877 . 529 . 0587  (Toll-Free)
savvyTravel Group™
  • Home
  • savvyTravel Group™
    • About >
      • savvyTravel Group™
      • About Our Brand Family
    • Service Divisions >
      • Travel Agency
      • Luxury Concierge Care
      • Private Jet Aviation
      • Private Villa Rentals
      • Luxury Services
    • Certifications
    • Travel Partners
    • Stewardship & Sustainability
    • Traveler Tools
    • Specials!
  • Disney!
  • D.I.Y. Booking Tools
    • Book Activities in HAWAII!
    • Viking River Cruises
  • Love Notes!
  • Blog
  • Legal
    • Seller of Travel
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Copyrights
  • Contact

The Definitive Guide: "Why Use a Professional Travel Advisor?"

3/29/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Booking a trip often proves to be an extremely stressful, grueling undertaking.

You can spend hours online searching for deals on flights and hotels, bouncing from one website to another in pursuit of the perfect price.

This kind of process is often headache-inducing: Approximately 20 percent of more than 2,000 travelers worldwide said it took them more than five hours to search and book travel online, according to a recent survey by the I.B.M. Institute for Business Value.

To avoid the hassle, some consumers are turning to travel agents. After suffering for years, the travel-agent industry is now experiencing substantial growth.

Nearly 1 in 3 leisure agencies is hiring, according to PhoCusWright, a travel research firm. And the American Society of Travel Agents reports that 57 percent of independent agents saw an increase in business in 2011. Faced with countless choices for flights, hotels, car rental, and tours, some consumers are dumping the DIY approach.

"There are simply too many travel products in the market today for individuals to decipher on their own," says James Shillinglaw, editor-in-chief of travAlliancemedia, a media network for travel agencies. "You need a guide to help you cut through all the different things out there that are available."

"There's a difference between price and value," adds Arnie Weissmann, editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly, a newspaper that covers the travel industry. The more travelers realize that, he says, the more they're opting to use a travel agent.


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Here are seven reasons to consider booking your next vacation with a travel agent:

  1. Save time. An agent can save you time by vetting thousands of flight and hotel options to find the right fare at the lowest rate. "There's just a glut of information, and you need someone to make sense of it all," says John Peters of Tripology.com, a website that matches consumers to travel agents.

Stephanie Axelrod and her husband, who live in Fairfax, Va., used Tamalpais Travel to book a trip to Spain and Italy in 2010, and saved a lot of time in the process. "After we spent many hours on the Internet ourselves, we found using an agent made the whole experience more pleasant and less time-consuming," she says.

  1. Save money. Some people shy away from using a travel agent because they think they'll be charged extra for the agent's services. Some agents charge additional fees (for example, a $25 fee for their time and research), but most make their commission through the travel suppliers.
  1. "You're going to get more value from your money booking with a travel agent," Peters says.

Nina Meyer, president of the American Society of Travel Agents, says you can also save big on airfare with the right agent: "I have seen in the past people save anywhere from $500 to upwards of $1,000 on a ticket."

Axelrod says she and her husband found it difficult to find good flight deals on their own. "The travel agent was able to get deals we weren't able to find," she says.

  1. Learn what you want. "Very often, people don't really know what kind of trip they want," Shillinglaw says. It's the travel agent's job to provide you with a number of options they think you'd enjoy. Not only will they help you book a trip, they'll help you build the trip.

  1. Connections. Don't underestimate a travel agent's extensive Rolodex.  Agents may have people on the ground who you can connect with, such as a local tour guide, as well as people you can reach out to if you encounter any problems. "Having access to a travel agent's insiders makes it just an overall better customer service experience than going at it alone," Peters says.

Kate Rice, who covers airlines for TravelPulse.com, says agents who book a lot of flights develop strong relationships with sales representatives. "That means they have double leverage that they can use, on your behalf, the purchasing power of the agency group they're affiliated with, as well as the personal relationships they have with their sales reps," she says.

  1. Authenticity. The right travel agent will enlighten you about trip options you may not be able to find online. "It's about knowing what the real local find is, whether that be a great dinner at a small cafŽ or tickets to a private show," Peters says. "When people travel, they don't want to travel like a tourist. So it's about the travel specialist being able to help people find unique life experiences that they'll remember."

  1. Knowledge. Flawless travel plans lie in the details, and travel agents are experts when it comes to handling those details.

