Why Use a Travel Agent?

What is the benefit of using a travel agent? (2023 Update)

That is the question everyone asks.  Years ago, having planned a few Disney trips myself, I asked it too.  I had planned two trips for our family, using the Disney web site, organized my days, figured out my dining, called Disney's reservations, scoured the web sites to find out about tips, discount codes, crowds, the works.  But when my husband and I were discussing our next trip, I was pretty busy at work, with Girl Scouts, and with my daughter's sports and activities. I didn't have a lot of time to dig around and wait on hold for dining reservations.  So I decided to use a travel agent.


So EASY! 

I filled out a form online with information about our travel dates and preferences, and when the agent contacted me, we chatted more about what we expected from our vacation, what we liked and didn't like to do, and how this was a special birthday trip.  She priced out the trip for me, and offered me an alternative plan as well.  She was the one who waited on hold to make my dining reservations, book the tour we wanted to do,   When free dining came out, she let me know about it, and how it would effect our trip. When I got a special discount code in the mail, I sent it to her and she figured out which was the better deal for me - free dining or discount code.  It was so easy - it was then that I understood the true value of using a travel agent.

When we planned our next trip, I contacted her right away.  Let her know the  time frame for our trip and away we went! When I asked about military pricing for friends, she was able to give me all the details. When we discussed special things to do (anniversary trip) she gave me a few options that would fit our likes.  We booked the Wild Africa Trek and loved doing it.

So, what's the benefit of using a travel agent?

• Saving you time
• Finding tips you may not have otherwise known
• Letting someone else make those early morning phone calls or long hold times for hard to get reservations
• Enjoying a vacation planned with your likes, preferences, travel style all in mind without having to do it all yourself, but knowing that you have total control over the entire process
• Having someone monitor changes and new programs released after your trip is confirmed
• Having an "in" to industry news -- I receive emails daily with programs, special activities, discounts, etc, being released in the travel industry. 

I'm skipping forward now to March of 2020. You know what I'm talking about.  The world slowly shut down as country after country showed high case numbers of the contagious COVID-20.  I had been a travel agent for about six years by this time.  I had people who had just returned from vacation as airlines shut down, I had people traveling in Mexico and the Caribbean AS airlines were halting flights, I had people with wedding planned, huge multi generation vacations to Disney and Europe and more. The rug was pulled out from everyone.

The travel industry, myself included, spent countless hours working (for free!) helping people re-route their trips, find places to stay if they couldn't leave their destination, shift vacations that had taken months to plan and now needed to be re-planned. We, as an industry, took calls at all hours depending on our clients' time zones. We spent hours and hours on hold with airlines and supplies, we negotiated with travel insurance companies to ensure that our clients' funds were not lost.  Did I mention that much of this was free? why? because before 2020, many agencies did not charge a planning fee, and only got paid after the client traveled.  So we doubled our time working to plan, cancel, and re-plan a vacation -- only to have it cancelled again as the pandemic wore on.  People who didn't use a travel agent? You guessed it - they spend all that time themselves, usually with great frustration of not having any inside contacts or resources, and many people lost money in the process. 

I hope you'll consider using my services as a travel agent - I will enjoy getting to know you and your family, and you will have the confidence of knowing that your trip will be focused on you and having as much fun and relaxation time as you like.I have worked with VacationKids.com since 2014 - we are looking to add a new URL to our brand reminding people that we can plan any sort of vacation - family, couples, adult friends, multi generational, class reunions - the works!