Has anyone stopped and actually taken a look at airline prices.
First..airlines are declaring bankrupcy and merging left and right.
They they are eliminating entire travel routes.
They are not accommodating the passengers left behind scrambling for new flights.
So..Mexico wants everyone to come to see the new Mexico..but how do we get there?
There should be a general strike by passengers...tell the airlines that they will not stand for $700 prices to the Caribbean and mexico.
This makes a problem for everyone..
Join me..Customers call us and say...why is it so expensive...its the airlines..I didn't do it.. I don't want to do it..
Contact me at A Time to Travel
trvllsue@aol.com
atimetotravel.net
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The RETURN of the travel agent
"THESE ARE NOT MY WORDS...BUT HOW TRUE THIS IS:
Last year, a good friend took an international trip with a two-stop flight itinerary. Afterwards, he reflected on how beat up he felt when it was over: "Adding that third airport into the mix seemed to add a ton of extra travel this year; it was rough."
I asked how he booked the flights. He said that he'd used one of the big travel booking sites, and that the itinerary he purchased was the best combination of duration, flight times and price he could find. My response: "Next time, call my travel agent first. You'll feel a lot better when it's all over."
The following year, he did just that, and the agent came up with options that he could never have found himself using a single booking site -- specifically, a short and affordable Southwest flight that put him in an airport with countless options for direct flights to his final destination. What would have been another expensive, six-flight endurance test was replaced by a far less demanding trip.
I use my travel agent on about 50 percent of all my trips, so when CNN marvels that travel agents may be making a comeback, I have to agree.
the Return of the Travel Agent
Why now? Personally, I've found that the likelihood of using a travel agent increases in direct proportion to the abundance and complexity of travel options you can find on the Internet. Many travelers are discovering the following:
In offering more options and amenities, online travel sites have actually made it more confusing to figure out what they are selling, not less so.
the explosion of restrictions and fees -- many of which are not obvious to the casual travel buyer -- further muddies understanding of the bottom line on any itinerary.
The absence of a number of popular airlines from major booking engines -- the juggernaut Southwest being the most glaring -- eliminates what could well turn out to be a specific traveler's absolute best itinerary.
The big online travel sites got too smart for their own good; by tidying up and repackaging all the data each according to their own assumptions about travel purchasing, they show us what they think we want to see, but not always what we really want to see. That is, by becoming "online travel agents," rather than mere booking sites, they end up in competition with real travel agents, who can usually do the work better than computers can.
Despite being "smarter" and more comprehensive than ever, the typical travel booking experience has way too many dead ends. Whether it be the inability to get seats together, or disappearing fare sales, or the inability to lock in a fare for a short time, booking online is like being trapped inside a bad video game with countless trapdoors and false exits.
Poll: Do You Use a Travel Agent?
And my number one reason to use a travel agent: the reduction in flight capacity by the airlines has resulted in significantly more full flights on the routes I fly. At the same time, the booking sites have gotten only marginally better at offering seat choices and at seating companions together. Just try to book your family on a multi-flight trip and you'll see what I mean. Travel agents can hack their way through all this stuff.
It has gotten to the point that many travelers truly dread the moment they have to sit down at the computer to research travel. Seems like a good time to call in a pro, no?
If this describes you, or even just your next trip, here are some tips and guidelines for choosing, communicating with and evaluating a travel agent. For more info, including how to find an agent, when to use a professional and when to do it yourself, and some potential conflicts of interest to consider, see How to Find the Right Travel Agent.
9 Tips for Insanely Busy Travelers
Is the travel agent open to suggestions from you, the customer? For example, if you go out and find a decent fare and flight combination, but for whatever reason want some of the services a travel agent can provide, does he check into the flight you suggested or simply ignore your input?
Is there a 24-hour solution line you can call if you get in a jam? For example, say you're flying on a Sunday night red-eye from west to east, and your flight is delayed or canceled. Is there someone you can call at 10:30 p.m. to try to get you on the best next flight, or at the very least into a convenient and affordable hotel?
We are available to you.
We will come up with something better and more affordable than you ever could have, fulfilling our guidelines in every respect.
WE DO NOT CHARGE EXTRA
Last year, a good friend took an international trip with a two-stop flight itinerary. Afterwards, he reflected on how beat up he felt when it was over: "Adding that third airport into the mix seemed to add a ton of extra travel this year; it was rough."
I asked how he booked the flights. He said that he'd used one of the big travel booking sites, and that the itinerary he purchased was the best combination of duration, flight times and price he could find. My response: "Next time, call my travel agent first. You'll feel a lot better when it's all over."
