Your Friendly Corner Website? Random Thoughts on Travel Planning
Apr 09 '02
The Bottom Line Be sure to make advance arrangements if you don't want to find yourself in a horror story of a hotel. Advance planning is essential.
There are many travelers for whom the spirit of adventure calls for making no advance reservations, and no pre-planning. While I agree that over-planning can sometimes stifle the joy out of a trip, no planning at all may ruin your vacation. I trust that most of the readers of this site tend toward the planning end of things, or why would you be here now?
Travel Agents
The key to a successful trip is often having a good travel agent to plan everything for you, if you don't have the knowledge, time, or the inclination to do so. Be aware that many travel agents these days are working under intense pressure to drive up their revenue in light of falling commissions from airlines and hotels. Most airline ticket commissions have been capped at about $50.00 to $150..00. Where, you ask, is your friendly corner travel agent going to replace this lost revenue? From your wallet of course! They are not to be blamed for trying to survive, swimming in the deep currents of internet-based travel search engines and the like. These days, you may easily be asked to pay a fee for the services of a travel agent. If you are going to do this, your travel agent should be selected carefully.
Many average agents know little about particular hotels, especially in exotic destinations, and will simply reach for the big fat Hotel and Travel Index, the bible of the industry. This book offers a comprehensive listing, but is hardly useful for insight beyond advertising. There are many excellent agents out there. Your job is to find one who will have the time to listen to your needs and requests.
I have found that most of my own trip planning can be done without a travel agent. I had used one agent for years, but essentially made my own arrangements and allowed him to do the booking for me. Now, I just do everything myself. In the long run, it is much easier for me.
The Future of Travel Agencies
The travel agency as we know it may well be a thing of the past in the very near future. Certainly, there will continue to be large agencies whose specialty is large corporate bookings, and there will be small agencies catering to a luxury or adventure travel clientele. The salient point here is that the consumer will be expected to pay more and more for these services in the future. Is the average consumer willing to pay for something that he or she can just as easily book on the web or over the telephone? My guess is that the average consumer won't pay these fees. What may be lost, however, is the genuine knowledge of a good agent.
The Cardinal Rule
When dealing with one of the many on-line services, you are not offered the opportunity to bargain, with the exception of Priceline, which has its own serious pitfalls. In general, you will be presented with a series of fares, often a bewildering array of different options...It will take time to sift through these. Do it anyway, but don't forget to call the airline or hotel directly.
While many hotels and airlines place their best fares on the internet (or tell you they do, they are sometimes obligated to offer them over the telephone, but only when challenged. This may not always work, but remember that you have nothing to lose in the asking!
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Member: Thomas Barnes
Location: Fort Lauderdale & Washington, DC
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With Barbara in Miami, 2004
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