Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should

Let's face it. If the pandemic taught us anything it is that you can literally do almost anything right from home. Armed with a keyboard and an internet connection, the world is clearly accessible from your couch. So, in an era where you see the online delivery guy way more than you see your spouse, it seems plausible that when booking travel, you might as well go at it alone.

Well, wait. Not so fast. 

Yes, we are 100% here to say that you can, in fact, book your trips and travel all by yourself (gasp!). You can, from soup to nuts, coordinate your trip. That is absolute fact. 

Here's the thing though. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Hear me out...

Way back when, Mom or Dad used to go down to the local AAA, get a highlighted map, a dot matrix printed itinerary and then you headed to the bank for some travelers checks. With the invention of the internet (thanks Al Gore) that was very quickly made obsolete. But, what could not be replaced is the hours of research and personal attention that those lovely people put into your planning.

Fast forward to today. These days, people get online, type "cheap cruise vacations" or "how to go to Disney on a budget" (don't act like you haven't, we know you have), and cross their fingers hoping for a good rate. That's all well and good but you just don't get personalized, concierge service from a search engine (sorry Google). And, don't tell them that I said this, organizations like big cruise lines, All-inclusive resorts, etc actually MAKE MORE MONEY when you book directly with them. You don't see it, it's baked in, but the money that they would be sharing with travel advisors (like us) they just keep in their pocket. Those savings, sadly, are very rarely passed on to you.

You see, that fee is already included in your fare. They typically don't take it out when you book directly with them. When you book direct, you just allow them to pocket just a little more rather than supporting a young, thriving local small business (cough, cough...that's us). Using a travel agent/advisor often costs you nothing*. It costs the vendor a portion of their rate. So of course they want you to book direct. Cha-Ching in their bank account when you do. Imagine the volume of unpaid commission that they pile up every year. It would be one thing if they passed that on to the client, but no, they pass that on to the bottom line. 

But that's just the financial side of things.

The way more important thing to discuss is that when booking direct, you take all of the responsibility upon yourself to dig for deals, deal with issues, and lord knows you don't really have the leverage to negotiate extras. Why? Because you're just one person with a life and responsibilities and stress and all kinds of other things going on in your world. Don't even get me started about trying to coordinate families, or weddings, or large groups. You want that kind of crazy in your life??? No, you don't. It's much nicer when someone else has to deal with Aunt Sheila changing her mind five times as to whether she wants a beverage package or making sure Laura's room isn't even in the vicinity of her future sister-in-law. We can handle all of that with grace, ease, and confidence. And you don't have to deal with your relatives. :)

When you work with an agency, things just become easier. It is their JOB to know things about how this all works, the seasonality of rates, where on the ship are the secret larger cabins, what time/day its better to book flights, you name it. It's like having your very own personal travel assistant. It's like all the sudden getting the golden ticket and going to the front of the line. Or walking into a booked restaurant like a VIP. Your name is already on the list. You gotta guy (or gal)...and those people know things and know people and know tricks that only come with being on the inside of this process. Do you think Taylor Swift, or Payton Manning, or the Governor of Rhode Island book their own travel? Heck no they don't. They have people who do that for them. You can too. Very easily. You deserve that kind of service and freedom. Let us be your people. 

Here are some of the top reasons why you should Sea For Yourself what a travel advisor can do for you...

• You can get expert advice on how, when, and where to book your travel. We study this stuff. Really. We take tests and pass courses identifying us as experts.
• Our clients get a personal travel concierge who you can a) get in touch with if/when things go wrong and b) are able to provide customer service that you can't get online. (Ever tried to get answers from a cruise line help desk? Let us handle that). We live to provide extraordinary customer service. 
• Travel advisors often have access to rates and discounts not available elsewhere. The price you get is the "all-in" rate, not a bait and switch to get you interested only to find out that the cost is significantly more expensive when you add in taxes, fees, and other add-ons. Through our parent agency, we book tremendous volume and those bulk/group rates are passed on to our clients. Most times we can beat any apples to apples price you find online and if we can't, we have enough clout with the vendor to insist on a price match. 
• You can support a local small business that like you, loves our community and is trying hard to do an excellent job. We live local and raise our families here. We speak your language...both literally and figuratively. We get it and we get you.
• We always have an extra set of eyes on your travel rate that monitors changes and alerts you to price drops and opportunities to price match or re-quote for extra savings. No online vendor is going to do that. I promise you...once they have you, they set it and forget it. Not here. We pride ourselves on being tenacious about making sure you have the best experience (and price) available to you up until you are paid in full. We will watch it and we will revise it if we find a better deal. Just this week we saved and additional $200 per cabin on an already fabulous NYE Cruise.
• We can offer pay as you go options so your wallet doesn't take an immediate hit when planning. We know your budget is important so we go out of our way to work a way to spread out your future payments.
• Finally, we are way more fun. 

