Things Your Travel Agent CAN (and CAN'T!) Do!

I read an article a few weeks ago (I think it was on the Huffington Post's website) that talked about the reasons to use a travel agent when you book a vacation. Many were great reasons, but I felt others were pretty inaccurate or just plain wrong. (I can't seem to find that article again - - but when I do, I will post it for you over on the Facebook page.)

In an attempt to correct what I see as misinformation, I wanted to add my voice to the mix. So, without further ado, for your reading pleasure:

Things Your Travel Agent CAN (and CAN'T!) Do For You!

What we CAN do:

* We monitor and receive communication from vendors about discounts, upcoming pricing specials, etc. Sometimes, we are even able to apply newly-released discounts to vacations that are already booked! For instance, I had a client book their Disney World trip and about a month later the Play, Stay and Dine offer was released. I called Disney for them, and was able to apply that discount to their trip, saving them over $400!

* Not only do we monitor info about discounts and specials, we are also on the pulse of news with the location/destination, including upcoming renovations and construction news. It's our job to stay on top of what's going on with the destination and communicate that information to you, so you don't have to spend hours of your life slogging through the internet or setting up Google alerts.

For example, earlier this year we heard about the construction going on at the Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge resorts and were able to advise clients, in case that would affect their decision to stay there. Better that, than booking it and THEN realizing when you get there that the pool's on refurbishment, or that one of the food courts is not in service!

* We take care of the booking of your trip, but also the minutiae that comes along with planning a vacation. For example, with Disney we stay on top of things for you, like dates for Dining reservations, dates you can pick your FastPass+ attractions, and much more.  We stay up until Midnight to make those FP+ reservation dates, and wake up at 6AM to get your breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table so YOU don't have to!

* Once you're on your trip, we're a resource in case anything should go amiss. One of the greatest benefits about booking your trip with your travel agent, vs doing it online or by yourself, is we're a resource if/when things go wrong. They don't often, but it's nice to have someone in your corner who can help you and can try to make it better.

This could be as small as a location not having your Dining reservation listed, or as large as needing help if someone in your group has a medical emergency. It's nice to have a helper in case things go wrong!

* We know fun little facts and hints about your destination that we share with you.  I always love when I can share little tidbits of info with clients, like the best places to get ice cream or where to find the best margaritas on property.

What we CAN'T do:

* We cannot make the prices cheaper. We do not set the prices, or have the ability to discount them further; that is all decided by the destination. Now, as noted above we are on the pulse of discounts so we can monitor those for you - but we do not have the ability to make vacations cheaper.

* We can't make Dining or FastPass+ slots open out of thin air, or create availability where there is none. One item I read in the Huffington Post article talked about using a TA because they have relationships with concierges and can make availability at select restaurants appear, for example, or get you tickets to that sold-out concert or play. In some cases this *might* be true, but is certainly not across the board.

While many of us do have good relationships with individuals who work at the destinations, that doesn't mean we're able to make you the dining reservation on New Years Eve a week in advance, or create more FastPass+ slots to meet Anna and Elsa. We are great at finding answers and we love to problem-solve with you, but there are often things that are out of our control.

* We're unable to change weather patterns, weather delays, etc. You might be laughing right now, but many TAs have horror stories about people getting very upset at them because there's a snowstorm forecasted the day they leave, or their airport closes/has delays. We'll be here to assist you if your plans get delayed by "acts of God" but unfortunately we don't have control over Mother Nature.

* We don't know if/when discounts are going to be released until a day or two before.  In particular for Disney, there is no set-in-stone timeline for when things are SOMETIMES offered (such as Free Dining in the fall). Very few, if any, destinations have a schedule for when discounts are released each year (and most don't want to create such a schedule, because in their eyes they don't want you to wait and book a trip only when a discount is involved). We often find out the same time as you all do, maybe a few days sooner. When we do hear for sure, we get that information out to you ASAP so you can make a decision if those dates and/or that promo works best for you.

If there are other travel agents who are readers, please chime in and leave comments here and/or on social media!

As always, thank you for reading - - and have a magical day!