For those of you who are clicking on this post because you think I quit my job as a flight attendant HA – that was my Halloween trick just for you. But just you wait… because there is a treat too. Sometimes things just naturally go together, like peanut butter and jelly, cookies and milk, crocs and your trash can. That’s why when I was sitting in a little hipster coffee shop in Louisville and my new boss was telling me all about this other life of a travel consultant (previously known as a travel agent), I was thinking it just might be the Ying to my Yang. For the longest time I thought that the role of a travel agent just wasn’t necessary, but as time passed and I started to realize the importance of travel my thoughts began to evolve… and here’s why even YOU, being the tec savvy, competent little human being that you are – should still use a travel consultant.
1: Vacation should be stress free: When you use a travel consultant you aren’t just paying them to assist you in booking flights and hotel rooms. You are paying them to be a little elf on your shoulder in case things go wrong, which coming from a professional traveler – they do and often. I honestly can’t count the number of people that have begged me to call ahead to the next flight and hold their plane – which let me put that myth to bed once and for all. We don’t have magic sky phones to call your next flight as flight attendants. I promise. I am not holding out on you. Travel agents though are known to make some magic happen. When you book a travel consultant you are booking an advocate. So while others are shivering in their seats because the flight is delayed for four hours because of an unexpected storm front, you can be chill, humming to Michael Buble, sipping your Starbucks, knowing that your advocate is working on your next flight already. We are all hopeful that problems don’t arise while we travel, but unfortunately, life can be unpredictable. That is why it is so important to have someone in your court. Someone to help when problems do arise.
2: Those Perks Darling: Have you ever booked a room on Hotwire? Basically, you book a room and you have no clue what you are getting. You know the area and you know what you are paying. I have booked a room that way one time and it was very much a one and done situation for me. I booked a hotel in Nashville and was very excited because it ended up being this beautiful Sheraton. If you don’t know how Hotwire works, they sell the leftover rooms that haven’t been booked yet. That is how they are able to sell such cheap rooms. You get what you pay for in my opinion because I ended up in a tiny room that looked like it hadn’t been updated in years, which happened to be next to the very noisy boiler room. Many travel consultants take travel to a personal level. They have made long lasting relationships with hotel executives and representatives, and those relationships make perks possible. So when you book your hotel you get more for your money’s worth. You may get free breakfast, or a free spa service, a bigger, better room, and you most definitely won’t get stuck next to the boiler. So that means many times a travel agent can pull some strings and you will basically be treated like a VIP… which, don’t we all want to be a VIP on vacation? That is a resounding yes coming from me. Bring on the diamonds and Champagne!
3: The Overload of Information: The internet is just the most fabulous gal out there right now. She is the best, giving us billions of options in every category. You want Louboutins? Me too! If you go to the shopping portion of Google and type in Louboutins you will get hundreds of options, and subcategories to click on that will take you to even more. Shoes and travel though are worlds apart. You may know exactly the shoe you want and know exactly how to search for it on the ever-expanding world web, but when it comes to that vacay… where should you go? There are so many options. Should you go tropical, recreational, educational… all three packed in one? A travel consultant will sift through all of that mind-boggling information and send you the best options for you. That just leaves you more time for shoe browsing which in my book is always a win.
4: Take it from the Experts: There are so many facets to travel. You need to know how you will get there, where you will stay, what should you do, how you will get around once you get there, and on and on. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had an expert opinion? So you make the best use of your time and money? I definitely wouldn’t call myself an expert yet, but everyday I learn a little bit more about the travel industry and that knowledge is something I can share.
5: It’s a No Brainer!!: Since travel consultants get the same rates (if not cheaper) than those who are booking online, why would you NOT use them? You are basically getting your own personal travel designer for free and reaping all the benefits that come along with using an agent!
So here is to my new fabulous job as a travel consultant, and here is to you and all the fabulous trips you will take. If you need any help with your future vacations, let me do the leg work and you can put your feet up ;).
xoxo,
Megan Marie
