Pilkington Travels, LLC is my company name, and I am an independent affiliate of Travelex International. That is a mouthful, but it is all important! Travelex International, established in 1992, is a Virtuoso® member travel agency that advises travelers in personalized leisure travel, custom group travel & corporate travel. As a Virtuoso® member, one of the top 1% of travel agencies worldwide, we provide custom itineraries for our distinctive clientele to the seven continents of the world and throughout the United States.
In my previous post, I provided 5 facts about using a travel advisor, and now I have thought of 5 more!
Bulk Air–If you Google “airfare discounts” or “cheap air,” you will come up with some results, like Airfare Watchdog or Scott’s Cheap Flights. They are both sites that advertise drops in airfare rates. They are very useful in helping you to be aware of sales (or mistake fares) by the airlines. However, they don’t actually sell airfare at reduced rates. A travel advisor has access to bulk air. This is usually available when you book air and accommodations together, but it is also possible to use an airline consolidator, which sometimes possible to find cheaper flights without booking a hotel. I once saved someone $1000 on a multi-city flight to Europe!
Rapport–A relationship between a client and a travel advisor can be a wonderful thing. Our entire job is to help you use your money wisely and have an amazing vacation. We work to find things that will ensure that you have amazing experiences, and we’re there for you if anything goes wrong. Who else in your life does that? Over time the relationship grows, and you can always be dreaming about your next trip!
New Ideas–One of the most exciting things for me as a travel advisor is when I present someone with an itinerary, and they say, “I never would have thought of that!” I do a happy dance inside when that happens, and it happens frequently! A travel advisor is there to advise you, based on their resources and expertise, as well as what they know about you. Be open about your wants & needs when talking with a travel advisor. For example, someone recently told me that one resort appealed to her more because it had an espresso machine in the room, instead of a drip coffee maker. I love details like that, and it helps me to create the perfect plan!
Things you can’t Google–Travel advisors have access to sites you have never heard of and can’t access. We also have global networks of people we can contact with questions about anything. As a Virtuoso advisor, I have access to “on-sites” around the world, which are people around the world who can help me to make specialized arrangements in their country.
Small Business–Doesn’t it always feel good to support a small business? There’s even “Small Business Saturday” the day after Black Friday. When you go to Expedia or Priceline, you are supporting a large corporation and probably aren’t really saving much money, if any, over using an advisor. You also don’t have the personal touch and expertise of your travel advisor, who can help you find the best hotel, flight, etc for you. I can’t speak for other travel advisors, but nothing is too small for me. Even if you just need a hotel room for one night, I would be happy to help!
Check out some of my latest posts below, especially “Sing at Sea 2020”!
A post shared by Jonathan Pilkington (@pilkington_travels) on Sep 2, 2019 at 5:11am PDT