We Make Getting There As Easy As Being There! Since 2009 We offer one on one travel expertise in Romance, Family and Escorted Travel. Also serving the blind traveler whether you use a Cane, Guide Dog or Sighted Guide.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Cheryl Echevarria: Founder, Echevarria Travel – Advocate for the Blind
Here is the story that I said was going to happen. It was published today on www.fortune52.com
February 16, 2012 This is from www.fortune52.com, I am also going to be honored with 52 other women from Across Long Island on March 12, 2012
Cheryl Echevarria is blind and might not be able to sightsee like everyone else, yet this intrepid Brentwood woman loves to travel. She relies on her service dog, Maxx, her heightened sense of smell, touch and sound and the confidence that comes from traveling often.
Born with Type 1 diabetes, Cheryl was 22 years old when she was diagnosed with diabetic retinopothy, a common diabetic eye disease that is the leading cause of blindness in American adults.
Cheryl's life changed forever one night in 2001 when she was driving home from her job as an administrative assistant when suddenly, she recalls, her vision became completely blurry. "I had to pull over. I couldn't see."
Cheryl's doctor told her that if her diabetes was affecting her eyes, it would also affect other organs in her body. Subsequently her kidneys began to fail as well. In 2002 she began kidney dialysis treatments three times a week for four hours a day. Her treatments continued for three years until she went through another life-altering experience when her friend Steve Carroll donated his kidney to her.
Once Cheryl recuperated from the organ transplant, she was determined to go back to work. During her dialysis treatments, she lost her sight completely in one eye. She says her remaining sight is "like looking through a telescope hole covered in thick plastic."
Cheryl enrolled in a training program provided by the New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH), where she learned new job skills, including how to use computer software for the blind.
After completing the program, Cheryl was ready for the next step in her recovery which was to go back to school. She began taking classes at Branford Hall Career Institute in Bohemia, and became the school's first blind student to graduate. She found an administrative job in the healthcare field where she worked for two years.
Cheryl felt she missed 10 years of her life being sick and was ready to transition into a new career. She began scouring the internet for new connections.
"I found the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) online and joined the greater Long Island chapter," she says.
The NFB is the largest non-profit organization in the world for the blind that is operated by the blind. Cheryl now serves as the treasurer of the Long Island chapter, adding that all members and officers must be blind to serve in a board position. "We are advocates for education, employment and accessibility," Cheryl says proudly. "We lobby ourselves, we don't hire anyone."
After searching through the federation's resources, she decided that becoming a travel agent would be a good career choice. She loved to travel and she could work from home. "I have a background in customer service and sales, and this was a good fit," she says. After completing her job training online, Cheryl started working through a host travel agency, confident that becoming a travel agent was the right career move.
In 2009 Cheryl and her husband, Nelson, founded Echevarria Travel. Cheryl says Nelson is an integral part of the agency, and is the photographer and videographer for the travel images used on their website. "I'm the only blind travel agent in the tri-state area that I know of," she says and was recently named president of the NFB's national travel and tourism division.
Cheryl's blindness has given her a very clear insight into the planning required to ensure a pleasurable trip for her clients.
Her agency offers services to everyone, but Cheryl's specialty is the traveler who is blind, on dialysis, in a wheelchair, or has had an organ transplant. As a survivor of all of these illnesses, Cheryl is uniquely qualified to help them plan their trip.
"I know what a person would need and the questions to ask," she says. "What's your degree of blindness? Do you use a cane?"
If travel plans include a cruise, she will want to know if the client can read Braille. "I ask because not everyone does," she explains. "If they don't [read Braille], I contact the cruise line and make sure they get a meet-and-greet and tour of the ship so they can familiarize themselves with their surroundings," she says.
If they plan on traveling with their service animal, Cheryl explains that they will need to go to their vet to get a health certificate and they need to secure a permit to bring the animal into another country.
The cruise industry has taken notice of this newly mobile customer base and are making their vessels more accessible so sight-impaired travelers can acclimate themselves quickly.
