by Jan Mauer | Mar 9, 2018 | International Flights, Luxury Travel, Romance Travel and Honeymoons, Travel Tips
This couple missed their flights – but not all was lost. Like a lot of dramatic stories, this one starts with a couple in love. They’d just gotten hitched and were set to depart the next morning on their dream honeymoon to Bali. With their travel agent, a colleague of mine, they had planned for six months to make sure this was the trip of a lifetime. A stunning blue lagoon in Bali. For these honeymooning clients, she had booked ten incredible nights divided between the beach and a culturally-rich main city, complete with a private driver, 5-star resorts, VIP access to special honeymoon perks, and exciting excursions. For the honeymooners, this was not only a dream trip that represented a ton of planning time; it also was a significant financial investment for which they had worked and saved for months. Imagine their agent’s shock when she got a call on the morning of their departure: they’d uncharacteristically overslept and missed their flights to Indonesia. People think that the perks of hiring a travel agent begin and end with the planning, but that’s not true at all. The real benefit of hiring an agent is something you discover when an emergency arises and you’ve got to figure out what the heck to do. This travel agent saved the day! Their travel agent immediately moved into action. Here’s what she did: 1. She re-booked them on different flights that would get them to Indonesia as soon as possible without costing them another small fortune. Instead of paying $6,000 for new flights on the same carriers and through the same destination,... by Jan Mauer | Nov 7, 2017 | African Safari, European Travel, Luxury Travel, Ocean Cruises, River Cruises, Romance Travel and Honeymoons, Small Group Tours, South Pacific Tahiti, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips
These days, anyone can book their own trip using various resources that are great for people with a lot of time and a sense of adventure – as well as a willingness to accept some risks. But how many travelers personally know the staff at resorts in desirable locations, such as Tahiti? How many people feel comfortable calling around to different destinations in hopes of finding useful, honest travel suggestions to help them plan their international trips? In their often exceedingly busy lives, travelers rarely have the time, energy or know-how to do this. Booking a quality vacation with custom-tailored services is not straight-forward for individuals. In fact, Google research has identified that it can take 32 visits to 10 different sites to buy a single airline ticket. And this doesn’t include searching for transport and accommodations. And even if you do the legwork, checking reviews, and confirming travel plans before your arrival, it is nearly impossible to ensure that everything will be as stress-free as it should be during your highly-anticipated vacation. This is one of the reasons my clients – and many other travelers – continue to ask for the assistance of travel consultants when planning their trips. Below are the top five reasons why I believe you should use a travel advisor to plan your vacation or honeymoon: 1. A professional travel planner is your personal advocate. All of the moving parts that comprise an international trip virtually guarantee that something will go wrong. When you’re in a foreign country, often with limited cell service, it is critical that you have a dedicated supporter in America... 
