Who to Blame?
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- Arnvid
- diane
- jerrib
- Arnvid
- diane
- Maryel
- Arnvid
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Jo Murphy
- jerrib
- Arnvid
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» Arnvid - Re: Hmmmm --- this has got to be one of your most thought provok
In response to message posted by diane:You put the point here Gretchen, "how?"
Don't think it exist a single answer to this - unfortunately.
Agree with diane that one got to some research before traveling - that including also travel agents on the place you are going. Look at their sites - do they only list the standard information (or hardly even that). Is it just a list of tour programs? Well don't use those - at least I would not do so.
If you find an agent that have taken care and pride in giving information, then the next step would be to send that one a mail - and from that answer one will know more. If the answer don't unveil any insight, leave it - if the answer proves that the agent know something, then it can absolutely be worth contacting her or him. Normally it doesn't cost to ask via email.
Using a professional that is willing to sell "A la carte" (not only pre-made packages that is wrapped in unchangeable cement) can be far cheaper. Then you use the professional where / when needed and find your own way when not needed. A professional should also be able to provide you with a contact phone number so you can easily contact him or her when you are on destination and want to know something. If needed, to pay for service from such an agent can be worth a lot - in fact save you money for going places you never would have gone if you knew better as well.
Fact is as said that you should be prepared and do your own research - but then again a travel agent should be professional in what s/he defines as the "product". Unfortunately most are not - so my advise is to only use agents that's worth your time and money!
Any other suggestions?
-- posted by Arnvid
» diane - Re: Re: Hmmmm --- this has got to be one of your most thought pr
In response to message posted by Arnvid:WOW
What great advice and clarification --- a case in point that you reminded me of --- years ago on a trip to Greece my long suffering spousal unit and I used the services of an agent who only did Greece --- that was what he know, he was an expert, and when I told him via email what are interests where he made fantastic suggestions --- nothing was packaged --- he worked out the arrangments for what we wanted and made suggestions --- he put in quite a bit of time corresponding with me before I booked through him.
Was it expensive? Not at all --- the hotel arrangments he made for us were less expensive than we could have got on our own and not once were we disappointed ---
I'll second the Nile Viking's wisdom. Research your agent, choose an agent who knows the area, make it clear to the agent what you are interested in . . . the amazing thing to me is that working with an agent can be less expensive than going it alone ---- not for every excursion but (for example) I was amazed that a double room with private bath cost less than I would have budgeted for a much smaller room with no private bath --- but the agent knew just where to send us . . .
-- posted by diane
» jerrib - Unless an agent has traveled
extensively or written about (thus researched) or lived in an area, there's no way he/she would know all the details as you've just written. As an example, I get frustrated when I read about Washington State in travel guides and it's obvious the author has not been here (some details missing or incorrect info).I have to say, and know from experience - it's up to you, the traveler, to do your homework! We, writing about travel here at the Suite, help some. But we write of what we know and we don't always know everything, either.
Travel agents are humans! We know the rest of that equation.
Good questions, Arnvid.
-- posted by jerrib
» Arnvid - Re: Unless an agent has traveled
In response to message posted by jerrib:Great example diane - that's exactly my point, take the time needed to research to find the right one to deal with. Real professionals don't have to cost more - they will know what is possible, and help you from there.
Yes Jerri, you get frustrated about some travel writers the same way I get frustrated over lot's of journalists who cover political areas - Africa "experts", Middle East "experts" and so forth. They have been there most of them, knowing their area from late night talks at the bar at the hotel they stay at - and oh yes, taxi drivers are frequently used sources in "public opinion" references. Talk to your taxi driver at home next time and see how much s/he represents your opinion?
Many agents have not been on a destination - but that's not the "local" agents, that are someone sitting far away selling another destination.
In bigger agency some have been on a "fam trip" (familiarization trip) one week and come back as "experts". As a charter operator I have had hundreds of people from agencies on "fam trips" - they looked over most of our hotels, had some tours - and enjoyed the wine.
Most of them great persons, intelligent persons, kind persons, taking notes persons - but experts-after-a-week-persons? No!
That's why my suggestion is to go directly to a local agent, not someone who sells a destination they only have been on a "fam trip".
