Recommend your travel agent — and tell me the cost

[Anonymous]

So I’m looking for someone trustworthy to get the accommodations, book fights, check out documents, and book local activities we should see (boat tours, etc).

Rating are gamed and useless now, everything is convoluted and with two working parents something always falls through the cracks.

How much would they cost? We are thinking $500 for that scope of work?

[Anonymous]

I’ve never paid my travel agent anything. They are paid by the hotels and companies they book for me. While my agent is very good at finding me exactly what I’m looking for, some will only work with certain companies that compensate them. Because she has worked with me for a while and I’ve booked a lot with her she will help me book flights etc that don’t actually make her any money.
Her name is Heather Cross and her email is [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

AAA. Included in the membership. Terrific deals, full-service. Tons of options.

[Anonymous]

Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

[Anonymous]

Smartflyer.
No cost. Hotels pay them comission

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

Ageist dope! If you are basic, you do not use one. If you are high net worth, you do for exoctic travels.

[Anonymous]

To the person who said no one uses a travel agent anymore…..then how do I sell over a million dollars in travel each year? This year, already approaching 1.2M. Maybe you drive to the beach for a week (and for that you wouldn’t need an advisor), but my clients do safaris, river cruises, multi-country Europe trips, a month in an Italian villa with full staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the person who said no one uses a travel agent anymore…..then how do I sell over a million dollars in travel each year? This year, already approaching 1.2M. Maybe you drive to the beach for a week (and for that you wouldn’t need an advisor), but my clients do safaris, river cruises, multi-country Europe trips, a month in an Italian villa with full staff.

How much do actually you earn when selling $1M/$1.2M worth of travel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

My friend has milk delivered.

[Anonymous]

If you use a travel agent that gets paid from the places he/she books, don't you worry your choices are limited to places that provide kickbacks and you could be missing out on better options? That is why I have been reluctant to use a travel agent in the past. I would be willing to pay someone who is super experienced with Alaska trips to help me but I don't want to only stay in the types of places that pay kickbacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you use a travel agent that gets paid from the places he/she books, don't you worry your choices are limited to places that provide kickbacks and you could be missing out on better options? That is why I have been reluctant to use a travel agent in the past. I would be willing to pay someone who is super experienced with Alaska trips to help me but I don't want to only stay in the types of places that pay kickbacks.

This is what I always wondered. My parents used them back in the 70s and 80s and it worked out beautifully. However, you didn’t know what you were missing back then, too.

[Anonymous]

TripAdvisor forums. Free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

We used a travel agent for our honeymoon 10 years ago and for most of our international travel since. And we are definitely not 60 (I’m still sub-40, DH not far ahead)

Travel agents are back! I outsource my cleaning, yard work, and other stuff, why not travel planning?

[Anonymous]

My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

Tell me you're poor without telling me you're poor.