...well, on the internet.
Let’s talk about booking trips through online travel websites.
Becca messaged me from her resort. She was in a tizzy. (Becca was a friend, not a paying client.)
The message started with “I am not sure what else I can do, can you help?”
She went into the details of how the resort was not what she expected (yuck) and that there was an issue with her flight home. And since she booked via a third party service, the hotel and the airline could not assist her directly.
LONG story short, she had already spent over 3 hours on hold with the “deal website” she booked through and still had no answers.
She was ready to lose everything she spent on this trip so far, plus the added expense of moving to a new location. Of course, not all online bookings go so horribly wrong. But you bet she regretted saving a total of $389 on a trip that was over $4000 to get the “deal”.
Yes, you can book online.
Yes, you may save a little on the bottom line.
But here is what you lose by choosing to save a few dollars when you do your own vacation planning:
Someone (me!) to help you personally curate your vacation. Someone who can verify the quality of the accommodations!
Full travel protection options that truly protect your investment. (Don’t just rely on the default travel insurance offered to you by the internet travel engine. Usually you cannot review the coverage and exclusions until you’ve already made the purchase.)
Someone to delegate all of the logistics, so you don’t have to worry. I spend all that time on the phone and customer service when there are bumps in your plans.
An actual phone number to call when you need something, not just a 1-800 number that leaves you on hold for hours.
Someone that’s here every single step of the way who knows you, your family, and how you like to travel.
Have you used a third party booking site / travel search engine in the last year?
I would love to know if it was seamless and easy or if you had bumps. Hit reply and let me know!
Life is hard, Travel can be easy,
Amy
P.S. Check out all the ways we can create magic together:
"I always thought travel planners were for "big trips" but I really needed help with a smaller local trip. I called Amy asking for some help and she came to the rescue! We had some very special requirements for our trip and I was getting nowhere. Because of Amy's connections as a travel planner, she was able to find me options that I just couldn't find on my own. If you need help with ANY aspect of travel near and far, definitely contact Amy Flores-Young!"
-Christine McShane
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