The Travel Teacher

Location, Location, Location.  Sound like a realtor?  No, it is about hotels when you travel.

Having traveled the world for over 60 years, I have stayed in the worst and the best - and best is more apt to be better!!!

When booking a hotel online, there are oh so many things you don’t know.  Here is my “helpful hint” — use a Travel Professional!!!  You still want to do it yourself?  Then you have no one to blame by yourself when things are not as they seemed to be.

• Where is your choice hotel located?  Good area or bad?  You can’t even tell by the description.  No hotel is going to tell you about the gate they lock at 6 PM at night.  Or that the train runs by at 2 AM every morning.  Or that the beach is several blocks away.  Or that the restaurants are a taxi ride away and you are arriving late at night having had nothing to eat on the airplane.
• The different room categories.  Do you know what partial oceanview, oceanview, oceanfront, mountain view, cityview, and nothing about a view means?  I have toured hundreds of hotel rooms and read their descriptions and you can’t believe what you read.  How about the hotel in Hawaii that had fabulous priced rooms that faced another building about 6 feet away looking into their rooms?  Or the view of the top of the roof and the garbage dump area when the dump trucks came by at 5 AM.  What are you wanting to see?  Or, better yet, not wanting to see?  Or does it matter?
• Maybe the hotel is under renovation.  The pool is closed and the beach is a mile away.  The restaurants are closed and you need to take a cab to get food.  Even the highest end hotels have to renovate.  Here is a clue, if the hallways have carpet rolled up, go some place else!!!
• This one is probably the worst - bed bugs!!!  Doesn’t matter the class of the hotels, this has become a huge problem all over the world.  Take a flashlight and make the room as dark as possible.  Look around light switch sockets, bed railings, and edges of carpet.  They like dark.  Also fleas.  They are really hard to see.  Best suggestion is do not put your suitcases or clothes on the floors and wear slippers. 
• Comfortable beds.  In the last few years there has been a huge shift by hotels to more comfortable bedding, pillows, and comforters.  If your bed has a blanket in a sack - make them give you a new blanket.  They change the sacks, but I have had some filthy blankets.  Some hotels now have pillow menus.  If you have allergies, ask for the kind of pillow that makes you comfortable.
• Bathrooms - oh my!!!  At one time in my life, my husband and I were in the remodeling business.  My huge complaint is dirty, moldy bathrooms.  Check behind the shower curtain and around the bottom of the showers.  The floors around the toilet and under the vanities must be clean.
• Smoking/non smoking.  If you request a non smoking room and know someone has smoked in it, tell the desk at once.  If they are full and can’t change you, ask for an ozone machine and go out to dinner for an hour.  Some floors are totally non smoking, but in Asia, they can smoke in the hallways and it can come under the doors.  You might want to stuff towels along there before you go to bed.
• Hotel Management.  Many times the hotel is great and then the owners change managers and it goes downhill quickly.  I have resources to tell me how hotels are doing in the last few weeks or months.  There is a high turnover in management and that makes such a  difference in the condition of that property.
• Known chains.  These are the safest way to book hotels.  But not always.  I have my favorites and would be happy to share with you.  Then there are groups of hotels such as “Leading Hotels of the World”, “Small Leading Hotels of the World”, “JDB Fine Hotels”, “Orient Express Hotels” and many more.  To qualify to be in these groups, the hotels must maintain very high standards.  Price is not always the issue.  I can book any of them without a worry.  They are closely monitored. 

Now I have had my say about booking a hotel.  Again I repeat, use a Travel Professional.  Now, if you only need one or two nights and are attending a convention or meetings, then book their convention hotel.  I’ve not had any issues in those situations.  But for a vacation or holiday, talk to someone who has an “ear to the ground” and can guide you.  I haven’t been everywhere, but I have resources who have and are going all the time.

Nighty night!!!

Is that right???!!!  You woke up this morning and that was your decision? Maybe you need some enlightenment.

Having owned businesses of various kinds for over 30 years, this is the most mentally difficult business I have ever owned.  The responsibility for a clients “dream” vacation or trip rests totally on my shoulders.  Even though there are a multitude of pieces in this puzzle, in my client’s eyes I am the airline, the cruise line, the hotel, the car rental and on and on.  24/7/365 is the length of responsibility.  You don’t clock out at 5 PM. 

