Sarah Doherty Travel-PA

10/10/2022

On a rainy grey Monday morning I would just like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who supports my business. Support can come in so many different forms; all of which are very much appreciated.

Have a good week everyone!

27/09/2022

Sad news - Doncaster Sheffield Airport Closure
Yesterday the Peel Group announced the closure of Doncaster Sheffield airport. They have confirmed that they will be closing the airport to passenger travel from November 2022, following a strategic review of its operations in recent weeks. We know this will be incredibly sad and disappointing news for all our customers who enjoyed travelling from their local airport, as well as all those impacted in the local community.

27/09/2022

If you are travelling to the USA, please bear in mind there are stricter requirements if you have visited Cuba since 2011. You may not be able to travel on the visa waiver programme (ESTA):

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cuba-tourism-visa-us-trump-b2173792.html

It's really important that you meet the US entry requirements or you could be turned away on entry. If you need a full visa because you've been to Cuba in the last 11 years, you should apply ASAP as I understand it's difficult to get appointments in the US Embassy.

Please note: I don't know any more than what's mentioned in the article below (no insider information) but wanted to highlight this issue as it could prove an issue for some travellers.

Exclusive: Trump’s final travel act, ranking the island alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria, could affect hundreds of thousands of UK holidaymakers

23/09/2022

5 NIGHT SAFARI AND 5 NIGHTS BEACH FROM ONLY £2500 PP!🏝🦁

A wonderful itinerary that gives a delightful introduction to Kenya and its beauty with a 5 nights safari that includes Amboseli, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara, followed by a 5 nights stay along the warm waters of the Indian Ocean in Mombasa.

🗓 Departure: 11 February 2023
✈️ Airline: Kenya Airways from Heathrow
Other departure dates, airports and airlines available

Book by 31 October 2022

Includes:

• International Flights with airport tax

• All airport transfers

• 2 nights Amboseli, 1 night Lake Naivasha, 2 nights Masai Mara

• All Park fees and game drives in Amboseli and Masai Mara

• Safari game drives done in 4x4 customised vehicle

• At the Beach: Neptune Village Beach Resort and Spa for 5 nights in a Superior Garden Access Room on All Inclusive

• AMREF Flying Doctors

• For each booking Somak will donate £20 per person to the Mara Rianda Charitable Trust

Email [email protected] or call 07952 633448 to book your next safari holiday!

17/08/2022

Currently have clients staying at The Domes Of Elounda resort in Crete. Here’s what they posted on Facebook ♥️♥️♥️

“For anyone looking for an independent travel agent, I highly recommend Sarah Doherty Travel-PA Sarah Doherty. She takes the time to find out exactly what you are looking for and comes up with amazing options. So easy to book with and she is unfailingly honest so if you can find it cheaper than with her she will tell you! Sarah has booked a few holidays for us and we couldn’t be happier ☀️😍”

06/08/2022

When I’m asked to quote for a holiday my goal is to convert that quote into a booking with me. But sometimes clients are better off booking themselves… and I’ll tell them in that case. I pride myself on being honest and open about these things, even if it means I lose financially…

… what I gain is peace of mind, a trusted reputation and sometimes lovely acknowledgements from clients who appreciate what I have done for them.

Thank you Sharron and Mark - this made my week when it arrived yesterday ♥️

04/08/2022

Well here's an unusual offer from Cunard - love a bit of Shakespeare? Why not combine a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company with a trans-Atlantic cruise on a classic ocean liner? If you'd like to book, just email [email protected] or call 07952 633448.

28/07/2022

Lake Louise - another one on my wish list… take the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Jasper and experience the amazing wildlife and scenery from the luxury of your train seat… why not combine it with a cruise through the Inside Passage of Alaska? If you’ve always wanted to visit Canada and Alaska, give me a call on 07952633448 or email [email protected] to get your trip of a lifetime booked…

➤ Lake Louise (named Ho-run-num-nay (Lake of the Little Fishes) by the Stoney Nakota First Nations people) is a glacial lake within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located 5 km (3.1 mi) west of the Hamlet of Lake Louise and the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1).
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26/07/2022

*** CRUISE DEALS FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS 🛳🛳🛳 ***

Just had a flyer through the door from Fred Olsen cruises. I was lucky enough to do a river cruise with them a few years ago and had a fabulous time.

They have some fantastic itineraries on at the moment for SOLO travellers with no single supplement, with the twin cabin to yourself.

They all go from the UK too, so no flying involved.

If you are interested, give me a call on 07952633448 or drop me an email at [email protected]

23/07/2022

For those of you who know me, you'll know that I love a cruise! Since becoming a travel agent, I've invested a lot of time training to become an Accredited Cruise Ambassador. What does this mean?

It means I'm qualified to sell ocean and river cruises.

Every cruise is different. They are not all the same. Ocean cruising is very different from river cruising.

Questions you need to think about when considering a cruise...

