Travel Flight and Car, Travel Tips

TFC advise “Its good to use a travel agent only if you know a good one !”

A good travel agent will know when a small change in your schedule can save you a lot of money. If you buy direct from the airline, you may not find out such information, since they will only quote you the rates for the times you ask. So if you’re going to use a travel agent, make sure that you find one who is willing (and able) to search through the morass of fares and restrictions to find a good deal for you. A travel agent who just punches your data into the computer and tells you the prices is no better than the airline’s 800 number. A good travel agent can probably save you about 10-15%.

An obstacle in getting good service is agent inexperience and ignorance. The agent you encounter may well be an ill-trained part-timer who works in the agency more for the fringe benefits (notably discounts, subsidized, or free travel) than to make a living. Such agents can probably book a package tour or a point-to-point flight, but they are unlikely to have the expertise to use a complex computer system to construct low-fare itineraries.

Membership in either of two principal travel agency professional associations, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and the Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA) is a plus in establishing the solvency and integrity of the agency. ASTA members are supposed to follow certain Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics, and also runs a mediation/arbitration service between member agencies and their customers. But an ASTA or ARTA affiliation does not ensure the competence of every agent in the office. One indication of an individual agent’s ability is his or her qualification as a “certified travel counselor” (CTC). To become a CTC, an agent with at least five years’ experience must complete a two-year graduate-level program offered by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents.

TFC Travel Tips hope you found this information helpful. Our Club members are both experts in the Travel industry and people like you who love to holiday! all we do is pass on our years of experience.

TFC Travel Tips part of http://www.travelflightandcar.com/ Our Experience can help you get the Holiday you want at the price you can afford.

travelfl@travelflightandcar.com

Trackback URI | Comments RSS