Cheryl has been working closely with Norwegian Cruise Lines, and says she helped them implement Braille menus on their ships.
No two visually impaired people have the same level of functional vision so Cheryl helps her clients overcome some of the red tape they might encounter to ensure that they have a good experience. All of this pre-travel preparation includes additional paperwork that Cheryl helps her clients complete as part of her services.
Understanding the requirements and information needed for traveling today is invaluable. As a travel advocate and advisor for the blind, Cheryl has opened up a world of new experiences for these sensory travelers that might have been out of reach before.
For more information, email: reservations@echevarriatravel.com, call Cheryl at 631-456-5394 , or toll free at 866-580-5574 ; or go to:www.echevarriatravel.com. For daily updates read Cheryl's blog atwww.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Exciting Information about Disney Parks and the websites for the Blind Consumers and Blind Travel Agents
Good morning all:
This information is going to the Travel and Tourism Division as well as my blogs and some people who are very interested in this information.
In the past, the blind has had many issues with the Disney Parks, especially there websites and some have recently had problems with guide dogs and where they are allowed to go and what rides that can go on with there dogs.
Also, the travel agent portal, travel professionals to book clients trips and also there certification program, Disney's College of Knowledge, have not been accessible.
As of yesterday, February 14th, I was on the phone with Mr. Mark Jones, who is the Manager of the Access for Customer Relations of all Disney Parks, as well as there cruise ships, which includes the consumer websites.
He knows who the National Federation of the Blind is, and was eager to speak to me, I got his name from someone through my connections within the travel associations.
We were on the phone yesterday for over an hour, discussing some of the recent concerns, from as mentioned the Travel Agent Portal, the Disney Websites, and an issue that was brought to my attention, that a member had posted on one of the other talk lists, that he/she was denied access to do the Jedi Training at MGM Studios in Orlando, FL.
Well, first he said to me, first and foremost, they have been working on the Walt Disney World Consumer website, and is in the final stages of completing to be fully accessible. He is also going to speak to the people who handle the travel agent website and keep me up to date on this.
I will be discussing more of this at our Travel and Tourism Monthly teleconference which will be Monday, February 27 at 8pm Eastern Time, 7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, and 5pm Pacific.
I will post call information shortly
You do not have to be a member of the Travel and Tourism Division of the National Federation of the Blind to come and join us for our monthly teleconference, if we are voting on something, then it is up to the paid membership to vote, to become a member it is $10.00 a year to join.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Echevarria, President
Travel and Tourism Division
About the National Federation of the Blind:
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind
Friday, February 10, 2012
How to avoid getting norovirus on your cruise
This comes directly from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Recently another Royal Caribbean ship was affected by a norovirus outbreak, where many passengers became very sick. Over the years we've heard reports of outbreaks on other ships but there are definite precautions you can take to avoid getting sick yourself.
What is norovirus?
Norovirus is a virus that causes acute gastroenteritis. This means people will have symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.
Noroviruses spread from person to person, through contaminated food or water, and by touching contaminated surfaces. Norovirus is recognized as the leading cause of foodborne-diseaseoutbreaks in the United States. Outbreaks can happen to people of all ages and in a variety of settings.
How to prevent contracting norovirus
Norovirus is commonly contracted by
- Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus (someone gets stool or vomit on their hands, then touches food or drink).
- Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth.
- Having direct contact with a person who is infected with norovirus (for example, when caring for someone with norovirus or sharing foods or eating utensils with them).
Generally speaking, people with norovirus illness are contagious from the moment they begin feeling sick until at least 3 days after they recover.
You can prevent getting sick by
- Washing your hands, especially after using the restrooms and before eating or preparing food.
- Avoid shaking hands during outbreaks.
- Do not prepare food for others if you become sick for up to 3 days after becoming sick.
- Wash laundry that may be contaminated with vomit or stool.
