A lot of times people think that travel agents are a thing of the past, replaced by large direct online players like Expedia, Hotels.com, and more. While its true that today people can book virtually any flight or property online by themselves, there are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about why travel advisory makes sense for you and your family.
As a travel advisor based in Arlington, MA I help families, couples, and business owners plan their travel and I will be sharing with you the 4 key benefits that our clients at Travelova receive when they work with me vs. large online players
Better Pricing!
Let's face it, when it comes to travel, your budget is not a small detail especially with how much cost of living has increased in the Boston area (and beyond!) lately.
So it's not surprising that I am often asked, "how much will your services cost?" or "wont I get a better price myself on Expedia?"
People are sincerely shocked sometimes when I answer that my services are at no cost to them and most often I can get them significantly better pricing than big online players.
How can that be? The right travel advisor has access to an exclusive database of pricing on millions of properties and travel services (flights, car rentals, transfers etc). While some travel advisors simply match the price you may find on big travel sites directly, I find that the most value is when I can pass along the savings to my clients at Travelova. I earn commissions from the properties and services you select and not from you. So in the end you get a better price that your wallet will thank you for.
Honest Advice
Large online travel sites are filled with reviews that they collect and also those you can find on TripAdvisor, Google, and so on. Reviews are of course an extremely important gauge of the quality of a hotel, but can we trust them? As the market shifted towards people booking directly online, many companies have unfortunately taken the steps to inflate their reviews.
One way you can see this is if you notice that a hotel or other travel supplier has a lot of single contribution reviewers. Next to each reviews, most sites show how many times this person has written reviews in the past. If you notice a property has a lot of 5 star reviews but they are coming from single or low count reviewers....well let's just say that there is a good chance these reviews are not real and are meant more to convince you to book.
In my practice at Travelova, I not only do the in depth research to weed out these situations but I also have worked with dozens of families in the Boston area to book their vacations and always collect feedback from my clients. In addition, I have travelled to dozens of countries around the world from Europe to South America, the Middle East, Caribbean, and beyond so I always keep in mind my knowledge of both the location and properties that I have personally reviewed.
In short, if you have booked your vacation before directly you know that many of the large corporate travel sites seem to be more 'pushy' about closing the deal with you. It's a natural situation for them as they need to generate revenue for different types of properties and also sell advertising solutions to these companies. On the other hand, my goal as a travel advisor is to be on your side---to give you honest advice and a great deal. I do not have advertising revenue to worry about and I am independent from any corporate interest. I believe that if you have a stress free planning experience and a vacation that you will enjoy--that I can be of service to you when you book a future vacation.
Get a Personalized Plan
Travel advisors can help you put together a plan even when all you know is you want to getaway. If you notice, most large online sites start by asking you the "where" and "when". However what if you only know "when" and "what" but don't know "where"? Perhaps you know your family needs a beach vacation and the kids have vacation coming up in April. You know you want it to be a relaxing experience which means a preference for direct flight destinations for instance (anyone doing layovers with small kids knows what I mean!). Maybe you want to make sure the hotel you choose balances kids activities with things for adults too. Are you a foodie or perhaps you want there to be more adventure sports available? Now ask yourself...do those sites ask you any of those questions?
No.
A great travel advisor works with you to understand your needs and budget. My goal is to never upsell destinations or properties that I think will not be a good match for what you want for your family vacation. I take the time to understand you and what you want from your next trip. I can recommend everything from what destination best makes sense to what activities are available that match your lifestyle.
Local Provider Means Better Support
Travel can be stressful for some and more importantly even for those who frequently do it we all know that sometimes things don't go as you expected or perhaps changes need to be made. Large online sites are just that---large and only online. They typically have good interfaces for making basic changes or getting trip details---but if you have a question that they didn't think of to add to their FAQs or maybe you need to make a change then you know the feeling of being on hold to their call centers.
A local travel advisor is a direct personal connection to your itinerary. As someone who has travelled extensively myself, aside from being an official travel advisor, I know the ins and outs of different company policies as well as how to get your family ready for their trip. For my clients in the Boston area, I am available to meet up in person or on Zoom. As always I am always there for your calls and you will always talk to me vs. a call center. That's the 'local way' and why I started Travelova in my community.
As always if you need any help planning your next vacation---I am here to help! Let's connect
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