The following year, he did just that, and the agent came up with options that he could never have found himself using a single booking site -- specifically, a short and affordable Southwest flight that put him in an airport with countless options for direct flights to his final destination. What would have been another expensive, six-flight endurance test was replaced by a far less demanding trip.
I use my travel agent on about 50 percent of all my trips, so when CNN marvels that travel agents may be making a comeback, I have to agree.
the Return of the Travel Agent
Why now? Personally, I've found that the likelihood of using a travel agent increases in direct proportion to the abundance and complexity of travel options you can find on the Internet. Many travelers are discovering the following:
In offering more options and amenities, online travel sites have actually made it more confusing to figure out what they are selling, not less so.
the explosion of restrictions and fees -- many of which are not obvious to the casual travel buyer -- further muddies understanding of the bottom line on any itinerary.
The absence of a number of popular airlines from major booking engines -- the juggernaut Southwest being the most glaring -- eliminates what could well turn out to be a specific traveler's absolute best itinerary.
The big online travel sites got too smart for their own good; by tidying up and repackaging all the data each according to their own assumptions about travel purchasing, they show us what they think we want to see, but not always what we really want to see. That is, by becoming "online travel agents," rather than mere booking sites, they end up in competition with real travel agents, who can usually do the work better than computers can.
Despite being "smarter" and more comprehensive than ever, the typical travel booking experience has way too many dead ends. Whether it be the inability to get seats together, or disappearing fare sales, or the inability to lock in a fare for a short time, booking online is like being trapped inside a bad video game with countless trapdoors and false exits.
Poll: Do You Use a Travel Agent?
And my number one reason to use a travel agent: the reduction in flight capacity by the airlines has resulted in significantly more full flights on the routes I fly. At the same time, the booking sites have gotten only marginally better at offering seat choices and at seating companions together. Just try to book your family on a multi-flight trip and you'll see what I mean. Travel agents can hack their way through all this stuff.
It has gotten to the point that many travelers truly dread the moment they have to sit down at the computer to research travel. Seems like a good time to call in a pro, no?
If this describes you, or even just your next trip, here are some tips and guidelines for choosing, communicating with and evaluating a travel agent. For more info, including how to find an agent, when to use a professional and when to do it yourself, and some potential conflicts of interest to consider, see How to Find the Right Travel Agent.
9 Tips for Insanely Busy Travelers
Is the travel agent open to suggestions from you, the customer? For example, if you go out and find a decent fare and flight combination, but for whatever reason want some of the services a travel agent can provide, does he check into the flight you suggested or simply ignore your input?
Is there a 24-hour solution line you can call if you get in a jam? For example, say you're flying on a Sunday night red-eye from west to east, and your flight is delayed or canceled. Is there someone you can call at 10:30 p.m. to try to get you on the best next flight, or at the very least into a convenient and affordable hotel?
We are available to you.
We will come up with something better and more affordable than you ever could have, fulfilling our guidelines in every respect.
WE DO NOT CHARGE EXTRA
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
So many places I have been...so many more to go
Hi there friends...I haven't written to you in such a long time. I will start with the most recent trip. I just came back from a trip to Paradisus Esmeralda/La Perla in Riviera Maya section of Cancun. Close to Playa del Carmen..these resorts are connected by a walkway..one side anyone the other side adults only. Very interested way of staying at one and using restaurants of both. The walkway is where all of the restaurants lie. FABULOUS food...Amazing pools..Love the beach...and Paella at lunch. This was an eat-a-thon.
Now let me tell you about their mexican restaurant Mole....Holy Moly....amazing wonderful and all that..
This is a great place to have a destination wedding even with kids. Close to town and shopping..and the eco parks are a must to see.
We went to XELHA....about 20 minutes south of playa del Carmen. The newest one is XPLOR...north of playa del carmen with about 20 zip lines and an underground grotto to snorkel in.
$79 per person is cheap for a fun day away from the resort.
OK...Now...for the real deal.....
CANCUN IS SAFE. Don't let anything anyone says. It is safe.. You can take the bus..You can walk..you can shop. you can do anything. IT IS SAFE.
We went from Riviera Maya to Cancun a few times... safety was not an issue.
One night dinner at the adult south beach style ME resort, dining in the brazilian restaurant...Meat , meat and more meat..
The next night on the golf course at Gran Melia.
Just a fabulous trip and I encourage you to travel to Melia resorts all over the world.
And don't forget to use a travel agent. We are knowledgeable. We don't take your money. We get you the best prices. We know what's the best vacation for you.
We are not just order takers.
Now let me tell you about their mexican restaurant Mole....Holy Moly....amazing wonderful and all that..
This is a great place to have a destination wedding even with kids. Close to town and shopping..and the eco parks are a must to see.
