line or a tour operator. Agents who send clients to the same properties get to know the staff. The hotels and cruise lines, for example, want repeat business, and might reward the agent's clients with perks like a room or cabin upgrade or a bottle of champagne. It could be complimentary breakfast during a stay or even a spa credit. These are much more than niceties. The value can add up quickly when the hotel in question is charging $25 or much more per person for breakfast or hundreds of dollars more per night for a larger room category. Scully says that even if a client finds a good price at hotel, she can often make a call and get a perk or two thrown in to sweeten the deal.

Not true, says Scully, who says that "we wouldn't keep our clients if we did that."

Instead, she plays what she calls "The Match Game," developing a relationship with a client and learning what their tastes are.

"I could be getting a huge commission from some cruise line but if the client isn't a fit, it doesn't make sense," she says. "It's all about finding the perfect match."

Some certainly do. Travel agents get paid on commission by hotels, airlines and resorts, but many more are charging fees on top of that because of their time. Putting together an itinerary, particularly one involving a complicated trip, like a safari, or booking multiple tickets and transfers for an extended family vacation, is a lot of work. Charging a fee is a bit of insurance for all of the time and effort put into creating an itinerary in the event that a client ends up canceling.



"You could spend three weeks creating an itinerary and then a client could take it and shop it around for the lowest price," says Haraty. "When I plan a trip to Africa, it could be 100 e-mails back and forth, multiple phone calls, and two months before its finalized."



That said, everyone handles fees differently. Some agencies charge fees up front and then drop the fees when the client actually books.



"There's a movement among agencies that you should be charging refundable fees," says Haraty. "You'll see more agencies charging, say, $150 to $300 to put a trip together but then you get that back when you actually book with them."

"Absolutely not," says Scully. "It's like picking a lawyer, doctor or dentist. They need to be right for you and certified by the right organizations. I think people have to realize we are counselors and concierges and lifestyle planners. People should choose a travel planner the way they choose a financial planner."

Scully herself is a Certified Travel Counselor and has a Certified Travel Industry Executive Program certificate from The Travel Institute. Certification aside, the best agents today are specialists who have drilled down to know everything possible about cruises, all-inclusive resorts or Southeast Asia. Haraty's specialties are Africa, romantic trips and diving, and they sometimes end up combining in unexpected ways.

"Many of my clients are adding diving trips to their African honeymoons," he says. 'You'd be surprised just how many honeymoon brides want to cage dive with great white sharks off Cape Town."