- Hotels and resorts frequently overbook just like airlines do. They know that statistically a percentage of guests will cancel their reservation or "no show". But what happens when the expected number of guests DON'T cancel? In this situation, customers get "bumped" or "walked" just like at the airport when a flight is overbooked. There's a finite number of rooms, so somebody needs to stay elsewhere. The hotel or resort sends these customers to another hotel or resort that has vacancies, and I bet you can guess which customers get bumped first - those who booked through OTA's. Who are these travelers going to call or complain to, 1-800-CHEAPBOOKING? Good luck with that. The folks that will only get bumped as a last resort? Those that booked through a travel agent. Those people have an advocate they can call who has pull with some major suppliers, so they are usually, but not always, left untouched.
Case in point: a travel agent I know recently booked a destination wedding group during peak season at a large resort. When the guests arrived, all those that had booked through the travel agent as part of the group were accommodated. Those that had booked online were "walked" to a different resort and were unable to stay with the rest of the wedding party. The travel agent was unable to help those who had not booked with her, and those folks had no one to turn to.
Which leads us to reason number 2... - Peace of mind knowing you have an advocate.
This past winter, I had some clients stranded in Mexico at a large resort due to a big winter storm back home that had shut down their airport. The resort told them they were going to have to move to a different hotel due to incoming customers. I made a couple phone calls and, lo and behold, the customers could stay in their room (and at a discounted rate, which their travel insurance covered). So, although the customer was unable to return home as scheduled, they were able to spend a couple of extra days in comfort.
A similar situation occurred that a friend was telling me about last night. In this scenario, the resort had been booked online (not with a travel agent), and it didn't have a happy ending. The customer's flight was cancelled and he was "walked" from his 5 star resort to an airport hotel to await his rescheduled flight. This poor man had strangers pounding on the door late at night demanding to be let in to the room. Needless to say, this was very scary for the traveler, and he ended up sleeping fitfully, clutching his 5 iron for protection. - Pricing.
A good travel agent will provide you with some of the best pricing available. You may not be aware of it, but we shop for the best pricing on your behalf by checking with several suppliers. We also know which suppliers may be having a special promotion that may apply to you. For example, a repeat client was recently looking for the best pricing on an adults-only luxury property. They found a veteran's discount on the resort's website that was only available by booking directly with the resort. They called me to see if I could match the price for them.) I ended up not only being able to match this pricing but being able to beat it by several hundred dollars. I knew that one of my suppliers was offering an airfare credit that would apply to their trip and would result in significant savings.
So, the next time you are thinking of booking online, take a minute to call your travel agent and see if they can book it for you. You'll be less likely to be "walked", have an advocate if the unforeseen happens, and get some valuable expertise in finding the best pricing.
Fun 'n Sun Travel & Cruise provides friendly, personal, professional service in order to plan each and every client's dream vacation, destination wedding, honeymoon, or cruise at one of the best prices available. Call us at 1-855-557-5588, visit us on the web at fnstravel.com, or email us at info@fnstravel.com.
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