- CUSTOMER ADVOCACY:
The travel agents are there to act on your behalf
to see that restitution is made if you have a problem
with a particular part of your travel experience.
ASTA, for example, is the only travel association
aggressively fighting to improve the travel experience,
and air transportation in particular, for all consumers,
not just those with access to the Internet.
- EXPERT GUIDANCE:
Travel agents, unlike instructions on a Web page,
are experts in understanding and deciphering the myriad
of travel information and codes out there. It's what
they've been trained to do and they do it every day.
They provide convenient one-stop shopping.
- PERSONALIZED SERVICE:
Travel agents are your neighbors, not the impersonal
voice thousand of miles away. They know what you want
and what you value in your travel experience. They
have a vested interest in making sure you have the
best travel experience possible.
- PROFESSIONAL ADVICE:
Travel agents are there to make sure you get where
you want to go, when you want to go and for the best
price. They have intimate knowledge of the destinations
they sell and are able to select the most appropriate
travel arrangements to meet their clients needs.
- TIME SAVING:
Instead of checking a long list of travel Web pages,
which only provide rates and fares for the companies
that have contracted with them, why not go straight
to the source? A travel agent has all the information
at their fingertips, saving you a few hours in front
of a computer screen.
- UNBIASED INFORMATION:
Travel agents work for their clients (you-the consumer),
not for a travel supplier. It makes sense that a happy
customer will be a repeat customer.
- BEST DEALS:
Travel agents are out to find the consumer the best
rate available. Agents are there to save you money
as well as time.
Carole
says: the
best deal isn't always the cheapest one.
For example, if you go online to get tickets to fly
from Cairns to Brisbane, you might end up with a flight
that takes 6 hours and 4 stops to get there: Departing
Cairns 1:05 p.m., stopping in Townsville, etc., and
finally arriving Brisbane 7:10 p.m. Unless you fancy
seeing lots of airports, this is not a good use of
your vacation time when you could be enjoying Queensland's
beaches and rainforests. For a few dollars more, you
can fly non-stop from Cairns to Brisbane.