In addition, you are holding control of thousands of dollars of someone else’s money.  Remembering the deadlines, keeping watch on all the supplier’s documents to be sure all the names, dates, dollars, destinations, etc. are correct.  Some of those supplier’s are minimum wage people who just don’t care!!  Let me break it down:

• Airlines.  Oh my, what can I say?  Getting harder all the time to work with them.  Every day we get “misconnects” and have to straighten those out.  They change people’s flight times, connections, even days of flying.  And they just aren’t nice.  Not to mention all the luggage regulations and new charges popping up daily.  Next you will need coins for the former attendants who have nothing to do now but sit at the bathroom doors and hand out tissue squares.
• Hotels.  Management changes, renovations, closures and on and on.  It can be a beautiful property one day and new management trashes it the next.  The biggest thing is location, location, location.  I have to know every little town in the whole world and where the good areas and bad areas are. 
• Car Rentals.  Not so much a challenge.  Just making sure the size holds all the luggage and size of passengers.  Automatic or stick?  Airconditioning?  And taxes…oh my word!!!  Almost more than the car rental.  And don’t forget total insurance coverage.  You can be stuck in a city or country for days if you try to use your own. 
• Cruise Lines.  Knowing all the lines and all the ships in each line.  What are the conditions of each ship?  Are they being maintained?  What are the new ships coming out?  Destinations…what are the ports all over the world?  What is the best and worst time of year to go somewhere?  And cabins…good locations vs. bad locations.  Cabin categories, what are they?  What sizes are the cabins?  Booking a cruise is like buying a pair of shoes..if it doesn’t fit you, you won’t ever cruise again. 
• Tours.  Escorted, guided, independent, and a mix.  The best and worst.  There are scores of tour companies.  Knowing them all takes a long time.  Getting passengers on a wrong one is disaster. 
• Destinations.  I am required to know the whole world, and to have traveled to all or most all of it.  That costs a lot of money and travel agents DO NOT travel free.  What is there to see in every area?  People often take too big a bite and have no idea how far distances are.  What are seasons for pricing? 
• Type of Travel.  There was a study some years back defining kinds of travelers.  Those who want total comfort to those who want a hammock in a hut.  Where do clients fit on that graph?  Now I have to find the right mix so they will come back happy.  And better still, tell all their friends and family.  Selling travel is about repeat business.

Now that your eyes are open, I will add a few more details.  You need education so you can educate your clients. 

• The Travel Institute has a 2 step process that takes about 6 years to complete.  It starts with CTA after you have been an agent for 5 years and then CTC, taking as long as you need.  A very difficult course.  I have my CTC.
• Cruise Lines International has a 3 step certification process starting with ACC - Accredited Cruise Counselor to MCC- Master Cruise Counselor to ECC-Elite Cruise Counselor.  This is an ongoing training until you reach ECC.  I was #43 to get my ECC out of 250,000 or so travel agents.  It took me 13 years to reach that point.  Very few home-based travel agents can achieve ECC because of the number of cruises we have to sell to reach that certification.
• Destination Specialist courses offered by The Travel Institute as well as Tourist Boards of various countries and cities.  These are ongoing.  I have several of these.
• Seminars, Conventions and Trade Shows are being held constantly.  In our local area there are scores of agents who never attend any.  There is no way to keep up on all the changes if you are not constantly being trained.  In larger agencies, representatives do onsite training and many will come to home-based offices. 

That’s a good start.  Now what do you think?  But most of all, what does the public think about someone who just hung out a shingle or someone who has been around the “block” and can give you the best service and advise?

Brick and Mortar to Home Based

“Where did the travel agency go?  It was here last week, last month, last year?” 

This question has been asked daily from coast to coast as travel agencies by the hundreds have closed their doors.  What happened?

About 10 years ago, the airlines decided to start cutting travel agents commissions on airline tickets that the agents issued.  Just cut a little, then a little more, and a little more until about 6 years ago, the commissions vanished altogether.  Those agencies that had the bulk of their business in airline tickets, and were not watching the situation, got caught without the bulk of their business.  They had not diversified into selling leisure travel such as cruises, tours, and packages.  So, the doors began closing. 

Many owners who had known the “good old days” and were old enough, decided to retire.  Others took their business and moved their offices home.  Enter the “New Face of the Travel Agent” - home based.

In years past, a home-based agent was not taken seriously by either the clients or the suppliers.  They were thought to be “part time” and just “in it for the travel benefits”.

Perhaps that applies to some.  But in the past 5 years a new force has emerged and the home-based agent is very committed and very serious about their business.  In fact, travel for the agent is very difficult because a large number work alone from home and have no back up.  Others work through a “host agency” who acts as the back up should the agent want to go away.

