4 similarities to Vacation Specialists & Insurance ! And YES, BOTH need your investment “before” you need.

You can’t buy car, house, health life, trip insurance “after” you need it !   Same basically holds true with deciding to include a cruise/travel agent with your vacation plans.  You buy insurance because of, “if it happens”, which is the same reason for allowing a travel professional to handle your travel.

Today, because so much “buying travel” is online, folks tend to think, this must mean it’s easy to do.  The opportunity to buy online means nothing of the sort !  For the most part, these are THIRD PARTY INTERNET VENDORS.  They’re not so much specialists in their field … It may be an Internet Company just dabbling into a “piece of the travel pie”. 

A second similarity to Insurance, not all travel purchased are treated equal !  Who reads the “terms & conditions” before buying ?  It’s partly WHY folks get in trouble … They don’t know the rules !  You may not know all the insight to your insurance either … But that’s why you have an insurance agent !  A 3rd similariity ... You don't buy your differnt type insurance on your own (Please tell me you don't !).

For those Internet Sites that are the "true vendor" ... Such as cruise lines & tour operators ... Again, you don't read the terms & condition ... Invest in an agent.  Agents know these vendors, and many, such as "Cruise Distribution Houses", they have a close knit relationship to your name brand vendors.  That's another tip ... Are you looking for name brand vendor for your travel purchases ?  Do you know who the "name brands" are ?  Or just choosing cheap cause you're trusting in the Internet (3rd party vendor ?) ?

If you're only buying airfare & hotel, either buy direct from the vendor or if you are a member of AAA, they should provide this service for free !   Many hotels have told me, if you call them direct, they will match price and if you buy on someone else's site, you're often given one of the least favorite rooms.  As far as airfare ... Notice that it's not cheaper on these other sites ... And if it is, beware ... I've had many a person call me, two weeks down the road, to tell me, they received an email, that either said, the price and/or itinerary is no longer available.  If you bought the flight from the airline, they will work with you if the flight times have changed !
 

I’ve heard some folks say, I’ll call an agent if I have a question.  If you’re calling an agent with a question, then you’re actually NOT handling your vacation on your own.  “On your own” means, you do all the research, asking no one any questions.  So if you are calling Travel Professionals or asking friends/family for answer, then you're only fooling yourself, in believing that you bought this travel on your own !   And if you do call for a question, and do not choose to give that agent the business, then you are in turn, “stealing” information without purchase.  Insight/Information is meant for FREE to “customers, not passer-buyers” !

Travel Writers tell you, if you have one question, you may have more, so choose to buy your vacation through a specialist/agent !  And in essence, a person who doesn’t see that using someone’s expertise without buying, is seen in the travel world, as a person who doesn’t have respect for a person’s time nor takes into consideration that this person too, deserves a pay check like you. 

I’ve heard other folks say, I’ll call an agent if I get in trouble.  For the most part, you’ll be too late for help.  If you’ve already bought your airline ticket or bought a vacation that is already in penalty, there’s not much anyone can do for you.  And if they can, you’re liable to pay lots of money for their time for reaching out them “after” !

I’ve heard folks say, Well I’ve done it before and nothing has happened.  That’s like saying, I’ve gone without buying insurance before and all turned out ok.  Like the 4th similarity to insurance … COUNT YOUR LUCKY STARS … WHY WOULD YOU PUSH YOUR LUCK !

I’ve heard folks in the travel industry use the word “Karma”.  I know I don’t like that word, but I’ve sadly seen it happen to folks !  After stealing information or not choosing to put money in the pocket of someone who works in the travel world.

Travel is a tricky world !  Stuff happens !  Though it’s not actually karma, you shouldn’t bank on everything turning out smoothly, when you see things in your own everyday life, take it’s ups-downs.  Like death & taxes, you can’t control what can happen with travel !  But you can control if you don’t want to be, in what “could happen”, alone !

SEEK OUT & INVEST IN A TRAVEL PROFESSION … BEFORE STUFF HAPPENS !  Unless your needs are complicated or what you need isn’t a commissionable part of travel, then the “helping you” is usually FREE !  WHY TURN DOWN FREE ?