Let's Play What's A Great Deal

Okay this cartoon is over the top, but how many times have you seen those ads or emails with pricing like this? Or perhaps a TV commercial for an incredible price on a river cruise?  Sometimes you look and find out that the price when you want to go is 4x more than the ad. But how do you know if it's a deal or not? Contact your favorite travel consultant. Why? Because this is what they do everyday, not just when an ad or email catches their eye.

That really "great" price is usually for an inside cabin(no windows) and it usually is the smallest cabin on the ship and in probably the least desirable location. On a certain cruise line this stateroom is so small it just has bunkbeds. This could be very far forward or back on the ship and on a low deck where you will feel a lot of movement. It could be also under the theater, night club or pool deck, so it could be noisy very late at night or first thing in the morning with the crew moving deck chairs around. And the ad is not giving you the "full" price, taxes and port fees need to be added on to the fare. Depending on where you are sailing & to they can add a significant price to your total price. So is this looking good to you?

Also there are the additional costs to cruising, do you know about these? A travel consultant will explain gratuities, drink prices, shore excursions and transfers to and from the airport. And they will also go over the payment process, as there are cruise lines out there that do require you to pay in full to get that great price(a few river cruise lines) and that could be more than a few months before your sailing. The majority require a deposit and final payment at 90 days before. With paying in full that far in advance a travel consultant will go over why you need to consider travel insurance if something happens before your trip.

 

Like the cartoon, their are many airlines that advertise a "great deal" fare but you need to look a little closer than just price if it's a deal for you. Is it Basic Economy, which most of the legacy carriers offer and has a lot of restrictions. Does the airfare have extra costs, like fees for carry on bags, reserving seats together if you are travelling with young children? Well you need to add those to the fare. Most airlines charge for checked bags and they better not be over the weight limit. Overweight charges are scary expensive. And if you are heading to Europe, if you think our budget airlines are bad with fees, their European counterparts are worse. Then did you look at your overall travel time on that "great deal"? Met a honeymoon couple from Washington DC in Jamaica who had a 6 & 8 hour layovers on their flights. So they basically wasted two precious days in airports, when there were two direct flights and numerous ones with better connections.

A travel consultant gets to know you and your traveling party. They take in consideration your budget, type of trip you want to take, what accommodations you like and how long you want to be gone. Then they go to work to find the best deal that is the right fit for you. They can handle all your travel needs, so you just have one person to call and they are your advocate if something goes wrong.

But you may think this will cost you extra? No most travel consultants don't charge a fee, they are paid commission by the vendors they use. They recommend the best trip for you and your budget, because they are not about the "one night stand" trip, they are in it for the long term.  They want you to call again and again for your travel needs.



How to Avoid Vacation Disasters



"This resort looked great on the Internet"

Why do you need to use a Travel Agent

It's a really good and valid question, and to be honest, sometimes the answer might actually be that you don't need one! But we'll come back to that.

Most travel agents now prefer the title travel consultant or similar. Why? It has a lot to do with the advantages they offer today.  Still, with all the websites, deal finders, mobile travel apps, and online services, a lot of people ask: why use a travel consultant?

It's not hard to do it yourself. It might even be fun! Or, it could turn into a huge disaster. Below are a few points to consider before clicking the BUY button or trapping yourself into a nonrefundable corner.

1. Experience Think about what you do for a living. For nearly every profession, you can find a website, video, or app that gives potential customers a way to do it themselves. With a little help from the Internet you can fix your car, build cabinets, replace plumbing, write wills, draft contracts, cut hair, make clothes, buy shoes, do accounting, buy stock, cook, bake and let's not forget edit videos and touch-up photos.

Finding instructions or tools is not the problem. Doing it RIGHT is the issue. If you put the wrong screw in the wall, it's no big deal. If you put your family in the wrong resort, it's a much bigger deal. It becomes even bigger if something goes wrong.

Most people deal with planning a vacation once or twice a year. Travel consultants deal with it all day, every day. Their livelihood fully depends on using their knowledge and experience to craft a vacation you'll love so much that you'll keep coming back for more.

Websites and apps with advertising-driven, biased offerings are counting on your own lack of experience to push you to options that will earn them the most profit. Your satisfaction is not part of the display algorithm.

2. Real Deals Have you ever wondered why some cruises, resorts or hotels seem to have cheaper deals on some websites? There's always a reason. Sometimes, it's a good reason. Sometimes, it's a very bad reason that you won't know about until you arrive and it's too late. There's always a reason, and a great price is not always a good deal.

For example, every hotel has "undesirable" rooms they have trouble filling. Smaller rooms in noisy areas, rooms that haven't been renovated lately, or those that overlook the dumpsters are always cheaper than nice ones in quiet areas with good views.

Websites are perfect for liquidating those rooms at bargain rates. Unfortunately, these so-called deals rarely mention things like smelly carpet or noise. It's also no coincidence that many require full payment upon booking and are nonrefundable.

Even the most beautiful cruise ship has cabins they have trouble selling. The ones directly under the dance floor of the disco or the ones near the anchor chain that bangs against the side of the ship are just two examples. There are plenty of hard-to-sell cabins that are perfect for online deals.

To be fair, sometimes you can get lucky online! Sometimes the deals are real and worth the risk. Sometimes.

Travel consultants know the legitimate deals from the come-ons. They've been trained to uncover the reason behind the bargain. They understand travel lingo, know what to look for and most importantly:
They know what to avoid.

3. Transparency With websites and apps, you may not know what you'll actually be paying! Many hotels add nightly "resort fees" on top of the discounted rate apps and websites display. Of course, you won't know about them until you check out. Even rental cars can end up costing double the online rate once extra charges like airport fee, taxes, surcharges and such have been added. Then let's not forget all the extras that are not included in your cruise fare. Travel consultants know these little details. They make sure you are never unpleasantly surprised. You'll always know exactly what you'll be paying and what you'll get for it.

4. Advice and Connections Travel consultants offer something you'll never find online or in an app: professional advice. Online, every resort or cruise is made to look beautiful and appealing. But, it's no bargain if you end up regretting the trip. The main reason to use a travel consultant is to make sure you never waste a penny on a vacation you won't truly enjoy.

There's one more thing you'll only get from a travel consultant: relationships. They have real one-to-one personal relationships with travel suppliers that can fix things should something happen to go wrong.

If a travel app messes up your reservations, you're on your own. But with a travel consultant-you'll have an advocate on your side with connections. In other words: a human who cares. To the machines, you're nothing but their data.

When You Don't Need a Travel Consultant

It's true. Sometimes you might not need a travel consultant. If you're willing to take some risks, and not be concerned if something goes wrong, you might get lucky with the apps and websites. Many people do. Travel consultants just prefer not to gamble

Thanks to Nolan Burris, Chief Visoneer at Future Proof Travel Solutions