"It could be a pretty picture, but what if there's construction going on? What if it's in a bad neighborhood?" says Meyer. "Agents have that kind of background knowledge."

Axelrod booked five of the eight hotels on her trip based on recommendations from the travel agent, but says she wishes she had booked all of the hotels through her agent.

"This was the first time we had used a travel agent," she says. "In the future, I would take all of their advice, rather than just picking and choosing to save some money."

  1. Troubleshooting. Despite extensive travel planning, you might encounter some bumps on your trip. Having a travel agent handle them for you can make your travel experience a lot less stressful.

"In almost any rough situation, you need a travel agent," Meyer says. "I have clients who were going to miss a sports event because their flight got cancelled, but we still got them there."

Says Weissman: "If the hotel room doesn't match your expectations and you don't have a travel agent, you're on your own.


You are not alone!

We have all spent countless hours scouring the internet or calling travel companies for bookings, information, details and options.  We do it every day, so that our clients don't have to!

Save your precious time.  We do the hard work, because we know the insider tips to do it quickly, thoroughly and efficiently.  Let us take that off your plate!  Call on your authorized savvyTravel™ travel experts! Be pampered with savvyTravel™! call on your authorized savvyTravel™ Travel Advisors! 
Be pampered with savvyTravel™! 

You'll wonder what took you so long to take advantage of this awesome, and time-saving, free service!

"Be stress and worry-free! Be Savvy!" 877-529-0587, and press "2" to be transferred!  

0 Comments

Royal Caribbean Offers Europe Cruises on Oasis of the Seas in 2014. The world’s biggest cruise ship is going to Europe!

3/28/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
The world’s biggest cruise ship is going to Europe.  Royal Caribbean International is offering two trans-Atlantic crossings and three Europe cruises on the 225,282-ton, 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas as it heads for a routine maintenance dry-dock in the Netherlands in fall 2014. The cruises will open for sale on April 11.

How will these ports handle such a large ship? Royal Caribbean spokesman Harry Liu said the line always works with the ports in advance to “ensure a seamless experience for our guests” and will “refine the process” as needed.

He notes that these are sophisticated seaports that easily handle the line’s Voyager- and Freedom-class ships, which accommodate more than 3,000 passengers each. Oasis of the Seas has operated out of Port Everglades since it entered service in late 2009; it was joined there by sister ship Allure of the Seas a year later. Both are based in a terminal built specifically for them.

Oasis of the Seas will operate a 12-night eastbound trans-Atlantic cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona departing Sept. 1, 2014, and a 13-night westbound voyage from Rotterdam Oct. 14 back to Port Everglades. Alternatively, passengers can board the westbound crossing Oct. 15 in Southampton, England... [read more].



**********************************************************************************************

Need to get away?  A cruise is a lovely reason to call us now! And we're Royal Caribbean Certified!  

Everybody needs a best friend in the travel industry!  Call on your authorized savvyTravel™ agents and travel experts! Be pampered with savvyTravel™!  

"Be stress and worry-free! Be Savvy!" 877-529-0587, and press "2" to be transferred!

0 Comments

    savvyTravel Group™

    "Everyone deserves a best friend in the travel business!"™

    Archives

    June 2015
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    September 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    Categories

