We’re a few weeks into the new year, which is the best time to start planning your next trip (or trips!) for 2023. Canadians across the country are back to travelling, with airports reporting some of the busiest travel dates since the start of the pandemic. But before you jump online to book your trip, here are five reasons you should use a travel agent to plan the perfect vacation.
1. Travel agents have the latest travel advice
Over the last few years, travelers have trusted the advice and guidance of travel agents to help plan their next trip. They…
Melbourne man Geoff Berlowitz isn’t big on holidays.
Key points:
Another Helloworld Travel franchisee has gone bust in suburban Melbourne
The collapse of the Mill Park outlet has left 56 customers out of pocket
Consumers say Helloworld’s head office has declined to help them
“I mean, Coburg would be a big trip for me,” he said with a wry smile, referring to the suburb just down the road.
So, in 2019, when he and his wife Margaret paid $22,500 for a tour to see Canada and Alaska, scheduled for May 2020, it was a big deal.
“We didn’t sort of…
Qravel agencies are facing an “existential threat” as continuing border closures mean they “don’t have any product to sell”, with business analysts predicting the phasing out of government wage subsidies is likely to mean most larger agencies survive.
However, some travel agencies, despite reporting “zero revenue” since the pandemic began and having to pay back fees for canceled holidays, hope that – by sparing their clients lengthy phone calls with airlines by negotiating refunds on their behalf – they will have demonstrated their value to customers eager to travel when restrictions allow it.
Travel websites’ surging share of holiday bookings…
So, you’re thinking about traveling again? You’re not alone. The pandemic may not be over, but the expansion of vaccine eligibility in the United States — hiccups, delays and pauses aside — plus the news that the European Union will be opening up to vaccinated travelers is inspiring many to plan a real-deal summer vacation , or even take the leap on booking bucket-list adventures.
Travel remains far from simple, however. The virus is finding new footholds around the world, leaving an ever-changing set of rules and restrictions in its wake (and all of this is compounded by a run…
The UK’s biggest package holiday company is also the best, according to more than 8,000 travelers asked to rate their beach/resort holidays in our survey.
Jet2holidays now takes nearly six million people on holiday every year – even more than long-established holiday giant Tui. Despite this rapid expansion, and the fact that its holidays are relatively cheap (just £104pp/day on average), it achieved the top customer score, alongside pricier rival, Kuoni.
Customer service proved the difference between the top performers and those further down the rankings, with holidaymakers repeatedly promoting Jet2holidays’ personal touch, reliability and consistently high levels of service.…
Skift Take
Fora touts itself as a modern travel agency giving individuals, even those with zero experience, the opportunity to become a travel advisor while keeping their day job. But the potential risk has seen it up its game from a free-to-join model to a quarterly subscription offering, with in-house tech, tools and advanced training.
Selene Brophy
Deploying travel advisors with zero travel booking experience sounds like a bad idea. But travel agency Fora believes it is leveling the playing field for individuals passionate about travel to earn extra income by planning and booking trips.
Skift previously reported on Fora’s…
Miriam Henry was on a five-and-a-half-month travel adventure when she felt sick in late March.
Key points:
Travel agents are one of the worst-hit sectors in the COVID crisis and the industry is calling for $250 million in Federal Government support
Many have seen revenue plummet by over 100 per cent, while others have exited all together
There is hope international travel bans will ease, bringing much needed business back
“About a week out from coming home I started to get a small cough which I thought was something I normally get in the winter.”
Miriam’s travel agent Linda Forster…
Surinderpal Gill trusted the travel agency where he bought tickets for a family trip to India two years ago.
But then he found himself out more than $5,200 and his trust was broken.
Last June, Air Canada sent All Link Travel, based in Toronto, three vouchers to compensate Gill for return flights that were canceled as aviation ground to a halt amid the pandemic.
But instead of telling him, Gill says the travel agency repeatedly said there was no sign of the valuable travel documents. It then used those vouchers to pay for trips for other people.
“I feel like…
