Fired Airline Ticket Agent Reveals Airline Secrets (3 page)
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Authors: Nicholas Depinto
What special services do travel agencies offer?
As the industry grows more competitive, travel agencies increase the quality and type of services they offer. Agents can arrange all types of domestic and international travel, from hotel and resort accommodations to air and ground transportation, including car rental needs and tour packages. They can provide assistance with insurance protection, passport and visa applications, inoculation procedures and other foreign travel requirements. Many have toll-free phone numbers and offer meeting planning and incentive travel services. Some agents maintain automated individual profiles that include the client's frequent flyer number, airline seating preference, smoking or non-smoking designation and other specifications for a custom-designed trip. Boarding passes are often issued in advance as an added convenience. Arrangements can also be tailored to suit business and vacation objectives, personal interests and budget concerns. Although most provide a wide range of services, some agencies may specialize in areas such as family travel, group travel, adventure travel, eco-tourism, the mature market, incentive travel, or travel for the disabled.
How do I know if my travel agent is consumer-conscious?
Membership in ASTA is a sign of consumer awareness. The Society works on behalf of its members to support pro-consumer issues. In addition to lobbying for consumer protection on issues like airline bankruptcy and travel safety, ASTA has an active Consumer Affairs Department that monitors travelers' problems and helps to find solutions. The Society works closely with other travel organizations to continually upgrade service and technology to better serve the traveling public.
How do I know if my travel agent is well trained?
Ask about your agent's professional background. Many have been trained in business management, travel and tourism or geography. Others have supplemented their agency experience with extensive education and training courses, such as ASTA's Travel Management Academy, one of the most intensive programs in the industry. Some travel agents are Certified Travel Counselors (CTC), having completed an educational program with the Institute of Certified Travel Agents.
Who uses travel agents?
Travel agents are the leading distributors of travel products and services. Agents book 80 percent of all air travel, 30 percent of all hotel reservations and 95 percent of all cruise reservations. Agents are the only unbiased professionals who can sort through nearly 100,000 daily changes in airfares alone. Experience, constant industry interaction and computer reservations systems make travel agents the only source savvy enough to engineer a relaxing trip out of the fluctuating complexities of travel offerings. If you are planning on using a travel agent, here are some benefits:
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Save Money!
Strong working relationships with travel suppliers and the latest in computer reservations technology enable ASTA agents to access the most up-to-date information on how to get you the best value.
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Traveler Advocates
--Your best interests are the priority. ASTA has a long-standing record of fighting for consumer rights and ASTA travel agents are required to adhere to a stringent Code of Ethics.
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Convenience
--The ASTA membership includes over 18,000 travel agencies across the country, most of which offer one-stop shopping for all travel arrangements.
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Service
--ASTA travel agents are knowledgeable and active in the industry. The Society provides education, training and resource materials to its members to equip them with the tools to offer the highest quality of service.
Here’s an Open Letter to Travel Editors from Joseph A. Watters, President, Crystal Cruises
Dear Travel Editor,
Why should I use a travel agent? As a veteran travel executive, that's a question I'm often asked. Today, with the overwhelming number of sources for travel information (the Internet, cable television, newspapers, magazines, guidebooks, etc.), it's no wonder the consumer is confused. Yet that's precisely why the services of a professional travel consultant are more valuable than ever.
In January, the television news magazine,
20/20
, reported the results of a test in which travel agents beat consumers at uncovering the best airfares. However, it is much more than the "lowest fare" that provides the compelling argument for a good travel agent.
The best thing an agent can do is to match up a traveler with the vacation that's right for them. The professional travel consultant builds relationships with their clients to learn their interests and lifestyles, as well as their dispositions. Below is a list of some of the important services, which are either provided free or for a nominal charge, by travel agents:
1.
Distilling the product information:
Through an on-going and time-consuming process of familiarization, continuing education and customer feedback, the agent becomes a travel expert.
2.
Investigating and supplying competitive information:
No single supplier is going to advise a consumer that a better route or a better fare is available on a competing carrier.
3.
Staying abreast of the most current and timely promotions:
Via daily faxes, agent-only e-mail transmissions, and their relationships with their district sales managers, agents are obtaining the most current promotional information.
4.
Analyzing the current promotions:
The cheapest is not always the best.
5.
Clarifying the fine print, such as cancellation penalties and restrictions:
Again, the benefits of a professional's experience can save travelers money . . . and headaches.
6.