    All
    2012 Why Use A Travel Agent
    2013
    2014
    2015
    4-Star Resorts
    738 Passenger Ship
    7 Day
    9 Day Tour
    Active Vacations – To 8 Destinations In Germany
    Adventures By Disney
    Air Credit
    Airfares Going Up
    Alaska
    Alcohol On Cruiseships
    All Inclusive Cruises
    All-inclusive Cruises
    Americab Airline Systems Failure And Flights Cancellations
    Amresorts
    Am Resorts
    Amtrak
    Amtrak Auto Train
    Amtrak Specials
    Anniversary
    Apartments
    Apt
    Arches National Park And Moab | 8 Days / 7 NightsArizona And Utah: By Adventures By DISNEY!
    Arizona
    Austria
    Ayutthaya
    Bangkok
    Barbara Higbie
    Barcelona
    Bar Mitzva
    Bat Mitzvah
    Bermuda
    Birthday
    Booze
    Bora Bora! Gay & Lesbian Vacation Deals & Videos!
    Bora Bora Submarine
    Boxes
    Byob On Cruises
    Canary Islands
    Can You Bring Alcohol On A Cruise
    Celebrity Cruises
    Commitment Ceremony
    Condos
    Congress
    Cork
    Corkage Fee
    Couples
    Couples Retreat Shot In Bora Bora
    Croatia & Greece And South America Entertainment‏! THREE CABINS REMAIN!
    Cruise
    Cunard $300 On Board Credit
    Dallas
    Danube Waltz
    Discounted Travel
    Discounts
    Disney Cruise Kids Activities
    Disney Travel Agents
    Doma
    Down Under
    Eastern Caribbean
    Edie Windsor
    Elegant Elbe
    Elvira Kent
    Engagement
    England
    Escorted Tour Of Grand Canyon
    Europe
    Faa
    Family Vacation Care
    Fashion Show
    Federal Aviation Administration
    Florida Keys
    For Disney Why Use A Travel Agent
    For Flights How Much Does It Cost To Use A Travel Agent
    Fort Lauderdale
    Free Airfare For Suites
    Free Balcony Upgrades
    GLBTI-Couples: French Polynesia
    Grand Canyon
    Grand European Tour
    Has Just Announced Its Newest Way To Travel – Family River Cruising Along The Danube! These 8-day/7-night
    Hooch
    Hotels... Deep-Sea Or Head Boat Fishing Charters
    I-95
    Industry News
    Is It Cheaper To Use A Travel Agent
    Island
    “Jedi Mickey’s Star Wars Dine At Hollywood & Vine.”
    John S Pistole
    Judy Dlugacz
    Kanchanaburi
    Karen Williams
    Key West
    Last Minute Cruise Deal
    Last Minute Cruise Deals
    Las Vegas & More!
    Lesbian
    LGBT-Tahiti
    Luxury
    Melbourne
    Michele Balan
    NCL
    New Airports
    New Ship Order
    New York City Proposal And Vacation Ideas
    New Zealand
    NORTH AMERICA | Sedona
    Norwegian Cruise Line
    Ny
    Nyc
    Oasis Of The Seas
    Olivia Cruises
    OLIVIA CRUISES - Just Announced! Italy
    Olivia Travel Agents
    One Week Only Sale
    Orlando
    Panama Canal
    Paris & The Heart Of Normandy AndRoof Of The World
    Party
    Passage To Eastern Europe
    Phillip Island
    Pick Your Perk
    Port Everglades
    Princess Cruises
    Private Islands
    Private Sunset Cruises On The Gulf Of Mexico
    Prop 8
    Proposal
    Quantas Vacations
    Reasons To Use A Travel Agent
    Reclining Buddha
    Regent Cruise Lines
    Reviews
    Rhine Getaway
    Rip Current
    Rip Tide
    Romantic Danube
    Romantic Vacation
    Rotterdam
    Royal Caribbean
    Sailing With AmaWaterways
    Sandals Resorts
    Saving A Life
    Savvytravelgroup
    Savvy Travel Group
    Savvytravel Group
    Sequester Impact On Travel
    Seven
    Sidney
    Slovakia And Hungary
    Smart Fares
    SNUBA
    Southampton
    South Asia
    South Island Tour
    Southwest Canyons & Las Vegas
    Southwest Kaleidoscope Of Canyons & Las Vegas
    Specials
    Spring
    “Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast”
    Summer
    Survive
    Suze Orman
    Sweet Baby Jai
    Swim
    Technique Savvytravel Group
    Teresa Trull
    Testimonials
    Tg Airline Checkpoints
    Thailand Tour Experts
    Thea Speyer
    The Pacific Coast Or The Caribbean
    Tickets
    To Book A Cruise Why Use A Travel Agent
    Transatlantic
    Transgender
    Transportation Seciruty Administration
    Travel Agent
    Travel Agent Commissions
    Travelers
    Tropical
    TSA Pre-check
    Tsa Security Screenings
    Two New Star Wars Character Dining Experiences Are Coming To Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
    Utah & Nevada
    Vickie Shaw
    Viking River Cruise
    Villas
    Washington Dc
    Wedding
    Wedding Proposal
    Why Hire A Travel Advisor
    Why Use A Travel Agent
    Why Use A Travel Agent For A Cruise
    Women Only
    Yacht Rental
    Zion Nat'l Park

    RSS Feed


savvy Travel Group™ © 2013-2020
Registered Seller of Travel
savvyTravel™ Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Savant Group of Companies.
Picture
Picture
✕