Unique Ways Travel Advisors Enhance Their Clients’ Journeys

Travel is no longer a commodity, as more people seek out meaningful vacation experiences, especially in our post-pandemic world. And when they use a trusted travel advisor – instead of planning and booking their trips on their own online – they receive a higher level of service along with insider access to exceptional adventures. Here are some of the ways that advisors can enhance their clients’ journeys.

Narrowing down massive amounts of information
While the massive amounts of travel information available online can inspire trip ideas, it can also be completely overwhelming as the first step in vacation planning. 

“We hear a lot from our clients, ‘I don’t know where to start.’ Being crippled by indecision is very real. You can go down the rabbit hole online very quickly and start to question if what you are seeing is credible,” says Colleen Aaberg, chief travel designer, Aaberg Travel Design. “My firsthand experience with destinations and resorts help clients start to weed out options based on target criteria … all of a sudden, a winning choice starts to present itself.  

“My clients really experience my open and honest feedback on what I would choose if I were them, knowing their vacation tendencies. We are very fortunate to have repeat clients, which speaks volumes to our ability to be a great matchmaker with our clients’ desires. I’m able to do that by lots of time spent exploring destinations and brands firsthand.”  

She goes on to explain: “I just booked a mom-and-daughter Costa Rica experience in February. Mom came to me with a ‘cute hotel’ booked that she found online. Once we started talking however, I pointed out that this hotel was on the opposite coast from where most of the activities and closer access to Liberia, the airport that had direct flights to her origin city. She ended up scrapping that hotel reservation. 

“I put together a comprehensive package that included direct first-class air, a stay in both the rainforest and down on the beach to fully experience the destination, a rental car to self-explore a bit, as well as valuable travel insurance … all within her targeted budget. This was also finished within a few days of her initial call, where she’d been researching on her own for weeks and getting caught up in uncertainty. Plus, I educated her on the ability to utilize some of her loyalty miles to help her not have to come out of pocket as much, and to get some much-valued upgrades at a great rate, all while garnering more status for the upcoming year.” 

Curating personalized itineraries
When travelers use a travel advisor, they have an expert in their back pocket, someone who knows all the ins and outs of their chosen destination. From that knowledge comes personalized itineraries designed to meet their exact needs and desires.

“I curate detailed itineraries for my clients traveling to Italy, and other popular areas of Europe,” says Josephine Mascolo, of Advanced Travel and Endless Italy. “I set up seamless trips with hotels that I have personally inspected. I will add train transportation, private transfers, and mostly personalized tours. 

“The ground services are a very important aspect of their trip. We use professional English-speaking drivers; we recommend tours that allow them to interact with the local area, and guides with many years of experience. If they are Delta SkyMiles members, we will check for upgrades, or we inform them of other options to save them money. We receive wonderful feedback from all our clients, and they recommend their families and friends to us.”

Lori Stephens, founder and CEO, Sojourney Travel, says: “Travel advisors hold a wealth of insider information that they can use to help recommend hidden gems and off-the-beaten path recommendations. There are also many travel tidbits that many travel advisors know that the average traveler would not know. 

“For example, if you haven’t been to Mexico in years, or if you haven’t traveled much at all, you may not know that you’re being pulled into a timeshare presentation when you’re simply trying to find your taxi. It is not always the big picture of an itinerary – sometimes it is the little details that you don’t think of that can make a trip run smoothly. Simple things like what type of electrical outlet a country uses, or having a packing list that corresponds with the weather, can make or break an experience.”

Stephens also notes that travel advisors can enhance their clients’ experiences when they take part in FAM trips, site inspections, and supplier training programs. “[Knowledgeable advisors] have detailed knowledge of what each travel supplier or area offers, and which suppliers provide a level of quality and service that live up to an agency’s brand standard. Overall, a travel advisor’s role in vetting a supplier is to gain a thorough understanding of their offerings and what the quality of service should live up to. When vetting different hotels and cruise lines, a travel professional will create a repertoire of options that only offer the best experience for their clients.”

Giving travelers insider access to deals and experiences
As experienced travel professionals, advisors have access to insider information from years of personal travel and relationships they have built with travel suppliers around the world. With that knowledge base, they bring greater value and distinctive experiences to their clients that they would generally not find on their own.