Cruise Lines Agree to Mandatory Safety Drills before Departures and TSA plans widescale rollout of trusted-traveler program
Here are a few items in the travel news that will affect everyone.
Cruise Lines agree to mandatory safety drills before departure. I will go into this in a minute, this is mandatory that the cruise lines must do this, it is also mandatory that every single passenger on that voyage participates as well. If you are disabled, there are ways of doing this as well, since I am blind and have done these myself, it is not difficult at all, and the cruise lines are enforcing that you participate. Make sure that this is done prior to departure, and if you do not attend the mandatory Muster Drills, you can and it has already been done, be forced to leave the ship and will not be allowed to sail, as well as no money will be returned to you for this infraction.
Here is the information, all information if provided by Travel Weekly Magazine and US World News.
Cruise lines worldwide agreed on a new emergency-drill policy requiring mandatory muster for embarking passengers prior to departure from port.
CLIA, (which, Echevarria Travel, meaning myself is a paid member of) the European Cruise Council and the Passenger Shipping Association put forward the new policy with the support of their member cruise lines.
The new policy takes effect immediately.
According to a CLIA statement, on rare occasions when passengers arrive after the muster has been completed, they will be promptly provided with individual or group safety briefings that meet the requirements for musters applicable under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
The formal policy is designed to help ensure that any mandatory musters or briefings are conducted for the benefit of all newly embarked passengers at the earliest practical opportunity.
The change in policy follows the Jan. 13 Costa Concordia accident in Italy, where 16 died and 16 more are missing.
The cruise industry announced in Jan. 27 that it would undertake a Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review, including a "comprehensive assessment of the critical human factors and operational aspects of maritime safety."
CLIA, (which, Echevarria Travel, meaning myself is a paid member of) the European Cruise Council and the Passenger Shipping Association put forward the new policy with the support of their member cruise lines.
The new policy takes effect immediately.
According to a CLIA statement, on rare occasions when passengers arrive after the muster has been completed, they will be promptly provided with individual or group safety briefings that meet the requirements for musters applicable under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
The formal policy is designed to help ensure that any mandatory musters or briefings are conducted for the benefit of all newly embarked passengers at the earliest practical opportunity.
The change in policy follows the Jan. 13 Costa Concordia accident in Italy, where 16 died and 16 more are missing.
The cruise industry announced in Jan. 27 that it would undertake a Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review, including a "comprehensive assessment of the critical human factors and operational aspects of maritime safety."
TSA plans widescale rollout of trusted-traveler program
After a measured launch and rollout last year of PreCheck, the Transportation Security Administration on Wednesday announced plans to broadly expand the airport trusted-traveler program this year to more than two dozen large U.S. airports.
Through PreCheck, TSA absolves some vetted frequent flyers and members of other Department of Homeland Security trusted-traveler programs from removing shoes, laptops, jackets and belts during airport security screening.
Though TSA still characterizes the program as a "pilot," the expansion represents another step toward permanence.
Already active at airports in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Minneapolis, PreCheck this year is slated to launch in Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, New York, New Orleans, Newark, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Washington, among other locations.
After launching last year with American Airlines and Delta, the program is growing to include US Airways, United and Alaska Airlines.
TSA claimed it has screened more than 336,000 passengers through PreCheck, which provides benefits to travelers while allowing TSA "to focus its efforts on passengers the agency knows less about while providing expedited screening for travelers who volunteer information about themselves prior to flying," according to TSA's announcement.
Still, participants in the program are not guaranteed its benefits each time they are screened, and program members must wait in line like other travelers for document and ID checking.
According to TSA administrator John Pistole, the program represents a shift "away from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more intelligence-driven, risk-based transportation security system."
Pistole in an interview with Business Travel News last month said TSA is "interested in expanding it as broadly as possible, moving from the pilot concept to making it a formal part of TSA."
Leading the Way in Independent Travel! Cheryl Echevarria http://www.echevarriatravel.com 631-456-5394 reservations@echevarriatravel.com For daily updates read our blog at http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.comThrough PreCheck, TSA absolves some vetted frequent flyers and members of other Department of Homeland Security trusted-traveler programs from removing shoes, laptops, jackets and belts during airport security screening.
