Each week I'm often asked why travelers should book with a professional Travel Advisor. With the advent of online booking engines, it's easier than ever to book vacations on your own. Yet, over the last several months, 2020 has taught us that simple is not always the best way.
Keep reading below to discover the top reasons to work with a Travel Advisor for your next vacation.
As your Travel Advisor, I work for you and not the travel suppliers. I always have your best interests in mind and do what is best for your vacation. Online booking engines (OBE for short) are large multi-national corporations with one goal in mind, profit. This means that they do everything they can to avoid making changes once you've booked your trip.
I am your advocate. We all hope that vacations go perfectly and we have nothing but great memories, but in life sh!t happens. When things don't go to plan, I am on the phone with travel suppliers to make sure they make it right so you don't have to. When you book with an OBE, you'll be lucky to get an email response in 24 hours, let alone find a real human to talk to.
I know LGBTQ travel. Working with a Travel Advisor is more than just booking a trip. It's about working with someone who knows their niche. Working with a niched Travel Advisor means that you'll get the best experience for your travel style. Even as a Travel Advisor, I will quickly ask another professional to plan my own trip if it's outside of my expertise.
The more you travel, the better I get to know you. Like any other relationship, I get to know your travel style over time, and getaways become easier. We will reach a point where you just have to send me a quick text about where you want to go and I will take it from there. Because I already know what type of hotels, cruises, excursions, and flights you prefer I can pull together a new proposal with just a destination in mind.
As your Travel Advisor, I have connections with travel suppliers. I work with travel suppliers every day and have dedicated a lot of time to build strong relationships with them. This means that I can work directly with your suppliers to ensure you get the best rates and you're treated like a VIP.
They say "time is money" and yours is no different. When you use an OBE, you have to spend hours upon hours researching your own trip. As your Travel Advisor, you pay me to do that for you. Let me take care of the research and planning while you spend time with your family and friends.
I make gift giving easy. Trips are the perfect gift to give a significant other or your family. When you travel, you create memories that are carried for a lifetime and define who we are. There is no better gift to give someone than new experiences.
I monitor everything about your trip. I'll work to get you the upgrades you deserve or save you money by working with the travel supplier if the rate drops. I'll make sure you're aware of changes to your flights and will send you reminders when you need to do something specific (like check-in 24 hours before your flight).
I am a travel expert. You wouldn't dream of letting a friend perform surgery on you because they read about how to do it on WebMD. Why is travel any different? Your travel budget is a significant part of your annual income and should be treated with respect. When you work with me, I know how important your PTO is and how what it means to spend money on travel. I am passionate about ensuring every single traveler has the time of their lives.
Ready to book your next getaway? Rainbow Getaways is a full-service travel agency that specializes in travel for the LGBTQ community and our allies. Schedule your free consultation with me today to discover what I can do for your next trip.
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