Making recommendations for travel-related options:
Travel agents share the experience and knowledge they accumulate about a variety of travel topics --- from where to eat, where to shop and what to pack.
7.
Simplifying the research and subsequent transaction:
Like a personal shopper, agents can provide one-stop shopping for travelers who require air arrangements, rental cars, cruise accommodations and hotel stays --- with suggestions that are in the best interest of the client, not the supplier.
8.
Enhancing the trip with value-added benefits and amenities:
Agents can add to the clients' experience by sending a bottle of wine, providing a special land package, a specific escort or other customer amenities.
9.
Using their clout to obtain the best possible in seemingly impossible situations:
Whether it's airline seats, hotel rooms or cruise space, the travel agent has more buying power than the consumer.
10.
Getting problems resolved:
The agent serves as the consumers' advocate in the event something inadvertently goes wrong.
The use of outside service providers for many transactions, such as tax preparation, isn't questioned. Similarly, if one is going to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars, as well as a good chunk of valuable leisure time, it makes great sense to use a professional.
Of course, with international travel, you’re required to bring certain things with you before you board a plane. And there are things you won’t be allowed to bring with you. For details, visit the site:
http://www.customs.gov/travel/travel.htm
As one of our greatest freedoms, travel adds knowledge and pleasure to our lives and is a great force for international goodwill and peace. I recommend that to enjoy your journeys to the fullest extent, you have to become an informed traveler. If you’re working with a travel agent, describe your individual wants and needs for the best travel experience possible.
Here are Some General Safety Tips:
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Work with your travel agent to get as much information as possible about the destination, especially if you will be traveling alone.
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If you are unfamiliar with the local language, carry a card or matchbook with the hotel's name and address. You can show them to a cab driver or police officer in the event you get lost. Before leaving the United States, make up several pocket cards with key phrases in the local language. (i.e., "Which way is the airport?" and "Where are the restrooms?")
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If you will be renting a car, get maps in advance and clearly write out the directions from the airport to your hotel. If you need to stop for directions, go to well-lit public areas. Keep the phone numbers of your destinations with you.
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Lock your car doors while driving. Do not pick up strangers or stop for people you don't know. Police cars will have blue and red lights; do not stop for cars flashing their high beams.
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Close and lock your hotel room door at all times. Check sliding glass doors, windows and connecting room doors.
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Don't answer your hotel room door without verifying who it is. If someone claims to be a hotel employee, call the front desk to verify.
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When returning to your hotel at night, use the main entrance. Be observant before entering parking lots.
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Don't carelessly display keys in public areas, such as restaurant tables or swimming pool areas, where they can be stolen.
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Don't draw attention to yourself by displaying large amounts of cash or wearing expensive-looking jewelry.
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Don't invite strangers to your room.
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Put valuables in the hotel safe. Do not leave valuables in your car.
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If you see suspicious activity, contact hotel security.
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Acquaint yourself with the location of stairways, fire escapes, exits and alarms.
Air Travel
Plan to arrive at the airport at least an hour before domestic flights and two hours before international flights. To avoid standing in line, ask your travel agent to include your boarding passes with your ticket when possible. Consider joining an airline's private lounge club, which may offer several amenities that will make your wait more comfortable and/or productive.
Do not leave your luggage unattended or with someone you don't know. Never agree to carry anything on board or in your luggage for someone else. If you see an unattended briefcase, suitcase or package, notify security.
Dress comfortably and inconspicuously; leave flashy jewelry at home. When deplaning, claim your baggage immediately and leave the airport quickly. Beware of drivers in unmarked cars claiming to be cab drivers.
Some materials are prohibited in checked or carry-on luggage, including: mace, tear gas, aerosols containing flammable material, loaded firearms, gunpowder and ammunition, propane, any equipment containing fuel, scuba tanks if pressurized, fireworks, flares, corrosive, radioactive or poisonous material, and infectious substances. Electric wheelchairs may only be transported as checked luggage. (This information is not all-inclusive; check with the airline for more details.)
Documents and Papers
Make several copies of your passport, traveler's checks, credit cards, itinerary, airline tickets and other travel documents. Leave one copy with a relative or friend back home and carry one copy with you. Take most of your money in traveler's checks and record the serial numbers, denominations and date and location of the issuing agency. Remove all unnecessary credit cards from your wallet. Be sure to carry your credit card company's telephone number in case your card is lost or stolen. Always report credit card losses to your credit card company immediately.