Why Use a Travel Professional?

 

Compare the services your travel professional provides against any other means of buying travel. It’s no competition.

 

• The best value for your travel dollar. We inform you about all your choices, let you know about special promotions, and can advise on the quality of a particular product.

• Maximum choice. We give you a wide variety of travel options and quotes from competing suppliers.

• Convenient one-stop shopping. We’ll save you time and money by handling every aspect of your trip, from air tickets to your car rental, and from lodging to activities.

• Customer advocate. Experience problems during your trip? We can act on your behalf to see that restitution is made.

• Expert guidance. We’re experts in understanding and deciphering the intricacies of the system and in helping you take full advantage of them.

• Personalized service. We’re not some impersonal voice thousands of miles away. We’re your neighbor. We know you and what you value in your travel experience.

• Professional advice. Our job is to make sure you get where you need to go, at the best price, and in the most pleasant way possible.

• Time savings. We have all the information at our fingertips and can pull up all your travel options within seconds.

• Trust. We’re not some anonymous website or long distance number. We’re a local business. You know how to reach us when you need us.

• Unbiased information. We work for you, not the travel supplier. Our only objective is to get you the best value and satisfy you completely. That way you’ll come back and see us again.

 

From the ASTA Website:

 

How do you find a good travel consultant?
Choose one like you would a doctor or lawyer. Get advice from friends and relatives who use an agent they trust.

Since travel choices are personal decisions that reflect individual desires and lifestyles, you will want to visit or call several
agencies to find the one that best suits your needs. Consider everything from the appearance of the office to the agent's willingness to listen and answer questions. The best agents want to establish a long-term relationship with a client, not just make one sale.

 

What special  services do travel consultants offer?

As the industry grows more competitive, travel consultants increase the quality and type of services they offer. Consultants can arrange all types of domestic and international travel, from hotel and resort accommodations to air and ground transportation, including car rental needs and tour packages. They can provide assistance with insurance protection, passport and visa applications, inoculation procedures and other foreign travel requirements. Many have toll-free phone numbers and offer meeting planning and incentive travel services.

Some consultants maintain automated individual profiles that include the client's frequent flyer number, airline seating preference, smoking or non-smoking designation and other specifications for a custom-designed trip.

Arrangements can also be tailored to suit business and vacation objectives, personal interests and budget concerns. Although most provide a wide range of services, some agencies may specialize in areas such as family travel, group travel, adventure travel, ecotourism, the mature market, incentive travel or travel for the disabled.

 

How do I know if my travel consultant is well-trained?
Ask about your agent's professional background. Many have been trained in business management, travel and tourism or geography. Others have supplemented their agency experience with extensive education and training courses.

 

Who uses travel consultants?
Travel consultants are the leading distributors of travel products and services. Consultants book 75% of all air travel, 30% of all hotel reservations and 95% of all cruise reservations.

Consultants are the only unbiased professionals who can sort through nearly 100,000 daily changes in airfares alone. 

Experience, constant industry interaction and computer reservations systems make travel consultants the only source savvy enough to engineer a relaxing trip out of the fluctuating complexities of travel offerings. So, save yourself time, money and frustration.