Though TSA still characterizes the program as a "pilot," the expansion represents another step toward permanence.
Already active at airports in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Minneapolis, PreCheck this year is slated to launch in Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, New York, New Orleans, Newark, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Washington, among other locations.
After launching last year with American Airlines and Delta, the program is growing to include US Airways, United and Alaska Airlines.
TSA claimed it has screened more than 336,000 passengers through PreCheck, which provides benefits to travelers while allowing TSA "to focus its efforts on passengers the agency knows less about while providing expedited screening for travelers who volunteer information about themselves prior to flying," according to TSA's announcement.
Still, participants in the program are not guaranteed its benefits each time they are screened, and program members must wait in line like other travelers for document and ID checking.
According to TSA administrator John Pistole, the program represents a shift "away from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more intelligence-driven, risk-based transportation security system."
Pistole in an interview with Business Travel News last month said TSA is "interested in expanding it as broadly as possible, moving from the pilot concept to making it a formal part of TSA."
Thursday, February 9, 2012
U.S. Updates Mexico Travel warning
Good morning all:
Leading the Way in Independent Travel! Cheryl Echevarria http://www.echevarriatravel.com 631-456-5394 reservations@echevarriatravel.com For daily updates read our blog at http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
If you are planning any trips to Mexico, you are more than likely going to be in an area that is still quite safe to travel to, as in the story from U.S. State Department. Just an FYI to all.
updated by Travel Weekly Magazine dated, February 8, 2012
The U.S. State Department updated and expanded its travel warning for Mexico due to growing drug violence and the spread of cartels.
The warning, dated Feb. 8, replaces a warning that had been in place since April 22, 2011.
The updated warning advises against nonessential travel to areas within 16 Mexican states, including Veracruz and the border areas of Aguacalientes and Zacatecas, and Colima and Michoacan.
No advisories are in effect for the state of Quintana Roo (Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Tulum), the Riviera Nayarit, Mexico City, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Guanajuato (San Miguel de Allende and Leon).
Travelers are advised to stay within the tourist areas of Acapulco, Ixtapa, Mazatlan, Monterrey and Zihuantanejo.
The warning, dated Feb. 8, replaces a warning that had been in place since April 22, 2011.
The updated warning advises against nonessential travel to areas within 16 Mexican states, including Veracruz and the border areas of Aguacalientes and Zacatecas, and Colima and Michoacan.
No advisories are in effect for the state of Quintana Roo (Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Tulum), the Riviera Nayarit, Mexico City, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Guanajuato (San Miguel de Allende and Leon).
Travelers are advised to stay within the tourist areas of Acapulco, Ixtapa, Mazatlan, Monterrey and Zihuantanejo.
Leading the Way in Independent Travel! Cheryl Echevarria http://www.echevarriatravel.com 631-456-5394 reservations@echevarriatravel.com For daily updates read our blog at http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
Sunday, February 5, 2012
RE: [Travelandtourism] Princess Cruise Lines - Norovirus on the returning trip into Miami
OH, JUST UPDATED, 2 Princess Cruise Line Ships, Do you know who owns Princess Cruise Lines. Carnival, the same company as Costa Cruise Lines. Carnival is going down hill, wow!
Leading the Way in Independent Travel! Cheryl Echevarria http://www.echevarriatravel.com 631-456-5394 reservations@echevarriatravel.com For daily updates read our blog at http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
> From: cherylandmaxx@hotmail.com
> To: travelandtourism@nfbnet.org; cherylandmaxx.guidedog@blogger.com; nera563pipu@post.wordpress.com
> Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2012 14:55:04 -0500
> Subject: [Travelandtourism] Princess Cruise Lines - Norovirus on the returning trip into Miami
>
>
>
> Dated January 4, 2012
> 92 Passengers and 13 Crew Members had is what is Norovirus when they returned from there cruise.
