Why to choose a good travel agent
SEASONED travellers who know how to get what they want – and have time to do the phoning and research – may not need travel agents. But for most people, a good travel agent can be a major asset.
David Redekop, director of the Tourism Research Institute of Canada, an arm of the Conference Board of Canada, says institute surveys show an increasing number of people are using travel agents to book vacations.
“The number of choices of destinations has increased dramatically in the last five or 10 years,” said Mr. Redekop, who is based in Ottawa.
“The menu of choices is so great that people are increasingly looking for some assistance, because it gets confusing.”
A travel agent saves the client time. And using one costs nothing – agents get commissions from travel operators, not clients.
Most people in the industry advise finding and sticking with a good agent. That way, the agent knows your tastes, budget and lifestyle.
“They get used to your likes and dislikes,” said Geoff Baskwill, executive director of the Alliance of Canadian Travel Associations, which represents travel agents, tour operators and other travel suppliers.
But some say the most important factor for every trip is to find an agent who’s been to the destination you have in mind.
“In exchange for dealing with a travel agent, you should be entitled to receive certain information, certain advice,” says Paul Unterberg, a Montreal lawyer who specializes in travel law.
“You can’t get that if the guy doesn’t know anything about the destination. If he’s never been to Acapulco, he cannot tell you whether hotel A is better than hotel B.”
“A travel agent can’t have been everywhere,” Mr. Baskwill responds. ” But he has access to information on all these places. And the popular places have usually been visited by somebody in the office.”
The ideal solution may lie somewhere in between: Stick with one agent, but ask for a referral when planning a trip to a destination the agent or a colleague doesn’t know first-hand.
Or, for people who travel fairly often, having two or three dependable agents might be the best bet.
But everybody agrees you should shop around before choosing an agent, whether for one trip or for many in the future.
Rule No. 1 is to ask well-travelled friends, family or co-workers for recommendations.
Or check the Yellow Pages for agencies specializing in the type of trip you have in mind.
Agencies, or individual agents in one office, are increasingly specializing in areas such as cruises, adventure trips, corporate travel, bus tours or travel to certain parts of the world.
When first contacting an agency, ask questions about the destination, prices and so on. Call a few other agencies and compare the answers.
Pay attention to what questions the agent asks. If an agent makes no attempt to find out your interests, budget and so on, try another agency. “A good agent will spend the time finding out exactly what people want,” says Mr. Baskwill.
In addition to commissions – which run from 8 to 10 per cent on average – airlines, tour operators, hotels and cruise lines frequently offer agents incentives, usually in the form of free trips, to sell their products.
It’s almost impossible for consumers to find out about such things, so beware of an agent who keeps recommending a trip that doesn’t seem to mesh with your budget or interests.
Mr. Baskwill said a good agent wouldn’t try that, “because his job is to find out exactly what the passenger wants and then fit the arrangements to that.” He added that not all agencies accept such incentives.
Beyond that, look for service.
An agent has access to information on everything from insurance to local customs, and should relay it to the client. Agents can also do much of the legwork in obtaining passports and visas.
A good agent will always contact the client after the trip to find out how everything went.
And an agent who’s familiar with the client’s preferences can provide many services without having to check every time.
The agent knows that the client prefers plane seats in non-smoking, that the cheapest ticket is always a first priority, that the tickets should be sent to the client’s office rather than home, and which frequent-flyer programs the client belongs to.
And good agents will often arrange small extras for regular clients, such as a bottle of champagne in the hotel room or cruise-ship cabin on arrival.
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