06/02/2024
So, why are more people beginning to use travel agents? Aren't they an outdated profession? If you read this post, you will likely use a travel agent for your next trip. Don't believe me? Read these 10 reasons to use a travel agent, and let's find out. I am better than hotel booking sites, American Express, and direct bookings.
#1. Booking websites charge hotels huge fees making you a less profitable and, therefore, less desirable guest.
#2. Booking websites are known for having price-sensitive clientele with a high likelihood of complaining, meaning hotel staff are less likely to pay attention to you. You are just a warm body in a bed to them to keep their cash flow even. I am part of LuxRally Travel, known for sending high-spend clients. Hotels will take you more seriously as a guest by associating with us. Don't get lumped in with the worst of the worst hotel guests.
#3. When you book on your own, you will either only have access to call centers or reception desk workers to resolve your problems. Even American Express passes you off from person to person, and those call center workers aren't traveling regularly to gain first-hand insights -- I do. I have a Rolodex of contact information for General Managers and Sales Managers at hotels worldwide. If something goes wrong, you can text/call/message me, and I will take care of it; no more waiting on hold.
#4. I get you benefits for free. Complimentary upgrades upon arrival depending on availability (you will never get this booking on a travel website), Early/Late Check-in/Check-out based on availability, Free Breakfast for Two, $100 Resort Credits (for dining/spa), and a lot more.
#5. I will get you the best deal. We have tons of tools that you cannot access, plus an entire department dedicated to negotiating deals for clients. Want to go to Nizuc, Wymara, Casa de Campo? We have strong relationships with these properties, DM me for more info; we have dozens of properties with directly negotiated deals. Beyond these directly negotiated deals, hotel and cruise brands also give travel agents special rates/benefits that are not publicly available. They also price match / play ball with us in the rare event a better rate is available online. Travel vendors like working with travel agents; we usually make their jobs easier by setting expectations and matching clients to the appropriate property, which reduces guest complaints / increases guest satisfaction. Also, our clients go to us, not the person working the front desk, when there's a problem. This saves travel brands the headache of managing the stress of their already busy staff. Shouting at the front desk receptionists solves nothing; quietly texting the General Manger can make the earth move.
#6. I know the difference between Instagram hype and genuine quality. How? Our agency books tens of thousands of room nights a year, so we get tens of thousands of perspectives on hotels around the world. The internet is flooded with fake reviews and photoshopped pictures. Nothing is worse than spending your hard-earned money on a trip only to arrive at a poorly maintained-resort with inedible food.
#7. I know you, and I know about your trip. When you use American Express or a travel booking site, you get someone at a call center who probably knows nothing about luxury. More importantly, they don't know you or your travel goals/priorities. You have to educate them on the situation and hope they can solve your problem. With me, we will have a personal relationship. I am your advocate; I will handle the situation for you. Just text me. Over time as we get to know each other, I will become even better at anticipating your needs. Celebrating an anniversary or birthday. I will work with the hotel to infuse your stay with thoughtful surprises. The exhausted call center worker cannot/will not spend time on you like I will.
#8. Have a group room block (8+ rooms)? We book group blocks all of the time and have a process, utilizing tools available to travel agents, to aggressively negotiate the price, usually getting 40-50% off. This applies to everything from incentive trips to destination weddings.
#9. Book big suites/penthouses? We know how to negotiate those too. Sometimes it means we can get a massive discount. Other times, if inventory is low, meaning we can't do much with price, we know what we can ask for to maximize value. When you are the highest-paying guest in a hotel, you have a lot of pull. For our VIP clients, we create client profiles and work with the hotel to make sure your preferences are prioritized. This can be as simple as making sure you have your favorite drink available 24/7 or as complicated as making sure you have your favorite pillows and a peloton moved into your room.
#10. My services are entirely free to you. The hotel pays me, just like they do the booking sites, but my commission is less than what booking sites charge to the hotels, which is one of the reasons hotels like working with us. You can get all of the above without it costing you a cent more. Old school travel agencies charge hundreds of dollars in fees to do this same work; some luxury travel agencies have memberships costing $200,000+ and charge fees on top of that. We will never charge you services fees and do NOT have a membership fee.
So, are you ready to use a travel agent? If you want to test me out, let me book your next trip. You have nothing to lose, and you can see for yourself why traveling with LuxRally Travel is a major upgrade.
Send me your travel dates, budget, destinations(s), desire(s), and who you are traveling with, and I will get you quoted/booked ASAP.