> You may hear about this about cruise lines, do you know what Norovirus is.
> It is a stomach virus, it doesn't come from the food that they cook or from your staterooms not being cleaned properly. Far from it.
> It is from one person coming on a ship already slightly ill weather it being a cough or sneezing and then doesn't wash there hands, and then touch food.
> On all cruise ships, they have what we call washy, washy girls, Nelson had a interview with one of the girls on the last cruise we went on in November. I will try and send this to Peter Donahue to put on the website with Travel and Tourism, and I will post it on my blog, but it is also on my youtube page, it is short, but sweet.
> Washy, Washy people are all over the ship before you get on the ship, when you leave the ship, before you go into a restaurant and after, they spray your hands with anti-bacteria spray, mostly like the sprays you will find at health and beauty aids, or specialty stores.
> I recommend that if you are going to travel whether on a cruise or an airplane, because airplanes are the worst places to get sick.
> Is to bring with you, anti-bacteria wipes or spray.
> The cruise ship is delaying the upcoming cruise because they have to clean and disinfect every area of the ship.
> Also, if you are sick prior to going on a trip, remember there are other people traveling with you, cover your mouth when you sneeze and cough, and make sure the kids also, it doesn't take that long to wash your hands.
>
> Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> http://www.echevarriatravel.com
> 631-456-5394
> reservations@echevarriatravel.com
>
> For daily updates read our blog at
> http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
> _______________________________________________
> Travelandtourism mailing list
> Travelandtourism@nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/travelandtourism_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Travelandtourism:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/travelandtourism_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com
> To: travelandtourism@nfbnet.org; cherylandmaxx.guidedog@blogger.com; nera563pipu@post.wordpress.com
> Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2012 14:55:04 -0500
> Subject: [Travelandtourism] Princess Cruise Lines - Norovirus on the returning trip into Miami
>
>
>
> Dated January 4, 2012
> 92 Passengers and 13 Crew Members had is what is Norovirus when they returned from there cruise.
> You may hear about this about cruise lines, do you know what Norovirus is.
> It is a stomach virus, it doesn't come from the food that they cook or from your staterooms not being cleaned properly. Far from it.
> It is from one person coming on a ship already slightly ill weather it being a cough or sneezing and then doesn't wash there hands, and then touch food.
> On all cruise ships, they have what we call washy, washy girls, Nelson had a interview with one of the girls on the last cruise we went on in November. I will try and send this to Peter Donahue to put on the website with Travel and Tourism, and I will post it on my blog, but it is also on my youtube page, it is short, but sweet.
> Washy, Washy people are all over the ship before you get on the ship, when you leave the ship, before you go into a restaurant and after, they spray your hands with anti-bacteria spray, mostly like the sprays you will find at health and beauty aids, or specialty stores.
> I recommend that if you are going to travel whether on a cruise or an airplane, because airplanes are the worst places to get sick.
> Is to bring with you, anti-bacteria wipes or spray.
> The cruise ship is delaying the upcoming cruise because they have to clean and disinfect every area of the ship.
> Also, if you are sick prior to going on a trip, remember there are other people traveling with you, cover your mouth when you sneeze and cough, and make sure the kids also, it doesn't take that long to wash your hands.
>
> Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> http://www.echevarriatravel.com
> 631-456-5394
> reservations@echevarriatravel.com
>
> For daily updates read our blog at
> http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
> _______________________________________________
> Travelandtourism mailing list
> Travelandtourism@nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/travelandtourism_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Travelandtourism:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/travelandtourism_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com
Princess Cruise Lines - Norovirus on the returning trip into Miami
Dated January 4, 2012
92 Passengers and 13 Crew Members had is what is Norovirus when they returned from there cruise.
You may hear about this about cruise lines, do you know what Norovirus is.
It is a stomach virus, it doesn't come from the food that they cook or from your staterooms not being cleaned properly. Far from it.