1. Where do I want to travel to and what do I want to see?
2. Am I happy to fly to the cruise ship or do I want somewhere which goes from/to the UK?
3. How formal / relaxed do I want to be on holiday?
4. Am I looking for a more British experience or do I want to mix with other nationalities and have a mixture of cultures on board?
5. Do I want adults only or more family orientated?
6. How much time will I spend in my cabin i.e. do I want a window/balcony to sit and watch the world go by or will I mainly be out on deck?
7. Do I like the idea of a large ship with lots to do on board or prefer a smaller more intimate experience?
8. Am I likely to make use of a drinks package or am I better off paying for drinks as I want them?
9. Do I want shore excursions included in the price (i.e. on some river cruises) or am I more likely to do my own thing ashore?
10. Do I want to be able to get off the boat and be close to the nearest town, or am I happy with getting a tender to shore and possibly a coach to the nearest big city?

This is just a small selection of questions to get you thinking... It's so important to match people with the right type of cruise; the right itinerary; the right size of ship; the right cruise line.

This is what I do. And I enjoy doing it.

This week I've made two river cruise bookings and an ocean cruise booking, amongst other holidays... I am confident that my clients will enjoy their cruise experience because I have explored these questions - and others - with them to understand what they like and don't like. I don't just blindly book everyone on P&O and hope for the best (though this is absolutely the best cruise company for many of my clients).

The price you pay booking with me is exactly the same price of booking with the cruise line direct. Plus you get all of my experience and training knowledge as part of my service.

So if you're looking for a cruise, let me know and it'll be my pleasure to match you with the right one for you.

22/07/2022

The last couple of years have been challenging to say the least... I spent 17 months working on cancelling / amending / refunding holidays with no income... Then the Covid restrictions started to ease and since then I've been dealing with flight cancellations, hotel closures, transfers not turning up... it's going to be some time before the travel industry is stable and reliable again.

I chose to leave a well paid career in aviation to do something else that I enjoy. And most days, I love being a travel agent. Some days, it's hard though. What many people don't realise is that I don't get paid a penny unless I get the booking. I'm not salaried. Quoting is done on my time and if I don't convert that into a booking, there is no pay. ALL of my income from travel comes from the commission paid to me by the suppliers through whom I book the holidays.

Earlier this week, I had some feedback from someone who had given me the run around with quote after quote, changing countries, hotels, dates of travel etc. time after time. He took me all around the world with his quotes. But he had booked with me before so I thought the time investment might be worth it... then I realised he was playing me off against another travel agent - one of my colleagues - who had sent him over 30 emails too! When she asked him about this, he told her he wouldn't bother either of us again and that our quotes and service had been 'bitterly disappointing'.

This feedback has stayed with me all week.

I pride myself on giving a good service to my clients and looking after ALL of my clients throughout their booking until they get home. I spend a lot of time finding the best price I can and I'll tell you if I think you are better off booking elsewhere. I have integrity and I care about every single booking I make.

Don't get me wrong, I think this person's comments were more a reflection of his personality than my service. But it still stings when someone is so scathing about something I've spent hours on.

With me, it's personal.

So today, I choose to celebrate National Travel Agents Day. We often work evenings and weekends, picking up the phone in our time 'off' to make sure you are looked after. We care about your holiday plans as if they were our own. We want you to have the best time away on that trip you've been looking forward to for so long.

Whether you book with me, or another travel agent, today I would like to say THANK YOU for your support. It means so much to me.

19/07/2022

Some clients recently came back from a trip I organised for them to stay in Yosemite National Park. They had a fantastic time and even came across a bear on their travels…

➤ Yosemite National Park (/joʊˈsɛmɪti/ yoh-SEM-ih-tee) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an area of 759,620 acres (1,187 sq mi; 3,074 km2)[3] and sits in four counties – centered in Tuolumne and Mariposa, extending north and east to Mono and south to Madera County. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity. Almost 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness. Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals.
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02/07/2022

Yesterday was a fun day being a travel agent. I did quotes for 4 enquiries which couldn’t have been more different... How’s this for variety?
- trip to Mongolia including visiting the huge Genghis Khan, a referral based on me already having booked someone else on this trip of a lifetime
- escorted tour of Costa Rica with beach extension
- long weekend in Disneyland Paris by Eurostar
- bespoke package trip to Iceland including Northern Lights and Golden Circle tours

The last one reminded me how much we loved our trip to Iceland back in 2014 so here’s a few photos we took when we were there!

