Travel Agents Still Find Deals

(November 23, 2008 - Jackson Citizen Patriot) -- When Cherie Moore, 62, of Jackson was planning a trip this past summer, she chose to go through a local travel agent.

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Linda Gonding, travel agent and owner of A Dream Realized in Jackson, helped Moore plan her Alaskan cruise and made many suggestions, which turned the trip into an even better experience than Moore had anticipated. For example, Gonding encouraged Moore and her husband to spend time exploring "pre- and post-cruise" in British Columbia.

In an age of the Internet and popular travel Web sites such as Travelocity and Expedia, most people can go online and book their own trips. So why use a travel agent?

According to the American Society of Travel Agents, a leading travel trade association, the Internet is a valuable resource, but it cannot replace the expertise, guidance and personal service of a travel agent. Agents can save clients hours of searching on the Web and provide insider tips often based on personal experience.

Many people are still using agents to book a variety of travel. For example, travel agents book 85 percent of cruises, 70 percent of tours and 50 percent of airline tickets. People of all ages use travel agents. Forty-three percent are ages 35 to 54, and 33 percent are 18 to 34.

Kim Bushinski, a travel consultant with Bisbee Travel in Jackson, said agents can offer a variety of benefits, from the best deals to a friendly voice. She said talking to a "live" person can help customers sort through the vast amounts of information available. In addition, she said, the staff at Bisbee are well-versed in travel and can offer personal advice about traveling to locations around the world. And if she hasn't visited a specific location, Bushinski said help is right around the corner. 

Bushinski said travel agents can prove especially helpful in special situations such as planning a destination wedding or honeymoon.

"When booking something like this, you want to talk to the same person," she said. 

Nancy Cain, AAA Michigan spokeswoman, said travel agents work to discover what kinds of travel their clients enjoy and then recommend trips and activities suited to their needs. When people search for trips and deals online, they don't always have all the information they need, Cain said. Good travel agents listen to preferences and budget limitations of customers and help clients create the perfect trip within their parameters.

For those traveling internationally, agents provide information on customs regulations, required papers, travel advisories and currency exchange rates.

When it comes to unique trips or more exotic destinations — such as Egypt or China — travel agents can prove exceptionally helpful, Cain said.

According to the 2008-09 edition of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, agents face increasing competition from travel and airline Web sites, so to attract travelers, many travel agents specialize in specific destinations.

Travel agents held about 101,000 jobs in the United States as of May 2006, and the number is expected to increase only 1 percent within 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Gonding said she uses her own extensive travel experience when planning trips for clients at A Dream Realized.

"I treat a trip as if I'm going with them," Gonding said.