We went to XELHA....about 20 minutes south of playa del Carmen. The newest one is XPLOR...north of playa del carmen with about 20 zip lines and an underground grotto to snorkel in.
$79 per person is cheap for a fun day away from the resort.
OK...Now...for the real deal.....
CANCUN IS SAFE. Don't let anything anyone says. It is safe.. You can take the bus..You can walk..you can shop. you can do anything. IT IS SAFE.
We went from Riviera Maya to Cancun a few times... safety was not an issue.
One night dinner at the adult south beach style ME resort, dining in the brazilian restaurant...Meat , meat and more meat..
The next night on the golf course at Gran Melia.
Just a fabulous trip and I encourage you to travel to Melia resorts all over the world.
And don't forget to use a travel agent. We are knowledgeable. We don't take your money. We get you the best prices. We know what's the best vacation for you.
Friday, March 30, 2012
A Month has gone by...imagine that
It's been a while. My son, Mike got married Feb 18 to Alessandra in a beautiful beachfront evening wedding. Congrats to them both.
They went to Thailand ...seems to be one of the new destination for honeymoons. According to them, it was great, but it was a one time deal.
And then it comes to me. 3 weeks ago I went to Jamaica to take a mini time out and see some resorts I have not seen in a while..
First..The Jewel..formerly Sandals Dunns River. A simply fabulous resort with food and drink to die for. It looks pretty much like the previous resort. The hotel mgr is a friend from long ago so my dearest customers be sure and give The Jewel a shot.
Moving on..I got to see the newly redone Couples Tower Isle. A very contemporary resort, it was a nice resort but didnt seem overly friendly. Maybe that was my take on it as it was raining while I was there...Food pretty good though..
Last stop was Sandals Royal Caribbean...Home finally. This resort is my home away from home. Just wait til they start building over the water bungalows. Then Jamaica watch out....you will suddenly be mistaken for the South Pacific....Yah mon style..
Til next time..
Sue
They went to Thailand ...seems to be one of the new destination for honeymoons. According to them, it was great, but it was a one time deal.
And then it comes to me. 3 weeks ago I went to Jamaica to take a mini time out and see some resorts I have not seen in a while..
First..The Jewel..formerly Sandals Dunns River. A simply fabulous resort with food and drink to die for. It looks pretty much like the previous resort. The hotel mgr is a friend from long ago so my dearest customers be sure and give The Jewel a shot.
Moving on..I got to see the newly redone Couples Tower Isle. A very contemporary resort, it was a nice resort but didnt seem overly friendly. Maybe that was my take on it as it was raining while I was there...Food pretty good though..
Last stop was Sandals Royal Caribbean...Home finally. This resort is my home away from home. Just wait til they start building over the water bungalows. Then Jamaica watch out....you will suddenly be mistaken for the South Pacific....Yah mon style..
Til next time..
Sue
Friday, February 10, 2012
it's been a while
It's been a long while since my last post. But I am back and ready to tell you everything you need to know about travel.
I will tell you a story. I had a call from a past customer telling me that the upcoming trip they had booked was a destination wedding and the travel agent the bride had chosen had held no rooms for the guests. In my mind, that is unheard of..but without knowing who the agent was, I made phone calls to find out if any rooms were being held by this agent. The answer was no. The mother of the bride, the maid of honor and many guest were not going to be able to go to the resort. The resort was sold out. The agent they had used was inept.
Did I mention that this was a Sandals resort and when I checked there were absolutely no rooms available. So I did what I do best..I work for the customer..my customers who chose the wrong travel agent for their special day.
I was not going to let them pay for it by having this wedding turn into a disaster.
I was able to find 5 rooms for these customers and they considered me their savior. I am no savior; I am just a knowledeable travel professional who knows what I am doing.
Be careful when planning a very special destination event. Make sure the travel agent knows what she is doing. Make sure you get everything confirmed ..do not take the agent's word for it, or you do can have a disaster in the making.
Hopefully the upcoming wedding will be perfect...
Congratulations to the bride and groom
I will tell you a story. I had a call from a past customer telling me that the upcoming trip they had booked was a destination wedding and the travel agent the bride had chosen had held no rooms for the guests. In my mind, that is unheard of..but without knowing who the agent was, I made phone calls to find out if any rooms were being held by this agent. The answer was no. The mother of the bride, the maid of honor and many guest were not going to be able to go to the resort. The resort was sold out. The agent they had used was inept.
Did I mention that this was a Sandals resort and when I checked there were absolutely no rooms available. So I did what I do best..I work for the customer..my customers who chose the wrong travel agent for their special day.
I was not going to let them pay for it by having this wedding turn into a disaster.
I was able to find 5 rooms for these customers and they considered me their savior. I am no savior; I am just a knowledeable travel professional who knows what I am doing.
