In an age when internet, smart phones, tablets, and laptops rule the world, many have taken it upon themselves to tackle one of the world’s most leisurely, yet stressful activities: travel. While nearly the entire world celebrates the right to travel to just about every nook and cranny of the world, few truly receive proper accommodations. We don’t just mean the right hotel, plane flight, and car rental service, but the accommodation of accessibility into the vast world of travel tourism. What was once a popular trend of the past has recently resurfaced and it has been making travel across the globe easier and more affordable. What is this foreign travel commodity you ask? Two words: Travel Agents. Yes, while you may consider travel agents to be tedious and useless, they surprisingly dish out some of the most complimentary services in the world. Yup, you read that correctly, c-o-m-p-l-i-m-e-n-t-a-r-y, as in, you don’t pay for their services. The majority of travel agencies receive a cut from their travel vendors, so more often than not, travelers are finding themselves with a free and crucial service when it comes to travel.
Regardless of how often you travel, having a good travel agent can make the difference between making it home for your best friend’s wedding, and spending the next 48 hours somewhere in Worcester, watching hobos eat gum off the street. The ideal travel agents excels during crunch time, so when you miss your international transfer flight from Berlin to Munich, guess who’s waiting for your call? You guessed it! Tracy, your trusted travel agent. Don’t be afraid to contact your travel agent regarding any of your questions, concerns, compliments, or late night epiphanies, because they thrive when it comes to satisfying the travel bug inside all of us.
Another perk about having a travel agent on speed dial is the fact that it’s literally their job to know where to go, where to stay, and where to eat in just about every city in the world. So, if you’re headed into the unknown, or don’t want to spend your vacation starring at your smartphone, looking for the, “Best Paella in España”, then one quick call to your agent can solve that problem. With thousands of restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, and dive bars across the globe, it can be tricky to know which one’s are going to be dishing out the best Mai Tais, Filet Mignons, or poolside services, so it’s definitely in your best interest to have your trusty travel agent sidekick to figure out where you can find them.
The only question you must ask yourself is, how do I find this majestic creature you speak of? Because there are a ton of different travel companies with tons of agents, it can be tricky to find one that suits your party’s travel needs. There are a few cliché no-nos when it comes to picking the proper travel agent. If you call them, present your itinerary, and they immediately recount with something along the lines of, “Let me see what I can do, and give you a call back later,” then you know you’re dealing with a halfwit travel zombie.
Your ideal travel agent will take the time to inquire into your interests, family life, and overall personal well-being. Though their main goal may be to find you a kickass vacation getaway to Mexico, having a comforting connection with them is one of the best favors you can do for yourself. These masterminds can truly do much more than the internet alone. They have relationships with airlines and wholesalers, so though you may have just seen an incredible deal for a flight to Mexico, chances are, your agent saw that ad a few hours ago.
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot plan a better vacation than your future travel agent, because you simply don’t possess the same set of skills. These people are paid to create vacations that impress celebrities, dazzle children, and astonish honeymooners. They aren’t just typing a few keywords into Google and clicking on the first thing that pops up, these magnificent agents are endlessly working on finding the perfect match for all of their clients. These are highly respected travel entrepreneurs who have spent their lives dancing their asses off at European nightclubs, surfing Indonesian waves, riding camels through the Sahara Desert, and enjoying Disney World’s Splash Mountain until their hands are pruned. Finding the perfect travel agent can be a simple, pain-free process if you follow the correct principles and search through the right companies. Because when you book with a travel agent, you aren’t only saving yourself money, but you’re allowing all of your travel companions to reap the benefits of a vacation planned by a professional. So, you can either spend the next six months planning a mediocre vacation, or you can call your travel agent, chat for a bit, and get to what matters now, your life. The choice is yours.