“At the end of the day, I book travel every day, all day, professionally. In doing so, I know all the tricks to get the best value for your vacation dollar,” relays Aaberg. “I tell my clients that I spend their money like I spend my own, which they very much appreciate. Some things are worth paying a bit more for, and some can be skipped. The win is knowing where to go to get that best value mix … I’ve got that in my head for most all locations we represent across Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Calling us is like pressing the easy button!”

She continues: “We can also recommend something unexpected when they are telling us their list of desires. A dear client and friend called for a trip to Disney World, and they landed in London for six nights with a killer deal on an adjoining room for their family of four. Availability was slim at Disney, where London looked great for price and availability during a bit of an offseason in early April. And they were THRILLED with the outcome.”

Stephens adds: “Travel advisors often have a wealth of knowledge and experience that they can use to get their clients better deals from the beginning. From attaching loyalty numbers to a booking, to keeping an eye on emails for current promotions so that they can request a refare in order to get their clients a better rate, advisors know what to look out for when trying to save their client time and money.

“Additionally, travel advisors can sometimes leverage their partnerships with hotels and cruise lines to offer their clients upgrades, in-room treats, or additional perks. Sometimes a simple email to a supplier, or registering a booking, will result in a bottle of champagne or a box of chocolates. Travel advisors build positive relationships with suppliers, which in turn can be used to enhance an experience for a client.”

Providing support throughout their trip
When travelers book online, they are 100 percent on their own if their plans change or events occur in the world that affect their travels. But with a travel advisor, they have a personal connection for whatever support they need throughout their trip.

“After we have made all their plans, we will spend hours with our clients, so they know what to expect while traveling abroad. We let them know which restaurants they should go to, what they should not miss in each city, how much currency they should travel with. We provide them with our cell number and let them know that we are a phone call away,” relays Mascolo.

Stephens says: “Travel advisors serve as an advocate for travelers before, during, and after travel. It is true that anyone can book a trip. Technology makes it easier than ever for a consumer to go online and book their trip directly. However, consumers typically do not possess the years of knowledge and research that a travel advisor has. 

“Additionally, if something were to go wrong and a consumer booked their own trip, they would spend countless hours on hold to resolve their issue. Travel advisors have a direct line of contact with suppliers so that they can resolve issues on their client’s behalf. This reduces the amount of time a client spends on hold, potential hours of stress involved, and increases the time they can spend anticipating and enjoying their vacation.”

Taking advocacy one step further
“Although it seems like it should be a basic rule of thumb, I go out of my way to treat every client as an individual. Clients are not simply another number to travel advisors, they are a product of a carefully curated relationship that was formed by active listening and compassion,” says Stephens.

“When a client comes forward with an issue [with a supplier], I actively listen and make note of the issue so that I can ensure it will not happen again. In addition, if the client reaches out immediately, I do everything in my power to resolve the issue as soon as possible, during the trip. Although we carefully vet our suppliers, things do sometimes happen that do not live up to our expectations and standards. We prove time and time again that we are in our clients’ corners and have their best interests in mind.

“When you’re working in a commission-based role, especially as a travel advisor, the temptation can be strong to prioritize sales above all else. However, being an excellent travel advisor involves more than just closing deals. It involves building relationships and providing value. Clients react to this by returning. They trust that they’re in the right hands, they trust that we care, and they trust us to plan their travels time and time again.”

FROM THE SPONSOR:
With more than 50 years in business, Delta Vacations — a Delta Air Lines company — is one of the largest vacation providers in the U.S. We deliver elevated, all-in-one, customized and flexible vacation experiences designed for SkyMiles® Members. With Delta Vacations, SkyMiles Members and Travel Advisors can choose memorable getaways featuring Delta’s notable flight service to more than 330 destinations in 67 countries worldwide, combined with expertly curated hotels and activities, to truly Go Beyond the Flight. We are grateful for your trust in Delta Vacations and for each and every booking you make with us. Travel Advisors are the cornerstone of our business, and we are so appreciative of your partnership. Find more information about Delta Vacations and our vacation products, visit worldagentdirect.com, or call 1-800-727-1111.