Big or Small

I know what you're thinking, size matters, well it sure does! With so many mega cruise ships coming out now, it's interested to read on some of the forums, the people who have been cruising for years, who feel they are getting left out.

One of the best ships I worked on was a small 28,000 tons ship. A small ship yes, compared to 110,000 average size now. But the small ships had such character and looked, well, like a real ship. Now with the new Oasis of the Seas, the 220,000 tons mega city, with 5,400 passengers onboard, it easy to see why the people who love small intimate ships are feeling lost in the crowd!

I know the Oasis is stirring up a lot of talk around the industry and is booking up quite fast for the first few sailings. But I personally feel, well, I'll leave the big city to you guys and take the smaller intimate ships for my fun and friendly cruises thanks.

Ways to make the most of your travel agent

Travel agents aren’t what they were twenty years ago. Back then, a travel agency was literally the only place where one could effectively comparison shop for airfares. Now, with online booking websites, and commission-less airfares, many think travel agents are part of a dying profession. It’s actually quite the opposite.

Twenty years ago, agents sold tickets, earned commissions, dabbled in cruises, car rentals, hotels, and the like. But everyone knew the big money was in plane tickets, and making money to a travel agency basically meant nothing more than getting people in the front door. There was a time when it was the travel agents who held the airline revenue purse strings.

Enter the internet. With most bookings now migrated to the web, and airfares now as easy to buy as a gallon of milk, airlines got wise and reduced agency commissions to zero. Deprived of their main source of revenue, modern travel agents are forced to charge service fees to issue air tickets, car rentals, hotels, and cruises. The fee-based compensation for system arguably works in favor of the consumer. With the passenger, rather than the airline, paying for the agents services, consumers can be assured their travel agent will work as an advocate for them, rather than the airline with the most attractive compensation structure.

Here are a few tips on how to work well with a travel agent;

1. Leave comparison shopping to the internet. If you’re looking for a quick and dirty roundtrip domestic airfare, take what you see online at face value. In most cases, an agent won’t be able to dig up any significant savings, and if they do, it’ll usually disappear by the time they contact you to tell you about it.

2. Speaking of service fees, ask about them up front. Some agents don't add service fees for things like cruises or tour packages. By all means ask if they’re included with the quotes you receive, and don’t complain about the fee. Without them, your agent is working for free. If your trip is long, complex, and detailed, many agents will ask for their fee up front, to avoid doing the research, only to have you book the itinerary directly with the suppliers they recommend. However, if the fee seems excessive, ask the agent for clarification.

3. Ask about consolidator fares. There are several consolidators, which buy seats in bulk from airlines and resell them at often deep discounts. These consolidators often work only through travel agents. If an agent does offer you a consolidator fare, ask for a copy of the consolidators rules and restrictions for the fare; they’re often much more strict than those imposed by the carriers on non-consolidated fares. Many times the change fees are higher, or they can’t be changed at all.

4. Don’t hold an itinerary with multiple agents for the same carrier. Most airlines send agents a message through the reservations system when their reservation has been duplicated by another agent. If you’re not sure you’ve gotten the best service or fare from your agent, be sure to call them and cancel before rebooking elsewhere. It will save confusion for the agent, the airline, and yourself.

5. Doctors charge for a second opinion; so should travel agents. I’ve spoken with passengers who have booked cruises with other agencies or directly with the cruise line, and then called for my opinion on staterooms, shore excursions and so on. Would you expect your doctor to give out medical advice for free, or your lawyer?

6. “Extras” are precisely what they sound like. Travel agents can add them to existing bookings, but don’t visit a travel agent for an English-speaking guide in Vietnam or a private guided tour of the Vatican if you’ve booked the majority of your vacation yourself. Travel agents tie up loose ends on their own packages, not yours.

7. Trust them. Travel agents aren’t perfect, but they do make a living off being an expert in their field. If they recommend an alternative to the hotel you saw at that incredible rate, don't imediately think it's because they want to make more commission. If the hotel you saw is not what the agent feels as suitable for you, there may be a good reason or they know first hand of the condition of the hotel. If the agent books the hotel you requested, against their advice, don't blame them for a bad experience!

8. Never say money isn’t an object, because it is. The worst thing you can do to a travel agent is to not set a budget. Unless you’re independently wealthy, don’t assume you can afford whatever your agent offers – the sky really is the limit when it comes to travel expenses. Give a dollar amount, how negotiable it is, and for what reasons (Would you shorten your vacation for a more luxurious experience within budget, or do you want the full two weeks? Would you consider another more affordable destination, or will you wiggle with your budget a bit to stick with the original plan?) It will save you both a bit of time and awkward price haggling if the budget is set up front.

9. Don’t be afraid to contact the suppliers directly, but only for clarification. Sometimes you just have to hear it from the horse’s mouth. So if you want direct information from a cruise line on how thin their cabin walls are or whether they use hypoallergenic bath soap, it’s sometimes best to get that directly from the source, especially if it's something you need to explain where interpretations could get mixed up, such as describing your medical equipment or specific food allergy.

10. Manage your relationship well. Travel agents cultivate relationships with airlines and other suppliers based on volume and traveler profiles. Listen to an agent’s suggestions – they’ll usually offer a supplier they have a good relationship with first. That way, if anything goes wrong while you’re still new to their agency, they’ll be assured they can most likely get an easy fix. With new customers, agents take a “This client is important to me, and I’m important to you” approach to negotiating with suppliers. With more mature agent/client relationships, the approach is more of a “This customer is important to you”. The more an agent is able to cultivate your relationship with their suppliers, the less they’ll have to use their own to call in waivers and favors if things go awry, and with the state of the industry, suppliers give travel agents less and less wiggle room with waivers, so they’re apt to use them more sparingly.