It is from one person coming on a ship already slightly ill weather it being a cough or sneezing and then doesn't wash there hands, and then touch food.
On all cruise ships, they have what we call washy, washy girls, Nelson had a interview with one of the girls on the last cruise we went on in November. I will try and send this to Peter Donahue to put on the website with Travel and Tourism, and I will post it on my blog, but it is also on my youtube page, it is short, but sweet.
Washy, Washy people are all over the ship before you get on the ship, when you leave the ship, before you go into a restaurant and after, they spray your hands with anti-bacteria spray, mostly like the sprays you will find at health and beauty aids, or specialty stores.
I recommend that if you are going to travel whether on a cruise or an airplane, because airplanes are the worst places to get sick.
Is to bring with you, anti-bacteria wipes or spray.
The cruise ship is delaying the upcoming cruise because they have to clean and disinfect every area of the ship.
Also, if you are sick prior to going on a trip, remember there are other people traveling with you, cover your mouth when you sneeze and cough, and make sure the kids also, it doesn't take that long to wash your hands.
Leading the Way in Independent Travel! Cheryl Echevarria http://www.echevarriatravel.com 631-456-5394 reservations@echevarriatravel.com For daily updates read our blog at http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Why you need a travel agent from Forbes Magazine
Good morning all:
Leading the Way in Independent Travel! Cheryl Echevarria http://www.echevarriatravel.com 631-456-5394 reservations@echevarriatravel.com For daily updates read our blog at http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
Yes, I post a lot about why we need travel agents. I do this not only to draw business, but to educate as well. Plus, if people like Maurice Shackelford, Anahit LaBarre, April Scheppe and myself are getting business, we can say that we can help you find and become travel agents or work in the travel industry.
Last year, if anyone remembers, I was very angry at our President, by him saying that the Travel Agent has gone the way of the Dinosaur. Let me just say, that we are still out there. Many people have turned to being home based such as myself, to cut the cost of owning brick and mortar type business. Plus, most of the travel business is done on the phone anyway.
So this is from Forbes Magazine Dated January 20, 2012 By Larry Olmstead
If you like to travel (who doesn't?) here's a great New Year's Resolution for 2012 – find a good travel agent and start using them regularly. This is a resolution you will find easy to keep, because once you try it you will enjoy better – and often cheaper – trips than ever before.
Just a couple of years ago, headlines were about the demise of the travel agent, about to go the way of the Dodo and the dinosaur. Guess what? Travel agents are not only still here, they are experiencing a rebound – despite (or because of?) the myriad travel tools available online.
So why should you use a travel agent?
There are many, many good reasons, which I will explain. But the bottom line is that they know more than you do, they are better connected than you, they have access to benefits you can't get otherwise, they can often beat any other prices available (even online, yes), and after you have planned everything, they provide a safety net during your trip that you simply won't get by booking yourself or buying insurance. Having a top travel agent can also make you an instant VIP – free room upgrades, hard to get restaurant reservations, cutting lines, access to otherwise closed stores and exhibits, private guides, and cheaper – often much cheaper – premium airfares. Here's the best part: even though most top agents charge fees, in almost every firsthand experience I or my friends, family, and acquaintances have had, travel agents have saved money, often a lot of money, thousands of dollars, and in every case, more than paid for themselves.
To be frank, not everyone taking a trip needs a travel agent. The benefits they offer increase as your travel becomes more luxurious, expensive, and specialized. Need a cheap flight to Florida to visit family and a night at a 3-star airport hotel en route? By all means let your fingers do the walking. Need a bargain-priced, all-inclusive ski vacation or Vegas weekend? You can easily find that online. Need a cheap cruise on a mass market ship? Yes, you can book that yourself. But I've already written at length here at Forbes about why if you are taking any higher end cruise you would be foolish – I mean making a really big mistake – not to use a top cruise agent. The same goes for plenty of other travel: If you are staying at 4 and 5-star hotels, flying in the premium cabin (or private aviation), planning complicated itineraries with multiple stops, planning complex airline routings, or taking any trip using guides/drivers or local experts, any trip that VIP access would make better, any trip to a destination where you do not already know all the best places to eat and best things to see and do, or any cultural travel, from safaris to ancient ruins, you need a travel agent. In fact, in any of these scenarios, if you don't use a travel agent you are and likely making a costly mistake, no matter how much you think you know. I travel for a living and write on travel for a living and I still use travel agents.
