Happy New Year to you!
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, do you stick with them? The last couple of years I have started saying New Year’s intentions, as I always intend to stick with them and meet my goals. This year I hope we all stick with our intentions.
My intentions this year for the blog is do a much better job in writing regularly, providing you with great travel information and tips.
In 2013 we are going to travel the world together. Between the blog and Facebook. I will work to offer you helpful travel tips, hot new destinations, inspire you to travel and give you something new to think about when planning your next vacation.
Before we take off, I’d like to ask you if you use a travel professional when planning your vacations? Do you prefer to book your own travel online? I would like to give you some food for thought that you can use before you plan your next vacation.
Travel consultants seem to be making a comeback and I love to hear that news. Travel planning online has become difficult and the complexity of travel sites is becoming very frustrating. You can spend hours searching online and still not have your trip planned or better yet….booked.
Many online travel sites are making it more difficult to navigate their sites and decipher the information. It can be very hard to understand their fees and you don’t see them until you click on book now and get to the final screen to finalize your travel. Do you even see the fees you are being charged? Are you sure that what you have booked is really what you will be getting? Is your hotel in a safe area of the city? If you are booking day tours, do you know anything about the companies providing the tour?
What if you were to suffer an emergency while traveling or a natural disaster, do you have a professional you can call and work with to get you home?
In choosing a Travel consultant, there are some guidelines you will want to follow in finding someone you can work with. You will want to find a professional that offers great service, someone who is knowledgeable and willing to work to plan YOUR vacation, not one that is easy and doesn’t fit with your requirements.
When talking to a consultant, you may want to ask:
- What is their fee schedule? Be prepared, travel consultants do charge fees, although very reasonable, they are professionals and with the airlines no longer paying a commission, fees have become necessary. Just as you would pay an attorney, your hair dresser or any other professional service provider, you will have a fee with a travel consultant.
- Ask the consultant if they are comfortable working through e-mail if your time is limited and you aren’t able to meet with them or talk over the phone?
- Is the consultant open to to suggestions from you? Are they willing to take any research you have done on the trip?
- Do they belong to any type of a professional travel association?
Ask friend, family or colleagues for a referral. If you aren’t comfortable after the first initial consultation or e-mail conversations, don’t hesitate in moving on to someone else. You need to have someone that is going to work with you.
As a client you need to be open with the consultant and give them the information that you have found online, any pricing you have found and any other information about yourself and how you like to travel. With that information it really does help us learn about you and how you like to travel.
Check back on Friday, I will post information on Passports, Passport renewal tips and health related shots that may be needed depending on where you are going.
Monday, we will take off, heading for our first destination.
I would love to have you join me on Facebook. Jump on over to www.facebook.com/travelconceptsbyterri , “like” us and introduce yourself. You will enjoy more tips and I would love to have you interact, comment and ask travel related questions.