Give us a shot. Now is the time to be planning for future travel. Let us show you what we can do. There's a world out there!!! Go see it. Not ready to plan just yet? Share our agency with your friends. Like our posts or share our blog. Even the smallest gestures help small businesses like ours make very big strides.

Thank you!

Want to just kick the tires on a vacation you've been dreaming about? Fill out our inquiry form (click the link) and let us see what's out there. Already booked on your own but would like us to watch for price updates and drops? You can transfer your booking to us and we take it from there. Easy peasy.

Here's some frequently asked questions found on the ASTA website (Retrieved December, 2022). They say it almost as good as we do. :)

Travel advisors have the knowledge and connections to enhance your trip with one-of-a-kind experiences and to smooth out any problems that might arise. Plus, they often have exclusive access to special fares and discounts. So take advantage of their expertise to create your dream vacation.

I’ve always booked my own trips. Why would I want to work with a travel advisor?

You may not. If you’re simply booking a flight to stay with relatives or staying at a resort you’ve frequented and loved in the past, you may be fine on your own. But even then, there are benefits to booking with a travel advisor. For example, he or she might advise you about which airport offers the most reliable connections so you don’t spend hours or even a night in an airport. Your travel advisor also might be able to get you a special deal at your resort or suggest a getaway that you’d like even better. And if your flight is canceled, your travel advisor can probably handle your rebooking far better than you could.

More importantly, a travel advisor helps you sift through the confusing array of hotels, tours, cruises, and even room types to make sure that your trip fits your dreams and your budget. They’ll also open your eyes to special experiences you might not think of and prevent and/or sort out any snafus that might come up during your trip. And they often have access to money-saving deals, upgrades and perks that can enhance your trip.

Travel advisors especially earn their stripes as heroes when disasters such as the pandemic or a hurricane strike and they have to pull strings and use their creativity, knowledge and sometimes, their connections, to get their clients home. 

What can I expect from my first meeting with a travel advisor?

Expect to answer a lot of questions about everything from the hobbies and special interests of you and your travel companions to what you’ve enjoyed and hated about previous trips. It’s important to answer thoughtfully and honestly because those questions will be the basis for the recommendations the advisor will make. Think in advance about your travel dreams, your budget, and any specific needs or concerns you have. The advisor should also disclose their fee, if any, and what services they provide (24/7 availability if there are issues while you’re traveling, perks they can provide, etc.) *Sea For Yourself does not charge a fee for our services.

Should I use different travel advisors for different trips?

Probably not. There are two components a travel advisor brings to their work: their expertise and their understanding of your needs. The more trips a travel advisor plans for you, the better they understand your needs. And travel advisors have a network of experts to tap into if there’s a place or an experience they don’t know personally.  So as long as you’ve been happy with your advisor, we suggest sticking with him or her.

Why Are They Called Travel Advisors; What Happened To Travel Agents?

The term “travel agent” dates back to a simpler era when the agent’s job was to book steamship, airline and train tickets. As travel became more complex, their work evolved from booking agents for suppliers to trusted advisors to consumers — akin to financial agents and CPAs — who make the overall travel experience better and provide leisure and business travelers maximum value for their travel dollar.

*Sea For Yourself provides our service with no fee to our clients. Our relationships with travel vendors pays our bills and allows our clients to worry not about any extra payments for our help. When we say free consultations, we mean free consultations.