To be clear, I am talking about true experts, the really good travel agents who add value, not the ones running full page ads of deals in the Sunday papers. The best travel agents are essentially consultants, and many prefer "travel advisor," because it is their advice, expertise, and connections that are of great value, not the ability to print airline tickets for you. A few have become hyper-specialized, and in some cases, like booking a cruise, golf vacation, space travel, or a very specialized theme trip like art, music or polar exploration, you will want to seek out a niche specialist. But for most travelers, it is better to find an excellent generalist travel advisor and stick with them, because a big part of the equation is that they get to know you and your wants, likes and dislikes, and make suggestions accordingly. You would not use a different financial advisor every time you opened a new bank or brokerage account, so why keep switching travel agents? "Once we get to know each other, the time I save them is invaluable to them. If I can get the client to 'let go/give in/trust in me!' once, then they become clients for life," said Leigh Sullivan, a highly acclaimed luxury travel expert with Regency Travel in Memphis, TN. If you choose right, you won't lose any expertise in the process, because the best agencies have multiple agents with overlapping spheres of specialization who collaborate, so while your agent who is an expert on Asia may not specialize in safaris when the time comes for you to book one, there's a good chance one of their colleagues at a nearby desk does.
Among the many major advantages high-powered agents bring to the table is personal connections and clout. "Connections" means knowing GMs and execs at top hotels (and airlines, chefs, cruise lines, adventure travel outfitters, etc.) personally. It is very rare for luxury hotels or the most desirable restaurants to truly be sold out: they usually have rooms/tables available in case Tom Cruise or another VIP makes a last minute visit. This is especially important if you are trying to visit a destination at a very peak time: the Superbowl, New Orleans at Mardi Gras, Cannes during the film festival, Park City over President's Day weekend. Who do you think will be able to get the coveted and hidden room inventory, you calling an 800 reservation center, or your travel agent calling the GM who he or she has known for 20 years – and sends a lot of business to? It's not just these scenarios, it is everyday room upgrades, special amenities, bottles of champagne on arrival, the GM greeting you personally, all these extras come from the travel agents calling on your behalf – at no extra cost to you. The clout part comes from volume. For example, even the top luxury hotels are notorious for refusing to guarantee connecting rooms in advance for families booking multiple rooms. This is one of the most frustrating recurring problems I hear in the industry, and a reason why some people rent houses and apartments over multiple hotel rooms. When your travel agent books hundreds of room nights with a high profile luxury hotel each year, the hotel will move heaven and earth to give that agent's client – you – guaranteed connecting rooms.
If you do not believe that top agents' personal clout can take you further than the internet or any prestigious credit card or "concierge service," here's a true story. I was going to a hard to reach island in the Caribbean for a story, and when a travel agent who does a lot of volume with a particular airline suggested flights I winced. She asked me why, and I explained that I was elite on two other major carriers, and prefer to fly them because of the miles, points and status, and to this airline I was a nobody, so the miles would not help me. "No problem," she said, "I'll call my guy at the airline's sales department and he'll make you Gold." And he did. This is one of the largest airlines in the world, and Gold is the second tier of their elite program, not entry level, reserved for those who fly 50,000 miles per year – the equivalent of about 8 transcontinental round trips and over 100 hours of flying time – or one phone call, depending who you know.