At least the local agent live on a daily basic where you will go, and if you email that local agent and ask if a specific three star hotel got mini-bar on the room - well if the local agent don't know, it will take him or her two minutes and a local phone to the hotel to find out. With local agents you also cut the cost of a middle man - so my best advise is to look for a local agent, the one who seem to be doing more than just "living there" that is...
To quote some "oldies": "You can't always get what you want - but if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need"
-- posted by Arnvid
» diane - Re: Re: Unless an agent has traveled
In response to message posted by Arnvid:oh yeah --- "if you try some time, you just might find, you get what you need"
the agent who was so helpful to us with greece had only done greece --- for 23 years . . .
you are right on it --- a locally based real expert can make all the differance ---even if what you are doing is booking a day tour afteryou are already there
-- posted by diane
» Maryel - Interesting Question Arnvid,
I find that the internet has been a godsend when planning a trip. I do a lot of research before I go, this not only helps me plan where I will go, but gives me the questions to ask the travel agent before I book.Of course if I can ever get back to Egypt, I'll know who to ask. Re solar boat. If found it awesome, even though the guide who wandered in and gave me a history etc, thought I was Italian and gave me the story with much drama attached, in that language. He was so enthusiastic about his subject, that I didn't have the heart to tell him I did not speak the Italian. However, I do speak French and this helped me get the gist of the story. Also he was a good actor and his dramatic gestures also told a story.
Thanks for droping by my site . As you know Egypt is the place of my heart as London is yours. Take care my friend. ME
-- posted by Maryel
» Arnvid - Re: Interesting Question Arnvid,
In response to message posted by Maryel:Mary Ellen, you say it again - the internet has been godsend for travellers.
Before when you had to travel you had to depend on those who had been there before you, if you had not been there before yourself. Using fax was not either always the big thing - that is if you knew a fax number to an agent.
Of course you could use a phone, but phoning half around the globe without any yellow page book for that destination in front of you would be like searching for the famous needle in the haystack in the middle of the night. Add to that the bill of the end of the month for international phone call for your research.
Bottom line is that if you did not have a neighbor just back from the place you should go, or maybe your neighbor originally came from that country - then you had to depend on a travel agent who was considered expert after a week on a familiarization tour.
Not so any longer, today you search the world for the price of a local phone and a computer. That's why I believe the clever travel agent on the corner would secure her/his future if s/he became a local expert and opened up her/his expertise to those who need that on the other side of the globe. The agent on the corner will in travel terms far more secure the company's future by becoming an inbound agent than an outbound agent.
Last, this is the reason I don't believe in those big automated travel sites. Is it not better as I said above, to be able to send a few sentence mail to a local agent and tell her/him what you want - compared to sit nights in front of the screen trying to find out what hotel you should use? Personal two ways dialogue across the globe is in my book the biggest advantage with the internet - and I guess that's a major reason why travel just grows online.
Yes Mary Ellen, I love London - but Egypt is as close if not more. There has been nearly five thousand years with "kings" and "queens" here - a bit more than in England I guess. Add to that far more gods than UK had - LOL
-- posted by Arnvid
»
Jo Murphy
- I have never travelled.
Hi Arnvid,
I have never travelled but researching murals all over the world has meant that I have developed the desire.
In answer to your question I don't think I would ever travell unless I was out to see something in particular.If I get to go to the Global Mural Conference in Moose Jaw Canada I will have researched every lil' l' tiny bit of info I can get my hands on.
Brisbane is a bit behind in the implementation of the internet and so any one coming here would not be able to access as much info as they should before hand I guess. So maybe the travel agent should do their homework properly before hand.
Hmmm! Answer "bit 'a both"
Jo
http://www.busywomen.com.au
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/mura...
-- posted by Jo Murphy
» Arnvid - Re: I have never travelled...
In response to messages posted by Jo & jerri:Hi Jo
What you do is travel as well in my book, so is reading books - so are a lot of things. Painting can be, so can murals - guess travel is kind of leaving the chair you sit, and sometimes you don't even have to leave the chair to do so?
Let's say you go to the Global Mural Conference in Canada, and you arrive - ask your self then when this travel started?
Did it start when you entered the flight, did it start when you went out your home door, or did it start when you became interested in murals?
Just thinking high...
Jerri - thanks, the nice part is that's its the oldest who actually did a portrait of her younger sister. Add to this that the youngest (soon two years) is crazy about "her portrait" and got to show it to all who visit us (-:
-- posted by Arnvid
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