In the past 5 years, any conventions or seminars for travel agents are showing at least ¾ of the attendees are home-based.  These agents are education driven and getting all the knowledge available to give the best information to their clients.  There are many certifications for travel agents.  There is the CTC (Certified Travel Counselor), the highest available for a full service agent.  This course requires many hours of classes, either in groups or by themselves and a very difficult test at the end.  You also have to have been in business for several years before you can even apply for the course.  Not to mention the cost of the courses at several hundreds of dollars.  Anyone with this certification, is a very serious agent.

In the cruising industry there are several certifications available. 

v     Starting with ACC (Accredited Cruise Counselor)

v     MCC ( Master Cruise Counselor)

v     ECC (Executive Cruise Counselor). 

Many hours of classes, some requiring travel to other cities to take the required courses, courses at the University of Miami, many actual cruises on various cruise lines, and scores of ship inspections, as well as a set number of cruise sales, all total up to meet the above requirements.  Again, these courses cover a number of years and a very high cost to the agent qualifing.

In addition to the above, an organization called The Travel Institute has scores of classes that can be taken with testing at the end to receive DS (Destination Specialist) certifications.  Many of these are in conjunction with tourist boards of various countries and after the tests the agent is invited to visit the country for on-site training (at the agent’s expense). 

The majority of travel agents participating in the above training are home-based agent.  No longer content to be order takers sitting behind a desk waiting for the phone to ring or someone to walk in, these are pro-active and extremely knowledgeable about travel around the world.

The big question that is being asked by travel suppliers is “How do we find you?  We know you are serious and we want your business”.  There are 2 home-based organizations to which most belong.  One is NACTA (National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents) and the other is OSSN ( Outside Sales Support Network).  These organizations have conventions and seminars and are pulling all of these home-based agents together to support each other.  Instead of being in competition, as was the case with the brick and mortar agencies, these home-based people are supporting each other, and having a great time doing it. 

Gone are the days when travel agents did not charge fees for their services.  This was the only service profession who “gave away” their services.  Now they are charging fees for their assistance and rightly so.  They are knowledgeable and have spent a great deal of time researching travel for their clients, so they deserve to be compensated.  Oh yes, there are still commissions being paid by suppliers, i.e. cruise lines, tour operators, and wholesalers, but it is not enough to make up the difference from airline tickets.  There is no set amount of these fees, as each agent sets their own levels.  But why should they not be paid as professional the same as attorneys, doctors, and accountants?  Some who have been in the business 10 or more years, have much knowledge to share with clients that will help them realize their dream trips.

I HAVE A DREAM VACATION.  HOW DO I MAKE IT HAPPEN?  Part 2

WHERE??

Get a nice big map of the world.  Try to visualize the distances you are considering.  If this is a new destination for you, make a plan to take small bites, thinking you may not come back again.  Then do a thorough tour of the area.  Or do you just want “notches in your belt” for having stopped in a city or destination and the sites are not important, in which case you can go as far as your time and money permits.

v     Family trip?  Consider the ages and how much information they can handle.  A vacation at a beach is easier on younger people than a tour of a country.

v     Group trip?  Church, organization or club trip needing a tour bus and guide.

v     Couple trip?  Sun, sand and surf or skiing.

v     Heritage research?  Where are your ancestors from and how did they come to your country?

HOW??

Whether you think so or not, you DO need some professional assistance.  Even the simplest of trips need someone who knows and understands the travel process.  Without a travel professional, you are on your own and that can be very expensive and uncomfortable.  When you reach a destination, how do you plan to tour it?  Have you read up on the history and know what you will be looking at?  Going to a foreign place gives you a chance to learn about this history of the people and places.  A tour guide for a day or for the whole trip is worth every penny.  You can find them at Information Offices all over the world.  Some cities/countries require special documentation for visiting. 

v     Are you backpacking?  You probably need an airline ticket and perhaps a hotel for the first and last night.  Maybe you need a train ticket and some tips on the countries or cities you want to visit. 

v     Group tour?  This is so comfortable and a great way to learn a lot.  No worries about what hotel or what restaurant.  Someone to hold your hand from start to finish

v     On Your Own?  You may need a car rental, train ticket, a tour guide for 1 hour or 1 day.  Maybe knowledge about driving in certain areas and what kind of license or insurance is needed.

Your own research is part of the adventure.  A travel professional may have been there, done that, but that person doesn’t have the very same likes and dislikes you do.  Give us some ideas and we can fill in the blanks.