Another big selling point of the best agents is their expertise. A friend was taking his children to Italy for the first time, on a biking and walking trip in the Dolomites, and decided to add Rome because he wanted them to see the historic sites. He called me and asked for help, so I told him to call Anne Scully, President of McCabe World Travel in Virginia, a true industry superstar who is perennially ranked one of the 5 or 10 best travel agents in the nation by anyone who ranks these things. She arranged a van and driver to take his family from their bike tour drop-off point to Rome, helped him pick a well-located luxury hotel that suited his needs, and set up private tours of ancient Rome and the Vatican with two different specialized expert guides. Alternatively, he could have booked guides, hotel and a driver for the long trip for his family blindly on the internet. But this way, he was getting a very known quantity. And free upgraded hotel amenities.
I'd like to take a moment to talk about internet travel resources. I have nothing against booking travel online and do it all the time. I use Kayak, Travelocity, Vayama and many specialized foreign sites. I read reviews and ratings in Travelocity and TripAdvisor. But here's the problem – these skew very much towards the lower and middle end of the market, because it's a numbers game and the luxury segment is very small. So when they are giving the airport Radisson a four and half star rating, on that relative scale, how can Hong Kong hotels such as the Landmark Mandarin Oriental and Peninsula be differentiated in a way meaningful to you? They can't be. That's a difference your travel agent will be able to explain to you that you cannot possibly garner online. When many of the best and most specialized tour guides cannot even be booked online, how can you rely on online ratings for them? You cannot. I just read a survey that said searching for "Villas In Italy" yielded 7.3 million results in Bing and over 9 million for Google. Good luck with that research project. All this is in addition to the fact that such ratings can and have been manipulated, and that you have no idea who the baseline raters are. Now on the other hand, let's say you have a friend whose taste and judgment you know well and trust and they tell you to stay at one hotel over another in a particular destination they are very familiar with for several specific reasons. You would probably believe them. Think of your expert travel agent as such a friend.
For leisure travel, most of the questions I get are of the following variety: where is the best place to go, best place to stay, best things to do, best places to eat? In almost every case, the answer is that there is no "best" place – but there is the best for you. That is why a relationship with a travel consultant who asks a lot of question – the good ones will – is all important. So is their firsthand experience, and because they have been checking these hotels in person, eating at these restaurants, and using these guides for years, they know the best ones for every need. All of these skills come together into a vacation you simply could not plan on your own, using your credit card's agent, or the internet. "I think one of the most surprising things to clients is the fact that we are able to secure with ease and in a very timely manner ALL the components of their trip: accommodations (with perks like upgrades/breakfast/credits), private transfers, dinner reservations, sightseeing with exclusive access (skip the line), theatre tickets, etc.," said Regency's Sullivan.
"We've had clients who return to a destination just because of the experience with the guide we got them the first time, said Anne Scully. "I'm like a custom tailor. I make bespoke trips to fit you personally, not the other way around. It's not just about knowing which are the best hotels – it's about knowing the GMs at the best hotels. It's unique access and giving my clients a rare experience. I had a college history professor who specializes in World War II visiting London, and I did not just have him tour Churchill's War Rooms, I had Churchill's granddaughter meet him for tea at his hotel and then take him on a tour – he got to sit in Churchill's chair. If I have a passionate shopper go to Paris, I don't tell them what stores to go to, I send them on a private tour behind the scenes at Louis Vuitton where they can see the things being made."
"A good travel agent is there 'pillow to pillow.' People think they can just book flights, hotels, or car rentals themselves, and sometimes they can, especially if nothing goes wrong. But when your flight is cancelled and you are standing in line waiting to be rebooked, believe me, you'll wish you had a travel agent. I'd already be working on it for you."
The advantages and extras these super agents offer are literally too numerous for me to list in detail, but In Part 2, I will give specific, real life examples of the immense value a top travel agent can add in the realm of hotels, airfares, and more, both saving you money and greatly improving the quality of the travel experience
I will post part 2 tomorrow.
Leading the Way in Independent Travel! Cheryl Echevarria http://www.echevarriatravel.com 631-456-5394 reservations@echevarriatravel.com For daily updates read our blog at http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
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