Council Travel: Made for Students
Jan 14 '00
When I traveled abroad my junior year in high school, I had no idea where to begin or what to look for. So I spent a lot of money to fly to London, spent a lot of money while I was in Europe, and spent a lot of money changing my flight home. Now I know better.
A first time travel experience can be frustrating and overwhelming. For many students, their semester abroad is the first time they have left the United States...at least without parents or chaperones.
So where do you begin?
I used to be a travel agent, so listen.
Whether you are going to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, or one of those places that no one knows how to spell, a good place to begin is Council Travel. Council is a not-for-profit discount travel agency for students (and others). Through them, you can get flights, car rentals, rail passes, coach tours, and a myriad of other great travel products at discount prices.
Here's how it works. First you get the International Student Identity Card (ISIC). The ISIC costs $20, and will pay for itself almost immediately. THIS IS NOT A MEMBERSHIP. THIS IS NOT A DISCOUNT CARD. It a form of ID, proving that you are either a certified student. You can find out more the first time you talk to a travel agent.
These cards establish two things. One is that they are internationally recognized forms of ID. The man at the ticket window at the train station in Slovenia is not going to recognize your college ID card. He will, however, recognize the ISIC and apply appropriate student discounts
Once you have one of these cards, the savings begin. Council Travel's offices are located all over the country, but of there isn't one near you call the national reservation center in Boston at 1-800-2-COUNCIL. The hold may be a while, but it will be worth it when you start getting prices.
As you should when contacting any travel agent, use the hold time to collect your information. Know the dates, or at least the approximate dates you want to leave and return. Be flexible. The more flexible you can be, the better the deal you'll get.
The travel agent will look for the best fare for your trip. If you have frequent flyer miles on a particular airline, mention this to the agent, but don't restrict yourself to that airline. Your agent may present you with options. For instance, flights with plane changes are often less expensive than non-stop flights.
Be nice to your travel agent. The nicer you are to them, the more willing they will be to spend more time getting you what you want. This applies to anyone you need help from, especially if they sound upset to begin with.
Council will be looking for two things. Special discount fares that they have, and especially low airline fares. Here's the big difference: Council's discount fares will have a longer no-obligation hold and will be less restrictive than airline fares.
Let me explain. Airline fares, cheap or not, will usually only stay in the reservation system for 24 hours without being paid for. Council's special fares can be held for up to a week, depending on the circumstances. Airline fares may also charge high date change fees if your stay needs to be lengthened or cut short. Council's date change fee is almost universally $25.
If your trip is 3 months or more, I can almost guarantee that Council's prices are better than airline prices. But either way, your travel agent is doing to work for you.
Council also sells Eurail passes and Europasses or rail travel in Europe. These are fantastic money saving tickets. If you are doing some international travel during your stay in Europe, look into rail passes carefully. Your travel agent can explain how they work (usually better than a rail pass brochure can.)
If it's a tour your interested in, Council can set you up with coach tours or adventure tour all over the world. Just tell them what you're interested in, and your travel agent will help you.
One more thing about your travel agent. You may have noticed that whatever the question is or whatever information you need "your travel agent will help you." When you call the reservation center, don't monopolize your agent's time. If you're looking for information about an African safari and a rainforest trek, it is better to get information by mail. Don't make them do all the work. After all, it's your travel.
One last important service that Council offers has to do with its partnership with other travel agencies all over the world. Council is affiliated in most countries with a similar youth/student travel organization. In most cases, if you need help changing your ticket or booking flights during your travel, one of these offices can help.
For more information about rates and destinations, take a look at the Council Travel web site at www.counciltravel.com.
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Member: Rob Wagner
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