In this era of do-it-yourself trip planning, should you even consider working with a Travel Advisor? The answer: a resounding yes! More and more travellers are returning to advisors and discovering firsthand how they benefit and there are many compelling reasons why we are seeing this trend!
Travel Advisors make travel less stressful
- When booking a vacation, family getaway or honeymoon, the last thing a traveller should have to do is worry so much that the planning stress potentially takes away from the joy the trip is supposed to bring them.
- I remember years ago, I found what seemed like such an amazing flight price online - on a random website I hadn’t heard of - but hey - the price was great and I was on a budget…all seemed fine and dandy until I realized I made a mistake on the date and needed to make a change and realized it was a third party website and it caused me hours of stress trying to deal with it. Had I booked that with a Travel Advisor, they would have been able to step right in and offer me the best options to rectify the mistake.
- I know the wealth of information online may initially seem appealing but there is now so much content that it can often actually be overwhelming. I am sure we can all admit we have intended to just search something online for ten minutes and ended up being consumed for hours!
- Working with a Travel Advisor lets you focus on exactly what you want out of a trip so you can just enjoy the special memories you will create and be confident that your hard earned money is going to best use!
We save you money
- Despite what you may think- it doesn’t necessarily cost more to work with a Travel Advisor. In fact, studies show that we actually save you money more often than not.
- Due to our strong supplier relationships we have access to special pricing and promotions often not found online. Furthermore, our agency is a member of the world’s finest luxury travel network, Virtuoso (click here for more information on our partnership). We can offer clients additional savings including complimentary daily breakfast at partner hotels and other value adds such as room upgrades and dining or spa credits that wouldn’t be available when booking through an online travel company.
We’ll provide personalized attention
- Online travel companies provide a one-size-fits-all service, not taking into account the numerous variables that are in play. Travel Advisors tailor their service to each of their clients’ individual needs. Have concerns? We’ll talk you through them. Need a hotel that can cater to your allergies? We can speak to hotel managers to make sure it’s taken care of.
- People are desperate for a real human connection these days as we all face technology overload. Travelling is such an important part of life, why would you waste your valuable time searching online when you could work with a dedicated, experienced advisor who is eager to please and find the perfect trip for you. Or if you are someone who loves to do your own research- that’s all fine; share with us what you are finding and liking so far and we can give honest feedback and advice because it’s likely within our networks we know about it!
- Great advisors spend the time to gain a personal understanding of your interests and insight into specific destinations and segments of travel, like Active Adventure Travel or Honeymoons.
- We listen to your travel interests and wishes for your trip, so we can make recommendations tailored to what you want to do. We can team this with our own experience, product knowledge and utilize our amazing partners worldwide.
We’ll advocate on your behalf
- I imagine most of you have read the various horror stories circulating the web when people have been left in awful situations due to an OTA overbooking, or when a company you book with online goes bust. Working with an established travel agency gives you extra protection.
- In British Columbia travel agencies must have their Consumer Protection license, which ensures our clients are protected by the Travel Assurance Fund which provides a possible source of compensation if you do not receive the travel services purchased. For example, in the unfortunate scenario where the service provider booked goes out of business, we can help recoup your costs. And of course, there are times when things still go wrong but at least if you booked the trip through an advisor they go to bat for you to save hours of your time and energy trying to obtain compensation or fix the situation.
We're there 24/7
- Working with a high-touch boutique service agency like ours, you have access to direct lines and emails of real advisors- and we offer a back up service 365/24/7 in case of emergency after hours whilst you are travelling.
- We are there with you throughout the booking process and follow up afterward. On the other hand, contacting an OTA’s customer service department often means wading through a chain of people. I am sure we have all heard someone in our network complain about the hours they spent on hold and trying to get real answers from one of the OTA’s customer service departments.
If you are looking to start working with a Travel Advisor then send us a message through our website or give us a call at 604-736-7447! We look forward to taking care of all your travel needs.