Be careful when planning a very special destination event. Make sure the travel agent knows what she is doing. Make sure you get everything confirmed ..do not take the agent's word for it, or you do can have a disaster in the making.
Hopefully the upcoming wedding will be perfect...
Congratulations to the bride and groom
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
TRUST
Let's get back to the basics of travel and why you choose the vacation you are going to go on. In the olden days..you know the days when you had to use a pay phone with a quarter or even a dime for us oldies..when you remembered phone numbers and you used the neighborhood vendor just because they were in the neighborhood and they took good care of you.
Well neighborhoods are long gone, the local travel agent pretty much is long gone so you have a choice of basically putting up a map of the world and throwing a dart into the place you think you might want to go and then going ONLINE and picking the least expensive price for whichever resort was on special at that moment. Did the company care about you..no you are just a number to them. 1-10, 100-500 and so on.
Just the other day I said to someone I wish I could wake up and the age of technology would just disappear for a number of reason.
Those travel agents....real travel agents....not order takers...not transcribers of emails...the travel agents who know the resorts, all inclusive, honeymoon, and yes imagine a destination wedding. It was unheard of 40 yrs ago.
We...the real people who specialized in the Caribbean, or Mexico, or Europe or Cruises..We know..we know whats best for you and your family. We actually talk to you on the phone and find out your likes and dislikes. We actually wait for the phone call or "email" when you return to tell us if you actually liked where we sent you. It is important to us. It keeps us in business. The fact that we took care of you the way your doctor takes care of you is important to us.
Please friends and family..when thinking about a vacation..call us ...don't use the dartboard method or the internet method..choose someone that you can trust. Most people don't know that word anymore.."Trust" Its important when choosing any type of vendor. It's important when you spend your money...It's simply important...
They call me travelsue
atimetotravel.net
Well neighborhoods are long gone, the local travel agent pretty much is long gone so you have a choice of basically putting up a map of the world and throwing a dart into the place you think you might want to go and then going ONLINE and picking the least expensive price for whichever resort was on special at that moment. Did the company care about you..no you are just a number to them. 1-10, 100-500 and so on.
Just the other day I said to someone I wish I could wake up and the age of technology would just disappear for a number of reason.
Those travel agents....real travel agents....not order takers...not transcribers of emails...the travel agents who know the resorts, all inclusive, honeymoon, and yes imagine a destination wedding. It was unheard of 40 yrs ago.
We...the real people who specialized in the Caribbean, or Mexico, or Europe or Cruises..We know..we know whats best for you and your family. We actually talk to you on the phone and find out your likes and dislikes. We actually wait for the phone call or "email" when you return to tell us if you actually liked where we sent you. It is important to us. It keeps us in business. The fact that we took care of you the way your doctor takes care of you is important to us.
Please friends and family..when thinking about a vacation..call us ...don't use the dartboard method or the internet method..choose someone that you can trust. Most people don't know that word anymore.."Trust" Its important when choosing any type of vendor. It's important when you spend your money...It's simply important...
They call me travelsue
atimetotravel.net
Monday, October 24, 2011
Travel Specials
There are so many travel specials out there. How do you know which to choose and which travel agent to go to...or should you just do it on the internet.
My answer is good and bad. If you choose to book thru the internet you may find very very inexpensive trips, but do you actually know where you are going? All resorts are NOT created equal and a picture is not worth a thousands words. Photographers are paid to make a resort look enticing...I just have to go there...Well in my opinion..you don't just have to go there..It's your money that is being spent and do you actually want to go someplace that looks great on the outside but on the inside....ewwww...I have been to many of those resorts...places that I wouldn't put my foot down on the floor without shoes...food that was inedible..but the pictures were fabulous..
My friends...go to a travel agent. We know about these resorts...I will tell you the good...bad..and ugly...and make sure you have a great time..Our small company employs only people who are there to help and are knowledgeable about where you want to go.
Don't waste your money and remember....we can match almost all prices you see out there...
My answer is good and bad. If you choose to book thru the internet you may find very very inexpensive trips, but do you actually know where you are going? All resorts are NOT created equal and a picture is not worth a thousands words. Photographers are paid to make a resort look enticing...I just have to go there...Well in my opinion..you don't just have to go there..It's your money that is being spent and do you actually want to go someplace that looks great on the outside but on the inside....ewwww...I have been to many of those resorts...places that I wouldn't put my foot down on the floor without shoes...food that was inedible..but the pictures were fabulous..
My friends...go to a travel agent. We know about these resorts...I will tell you the good...bad..and ugly...and make sure you have a great time..Our small company employs only people who are there to help and are knowledgeable about where you want to go.
Don't waste your money and remember....we can match almost all prices you see out there...
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