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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Be kind to your travel agent.....

22 replies

queenofthepirates · 14/04/2013 14:06

Now I've been in the travel business for ten years. In that time I have travelled to every continent in the world, I have organised countless holidays, studied hard, am a recognised expert in several fields and have written many articles giving advice. In short I think I am well qualified for my position.

However if you try and book your honeymoon in peak season with a month to spare, I need to prepare you for compromises. I will do this with empathy and gentle guidance and I will be on hand to talk you through the options. If your budget is beer money and tastes are champagne, I will try my best to get you the most wonderful trip I can. It is after all your honeymoon and it is a special time. I will organise a surprise bottle of something nice for your first night and I'll make sure the waiters know it's not an ordinary holiday so they look after you really well.

If you then throw all your toys out of the pram and shout at me, over email, copying in my manager and make me look to be an incompetent idiot, you lose my love, my trust and most importantly, the fruit basket. I will not ask for upgrades, I may just put a note on your flight tickets asking the stewardess to put you at the back of the plane next to the toilets or I might just ask them to split you up from your new wife for the flights.

end of rant.

OP posts:
tiredemma · 14/04/2013 14:07

I used to be a travel agent. I left it for nursing when i had enough of dealing with people who had unrealistic ideas about what their budget would get them.

ivehadaverybadday · 14/04/2013 14:08
Grin
FarelyKnuts · 14/04/2013 14:10

Note to self... never piss of the travel agent :o

Seriously though, I hear you, people who are rude and vocal do not deserve the extra mile

Sl1nkyMalinki · 14/04/2013 14:11

I used to work in post departure, so i completely understand! Why do people think that a 3 in the Caribbean is going to be 5 standard just because of it's location?! Confused

Sl1nkyMalinki · 14/04/2013 14:12

*its. Damn you autocorrect!

givemeaclue · 14/04/2013 17:30

Ooo a travel agent! Where sin less I go long haul with two x 6. Year olds in Easter or summer school hols in 2014, nice weather, beach and hotel? Promise to appreciate your experience and not send shouty email

queenofthepirates · 14/04/2013 17:43

If you want beach and sun at easter, Oman is guaranteed, otherwise Morocco? Both have good hotels with kids' clubs.

Any good?

OP posts:
givemeaclue · 14/04/2013 22:12

Thanks queen, would think about Oman for Easter, not a big Moroco fan having been there.where would you recommend in summer hols? We are off to Mauritius in a few weeks and I want to start thinking about next year when we get back

HairyPotter · 14/04/2013 22:16

I'm a travel agent too. I was personally responsible for one of the 20 pools in your hotel being closed. I was also to blame for the delayed aircraft and the weather.

I am very sorry Sad

Grin
queenofthepirates · 14/04/2013 22:35

I kept a list of some of the most ridiculous demands made of me until it just got too long.... perhaps we need an ex and current travel agents thread to detail their best clients.....

givemeaclue Canaries? Long haul try Bali

OP posts:
SoggySummer · 14/04/2013 22:39

Ex travel agent here too.

I apologise for there being too many "foriners" on your foreign holiday. I apologise for not pointing out that going to the Algarve meant you were in Portugal and likely to come across lots of potuguese people!

Lamby80 · 15/04/2013 08:26

This made me laugh. I used to be a holiday rep and we used to get stupid comments all the time! I remember once a return flight was delayed due to a technical problem, and i got asked 'would it not even get us home and be fixed in the uk? I have work tomorrow...'. Er, no!!! Its not safe to fly!

MrsSalvoMontalbano · 15/04/2013 08:30

ooh, please let have more of these, loving this thread! Grin

IntheFrame · 15/04/2013 10:11

Can't believe anyone still uses real travel agents.

givemeaclue · 15/04/2013 11:15

In the frame - why?

IntheFrame · 15/04/2013 12:22

Doesn't appear to be any advantage to booking a holiday yourself?

PeterParkerSays · 15/04/2013 12:35

I'm stunned that people go back to their travel agents. No offence like, but once I walk out that door having booked, I have no need to see the travel agent again.

If the holiday was crap, i'll write to the head office of the tour company, not bowl up the High Street and cause much merriment for the staff at the travel agents.

God, there are some loons out there.

givemeaclue · 15/04/2013 13:15

If you book the holiday yourself do you get the abta cover?

IntheFrame · 15/04/2013 13:32

Isn't ABTA just for packages though if the tour operators go out of business.
If you book independently should an airline or hotel go out of business don't you get the money back from your credit card/insurance anyway?

We've booked with expedia (sort of travel agent?)and they have refunded us for a dodgy hotel.

I think the days of travel agents in shops will go the same way as Blockbuster and HMV who suffered at the hands of the internet.

Badvoc · 15/04/2013 13:43

I don't have great experience of travel agents tbh.
Most I have dealt with dont really know their job and are just trying to meet targets.

queenofthepirates · 15/04/2013 18:22

Travel agents and tour operators are just the ticket for when you want to plan something special like a honeymoon. They can add a lot of value for not much extra money. They will be there is something goes wrong like you get bumped off a flight or stranded and can often get an upgrade because they've been to the hotel and got to know the staff.

Agents really come into their own for trickier destinations like Russia or Japan or when you need last minute availability. I don't see them going out of business as long as they adapt to the market and have expertise to offer.

OP posts:
CaurnieBred · 21/04/2013 17:57

My travel agent was a star when Head Office wanted to change our holiday from a Platinum, half board, one bedroom apartment, to a single room in a Family hotel - which was like for like according to them because we were being upgraded to All Inclusive. So not like for like to us and our Agent agreed and fought for us to be offered something much more comparable. This was the first time in years we had booked through an actual Agent and were so glad we had.

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