by Tim Wood
Last updated: 11:59 AM ET, Fri September 26, 2014
It's a drum we beat constantly here at TravelPulse.
We could not disagree more with the idea that with all the online travel booking options, the travel agent has become obsolete.
Travel agents are more relevant than ever in this disconnected digital age where personal service is becoming more important than ever to the discerning traveler.
So when we see pieces on the Interwebs that show travel agents are more imprtant than ever, we want to share them with you.
Today, we share noted travel writer Everett Potter's great piece from USA Today on the 5 Myths About Travel Agents.
A couple of great points from the article:
- "If they book it themselves, they're just a credit card number" to a travel supplier, says Anne Morgan Scully, president of McCabe World Travel, a Virtuoso agency in McLean, Va. "I make a point of knowing the general manager of the hotel where they might be staying and I usually call the GM the night before one of my clients arrives and see if they might be upgraded. If they book with a good agent, they're known on arrival."
- "Anyone can book a hotel room and a rental car but I sell romantic trips and adventure travel to Africa," says Jonathan Haraty of Jon's Dive & Travel Services in East Longmeadow, Mass., a Tripology agency. "Do you want to take a chance on booking your own hotel or safari camp in Africa? Will someone be there to pick you up in the airport in Nairobi? I know people who've been stranded when they arrive. That's one reason you need an agent."
Read the full piece here.
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