Bottom Line: A good travel agent works as an extension of the travel supplier, filtering multiple suppliers and offers based on your working relationship and their understanding of your needs. To the travel supplier, they are an advocate for you, the consumer.

Canada and Alsaka cruise travel

I've had a few people ask about some 'interesting' issues in regards to travel in and to Canada. Here's some information from the state website. PLEASE NOTE the last paragraph. If you're planning a cruise or land trip to Alaska, you will go through Canada and these rules apply!

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS Canadian law requires that all persons entering Canada carry both proof of citizenship and proof of identity. A valid U.S. passport, passport card or NEXUS card satisfies these requirements for U.S. citizens. If U.S. citizen travelers to Canada do not have a passport, passport card or approved alternate document such as a NEXUS card, they must show a government-issued photo ID (e.g. Driver’s License) and proof of U.S. citizenship such as a U.S. birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or expired U.S. passport. Children under sixteen need only present proof of U.S. citizenship.

It is very important to note that all Americans traveling to the U.S. by air, including from Canada, must present a valid U.S. passport to enter or re-enter the U.S. Effective June 1, 2009, a similar requirement goes into effect for entry into the U.S. via land and sea borders. All Americans will need to present a U.S. passport, passport card, NEXUS card, Enhanced Drivers License or other Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document in order to enter the U.S. by land or sea. American travelers are urged to obtain WHTI-compliant documents before entering Canada well in advance of their planned travel. For the most recent information on WHTI and WHTI-compliant documents , please see our web site.

Both the U.S. and Canadian governments urge frequent travelers to join the NEXUS trusted traveler program. NEXUS members receive a special travel card that allows expedited border crossings for both private and commercial travelers through both U.S. and Canadian border controls very quickly. The CBP has detailed information about the NEXUS program .

Anyone with a criminal record (including misdemeanors or Driving While Impaired (DWI) charges may be barred from entering Canada and must obtain a special waiver well in advance of any planned travel. To determine whether you may be inadmissible and how to overcome this finding , refer to the Canadian citizenship and immigration web site.
Forfurther information on entry requirements , travelers may contact the Canadian Embassy at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001, tel. (202) 682-1740; or the Canadian consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, San Juan or Seattle.

What do you read

You think it would be easy to keep a blog up right, well, maybe for some. I guess you really need motivation and inspiration, not to mention a lot to talk about! It also helps to know someone is actually reading what you're writing.

How often, come on be honest, how often have you wasted hours reading blogs or flipping from a blog to a forum and chatting on there. I can sadly say, I certainly have and too many times when I should be working but just can't get motivated.

What amazes me is how many bloggers seem to spend hours writing and reading other peoples blogs and that some can actually make it a profession!
So what am I rambling on about you ask. Well, I just wonder, what are you reading? What draws you to a blog, what makes you return to it and what is it that you like on a blog? Do you want to read day to day life stuff, how I had a bad nights sleep! Do you want to read what we are doing, for instance, what new cruises we have coming up. Or would you like to read travel news, maybe industry information you wouldn't read in the news?

I'd like to see how many people are reading this blog, I hope it's not an embarrassing tiny number of people.
So hello out there, what do you like to read?

Booking on your own

These are just some funny situations I thought you may like to read.
There was a discussion on a travel forum on the reasons why people use travel consultants for their travel plans. Of course the obvious answer is because it saves you time and most of the time, money.
Many people, especially the young, computer savvy, feel they can just as easily do it themselves. Sure if you have the time to spend looking at literally thousands of sites and options.
One thing an agent can do, is find the necessary information a lot faster and knows the reputable suppliers to deal with. They also have an agent community to get suggestions and tips from other agents personal travels and their clients experiences.
MYTH:
Some people are under the impression that booking through a travel consultant for something they can easily book themselves, say a flight and hotel, will be cheaper booking direct because of the agents commission. Not true. The price will be exactly the same whether you buy direct or with an agent as the supplier gives the agents commission (as slim and dwindling as that may be now) out of the same fare price. The agent though, can often find discounts that you may not be aware of.

Saying that, here are some quite amusing stories I read from other agents, of people who thought they had the answers and refused help.
This first one was helping a family member, so she was a little cheeky to him, but in a loving way I'm sure.
I am booking my nephew's honeymoon in Greece- so he tells me he found airfare for $500.00 per person with taxes! I'm not sure what he found or where he went to find this fare. So I check all airfare websites like cheapoair and cheapticket etc-still not seeing anything close to his fare-now being the wise guy he is-his comment to me (his aunt) is "well I guess I should book my own airfare because I found it $500 cheaper then you-maybe I should be a travel agent!" Wanting to be sure, I tell him to send me the flights he has found, I'll admit, I had a little giggle to myself. I sent him back an email and said "Mr travel agent I hope you have fun in Athens GEORGIA!!!"
He had the wrong city code! and that's one of those reasons why you need a travel agent!!

The next one is from another agent who mentioned similar situations happening before, but no one went as far as this man did. I think his bride may have taken over here.
I also have a relative that felt it wasn't worth me helping and just wanted to save some money. He not only booked himself to Rochester, New York instead of Rochester, Minnesota, but he actually FLEW there! It was only when he landed and asked how to get to the Mayo Clinic that he was told he's in the wrong place. He ended up driving to New York and trying again.