30/06/2022

Looking forward to an evening of Sandals and Beaches ♥️

24/05/2022

*** THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE ***

Today we should be on board this magnificent cruise ship currently touring the Mediterranean. Instead, I’m writing a blog about why you should ALWAYS take out travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. I pay for a ‘Travel Insurance Pack’ with my bank account and – up until now – the payments have always gone one way. We booked our long anticipated cruise over a year ago, tagging on an extra day in Barcelona to do a guided tour of the Sagrada Familia and explore Las Ramblas. Then we were due to set sail on Virgin Voyages ship Valiant Lady – adults only - for a week of Michelin-starred food, West End quality entertainment and exciting visits to Marseille, Cannes, Ibiza and Sardinia. We had planned a day trip to Monte Carlo from Cannes and we’d booked a shore excursion in Sardinia to do a ‘via ferrata’ – if you don’t know what this is, let’s just say it’s a mixture of rock climbing, zip lines, rope bridges and clinging to the edge of a cliff all with a spectacular view. Definitely NOT for the faint hearted… which I am, by the way. What was I thinking?

Unfortunately this trip was not meant to be. I have been struck down in the last week by illness, which all came to a head the day before we were due to travel and resulted in my third A&E visit in 4 days. Hopefully I am now on the mend, though I have a feeling it will be a while before I feel well enough to travel abroad. Thankfully, I have insurance which covers myself and my partner for cancelling a trip due to illness, up to a total of £5000 each. Luckily, we didn’t spend anywhere near that amount but it is a huge comfort knowing that we have insurance in place. It takes the sting out of missing out on our holiday… well a little bit anyway! At least we can get our money back.

A more extreme example of the importance of taking out travel insurance came into play when one of my family was taken seriously ill just one day after flying out to Brazil. Long story short, she spent 12 days in intensive care followed by another month on a ward in Rio de Janeiro. The hospital would not treat her until her travel insurance company agreed to foot the bill. This included payment for various hospital procedures, medications and supplies, nursing and theatre staff. The insurance also paid for her partner to stay in a hotel for 6 weeks nearby so he could visit her every day. She had to be repatriated back to the UK in business class, with a doctor monitoring her, then taken from Heathrow by ambulance back to her home – again escorted by a doctor. The insurance paid for this too. I’m not going to scare you with exactly how much this all cost, but let’s just say that most people would need to take out a second mortgage to cover it.

Why am I telling you this?

I never thought I would be one of those people having to cancel a holiday due to ill health. It doesn’t happen to people like me. Except it does. And it can cost you a LOT OF MONEY if you fall ill whilst abroad.

So please please please make sure you take out insurance cover for your holidays abroad and pay that little extra for cruise / ski / Covid cover… just in case.

05/05/2022

Just had a lovely evening with Classic Collection hearing about their products. They pride themselves on looking after their clients, just like I do ☺️

03/05/2022

Great news! Greece and Croatia have announced the removal of Covid related restrictions to enter the country. Things are slowly getting better for travel…

31/03/2022

Looking forward to this evening’s You Travel 15th birthday event 😊😊😊

29/03/2022

I can’t tell you how excited I am to see South terminal open again! It’s lovely to hear the buzz of people going away on holiday ❤️❤️

18/03/2022

*** Friday offer to Madeira - 7 nights in a 5* hotel from £1109pp ***

Includes flights from Regional UK airports with up to 15kg per person
7 Nights in a Land View room with Bed & Breakfast
Private Taxi Transfers Included

Email [email protected] or call 07952 633448 for more details or to book your next holiday.

15/03/2022

Great news for travellers! The Government has announced that from 4am on 18th March no-one entering the UK will need to take tests or complete a passenger locator form.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/all-covid-19-travel-restrictions-removed-in-the-uk

The government will remove the remaining COVID-19 international travel restrictions for all passengers from 4am Friday 18 March.

10/03/2022

Guess where I am… 😃😃😃

Made with Simple Booth.

08/03/2022

TIPTO travel agent evening hearing about the latest news and products from all of these fabulous suppliers!

✈️🛳🚢🚄

01/03/2022

Well my flower arranging skills are being tested this week... Thankfully these beautiful flowers from Claire Flowerdew came with instructions! What a lovely way to be appreciated. Thank you Claire for the flowers, the card and the fabulous review on my page. It was my absolute pleasure to look after you all ⛷⛷⛷⛷

24/02/2022

When a client sends you flowers, chocolates and a beautiful card to say thank you for arranging their family holiday to Florida. It's so lovely to be appreciated and have such thoughtful clients. Thank you .white.712161 ❤

17/02/2022

******Travel Offer for March 22******
NYC, San Diego & San Francisco
✈️Heathrow £1099pp
✈️Manchester £1284pp
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Itinerary:
📌15 March 22 UK to New York
📌3 Nights @ 4* Bentley Hotel NYC, Superior Room - Room Only
📌18 March 22 New York to San Diego
📌3 Nights @ 4* Kona Kai Resort & Spa, Deluxe Room - Room Only
📌21 March San Diego to San Francisco
📌3 Nights @ 4* Riu Fisherman's Wharf, Deluxe Room - Bed & Breakfast
📌24 March San Francisco to UK (Overnight)
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Package Includes
💫All flights including Internal flights
💫23kgs baggage throughout
💫Accommodation as listed (Resort fees payable locally)
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Prices are subject to change and availability😊😊

Email [email protected] or call 07952 633448 for more details.