Travel Agents: Worth Their Weight in Time on Hold
Planning a vacation can be a burden, no matter the size of your party or length of your trip.
You may be excited at the idea of building itineraries and making reservations, imagining your days in and out of theme parks or sitting poolside for hours on end. You might also think, “How hard could it be? I could do this myself.”
You may be right. You could set your alarms for launch days, wait on hold, crunch numbers and fit more “must-dos” into 24 hours than once thought humanly possible…. But what if you didn’t have to?
Our travel agents are here to be your advocate, your planner, and your sounding board. They’re experts in what they do and – this may be the best part – their work comes at zero cost to you.
We spoke with a few of our own agents for insight on what they do, how they do it, and why it should matter to you.
We do the heavy lifting
If you ask a travel agent how they fill their day, you’ll likely get a breakdown of how long they spent on the phone, either on hold, or working through details to get their clients the best rates.
“We spend hours on the phone with vendors every day so that the client doesn’t have to,” says our agent, Candice. “Even when we’re on these amazing trips, or spending time with family, we never fully disengage.”
When big offers drop or major events launch, they work around the clock so their clients don’t miss out. It’s common for agents to set their alarms for any hour of the night to snag tickets or deals before they sell out.
Even when there’s not a rush to get details in order, agents take the time to find out what’s important to their clients, and put together multiple plans to meet their wishes.
“Behind every quote we send out is an incredible amount of research,” said Darren, an Orlando-based agent. “I like to show my clients a few different options so they have choices.”
Candice was amazing! In a matter of minutes I told her what I wanted and how many people were going, and my trip was booked and paid for. Candice also answered any question I had within minutes! And from the time of booking, up until the trip, she was sending reminders and tips to make our trip to Disney as smooth and magical as it could be! We will definitely be using Candice to book our next magical adventure to Disney!
We have the intel and experience you need
Travel agents are always training and learning more about the destinations they book. They’ve dedicated the time and energy to understanding the business, so they can better inform their clients of what to expect.
“Every vendor has different requirements for becoming certified and registered to sell their product. This usually means lots of training courses online, yearly assessments and additional training,” said Candice.
At Magical Vacations Travel, you’ll find that many of our agents are qualified to book not only Disney vacations, but also Universal, Royal Caribbean, Beaches & Sandals Resorts, etc. Each agent takes on a unique skill set, and is constantly adding to their repertoire to better serve their clients.
“As an Orlando local, I’m in the parks every week, so I offer my clients insider advice on hotels, tickets, dining, ground transfers, and cruise add-ons,” said Darren. “I’m only comfortable advising people on destinations that I have personally experienced, so that means I need to spend a lot of time onsite.”
For MVT agent Darcy, her 12+ years of experience booking Disney vacations has earned her more than just a few pairs of Mickey ears. “I have lots of firsthand advice and guidance for my guests’ trips,” she said. Darcy is one of many of our agents who injects her own experiences and tips into helping plan memorable vacations for her clients.
We find deals, and deliver the best value
Resorts and other vacation destinations have been known to provide special offers exclusively through travel agents. If you’re going it alone, you could be missing out on a great deal, or even some major perks.
Discounts, bundles or upgrades sometimes come up after you’ve already booked, and an agent will work to update your reservations to get you the best options.
“Whenever possible, we arrange Agency Exclusive Offers, these are special deals that are available only through us,” said Darren. “A good travel agent is always monitoring discounts for their clients, even after they book.”
According to Darcy, it’s a huge benefit to have someone “at the ready to apply brand new offers to your reservation and lower the cost.” Our agents will also let you know about new offers during your travel dates, so you can swap or upgrade rooms, add transportation or dining, or even extend your stay.
My significant other and I recently contacted Darcy for help planning our Disney trip and we were wonderfully surprised with how speedy, well-informed, enthusiastic, and awesome her replies were! Darcy was absolutely lovely and so patient with all of our first-timer questions – could not have asked for better! If we have any friends who need to plan a Disney trip, we will definitely be recommending her and MVT.
We’re your advocates
As much as we’d love to attend every trip that we plan, our role as agents is to be available to you before, during and after your trip.
Candice and other agents agree that, “by using us, they have one point of contact for their vacation,” she said, “instead of having to explain exactly what they want to a different person, every time they make a call or have a question about their trip.”
We also understand that no matter how well-planned a trip can be, hiccups happen. If, for example, you miss a connecting flight, or a family emergency prevents you from reaching your resort, agents will do whatever they can to make sure your reservations are taken care of. Whenever possible, we’ll help to rebook, reschedule or cancel what you need to take some of the weight off.
We’re passionate about what we do
It’s no surprise that our agents are well-versed in the art of vacation planning. For many, if not most, becoming a Magical Vacations Travel agent was a second career, born out of a love for travel or particular destinations.
“We work really hard, are incredibly dedicated and love our jobs,” Darcy said.
Our agents often travel together to hone their skills, sharing tips and learning more about new offerings. By navigating the business together, we’re able to build a network of resources our clients can benefit from.
“We’re a close-knit group,” says Brandi. “If we have any questions or issues, we’re comfortable reaching out to all of our agents and helping each other out.”
For Candice, Magical Vacations Travel has become more like a family. “When a client books with us, they become a part of that family, too,” she said. “You always want to do what is best for your family, and that’s exactly how we approach our clients’ vacations.”
At the end of the day, we could list dozens of reasons to make the case for using a travel agent to book your next trip. Perhaps the harder question to answer is simply, why not?
