Time Management Continued:
(Adriana Da Silva, Dream Vacations Travel Advisor)
My name is Adriana Da Silva, I am a Local Travel Advisor living in Longwood, Florida. I write these travel reviews to help the public and my clients plan the best vacation getaways. Did you miss a post or know a busy person who needs a holiday? Will you be their hero and forward this post. Don't forget to start booking your own getaway now.
When to use a Travel Advisor
Recently I was speaking with a good friend who happens to be a financial advisor, and I asked her, "How do your clients know when they should hire an Advisor?"
She said the answer was easy. 'If a person does not have; time, tools or talent, they should consider the value of a professional.'
Is it better to use a Travel Advisor?
In a 2020 Google Study, Google found the average person was experiencing over 400 'digital moments,' involved in making their online travel plans with hotel reservations, online booking flights, and rental cars.
This did not include the additional digital moments that then came after their purchase of things like excursions, activities, luggage, and other travel related attire and then even more 'digital moments,' related to resolving travel problems with flights and other logistics in their holidays. This means that on average 'do-it-yourselfers,' are clicking thru more than 400 internet pages before even making their first reservation!
According to Fodor's, a respected travel source, on average people spend 10-20 hours of planning a 1 week trip up to 3 - 5 months in advanced. Americans, spend substantially more, with an average of 23 hours planning. Of this time spent planning, 5 hours alone is spent researching airlines, and another 4- 6 hours researching hotels, and then even further time researching car rental when applicable.
Now, according to Expedia, notably one of the largest online-do-it-yourself booking sites, Americans will then spend another 12 hours resolving the very same airline arrangements they had booked themselves. All in, Americans are spending up to 36 hours of their time 'doing it themselves.' If these figures don't sound right to you, then perhaps consider jogging your memory back to where you were seated while planning your last trip.
Most people, are spending these hours behind their keyboards while at work. This is exceptionally true with the increased number of people now working remotely. Lot's of productivity is being lost to planning that next vacation. Instead of replying to a client's question, or submitting that report to your boss, people are clicking thru hundreds of internet pages trying to find the best hotel during their next stay in Orlando. The surprises don't stop here.
Is it cheaper to use a Travel Advisor?
There is a common perception it will cost extra to hire a travel agent. Other than occasional nominal fees associated with some suppliers, or airline bookings thru a system you will read about momentarily, this is not true.
An exact dollar figure is very difficult to determine because each persons travel experience is so very different, however, your first trip with an agent will most likely be the same as an online booking giant, and you will have saved substantial time, and begun establishing client loyal rewards with your new Advisor as well was bundling existing rewards whenever applicable such as frequent flyer miles.
Lastly, going back to if there becomes a problem with your trip, your agent will do all of the hard work with the airlines, hotel or other vendors themselves, allowing you to enjoy your trip in tranquility the way it should be. This becomes an unbeatable compounding value of discounts and time savings!
Where's my money going ?
You may not know 'who' really owns the mega booking companies but you should.
Airlines have had beneficial ownership interest in these aggregators for decades. This dates back to the 1960's with American Airlines and IBM working together to create their own reservation system, which then became available in the late 1970's to travel agents. At that time profit margins in airline pricing were big enough to incentivize agents to book air travel on behalf of the airlines.
Fast forward more than 40 years, and due to pricing wars and the evolution of this system into what it has become today, agents may still book your air travel, however, they may either charge a nominal fee such as $10 if this is the only service used, or if it is one piece to the rest of a bigger travel package the agent may simply consider the time involved with the airline booking as just 'the cost of doing business.'
What all of this means to you is first, the online booking companies did not appear from out of the 'blue,' and second, the airlines ingeniously repurposed their existing booking systems to both cast even greater webs of 'self check-out' venues thru these portals, while distancing themselves even further from the burdens associated with resolving booking issues. After all, when you book yourself, you agree to the terms and conditions in the very fine print.
Final Thoughts:
My strongest advice to anyone is: 'If you don't get travel help with myself, then consider the value a Travel Advisor can provide. Think twice before using the Mega Online Booking Companies yourself.'
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Call or Text (407) 432-0673 | visit: adasilva.dreamvacations | email: adasilva@dreamvacations.com
Full Service | Travel Agent | Longwood, Fl.
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