Working With a Travel Agent: What to Ask

When you're talking with your travel agent, you can rest assured that he or she is going to be doing everything in their power to get you the best trip for the lowest price. However, you do need to make sure you and your agent are on the right page.

To avoid any confusion, always make sure to tell your agent exactly where you want to go (they can help you come to a decision, but once you've come to that decision, make it clear). Make it clear how much you're willing to spend, what kind of accommodations you're looking for, what kind of a trip this is, be it personal, business, or even romantic. Remember that your travel agent isn't just a travel agent, but also a travel expert. By talking with hundreds of travellers day in and day out, travel agents tend to have a unique perspective on travel. For example, a travel brochure will never tell you if the beaches tend to get incredibly crowded during the summertime… but… a disgruntled traveler most certainly will!

With that in mind, there are a number of questions you should ask you travel agent to make absolutely certain that you and your agent are on the same page. Even if you've made yourself clear, you want to make sure that your agent has understood you.

Regarding Location

This is one of the most important areas to ask some questions, for obvious reasons. You're probably going to be spending a few days at your destination, so you'll want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into! Ask specific questions about the experience of other clients -- while most agents won't "volunteer" negative information, under direct questioning they may be able warn you away from some of those destinations that look great in the TV ads, but happen to be kind of terrible for vacations.

Don't assume that your travel agent will inform you of the necessary visa, passport and health requirements for international travel. Be sure to ask for application forms or the assistance you need. Before hitting the airport, ask for an update on any travel advisories that may have just been issued.

About Crowds

You should ask your travel agent about the crowds you can expect at your destination. Your travel agent is going to be honest, simply because it's not a big deal for them to switch you to another destination, and they risk losing your business if they are dishonest. Just ask what the crowds are like around the time of year you'll be arriving. If bigger crowds don't really bother you, don't worry about it. However, if you and your spouse are taking a second honeymoon for example, you'll probably want a little bit of peace and quiet.

Flight Accommodations

Any flight your travel agent gets you is going to be at a nice discount. That's what travel agents do, anyways, and if they didn't, they wouldn't be in business for very long! However, what you want is the best of the best deals. Your agent should provide you with plenty of options whether you're flying first class, coach, or business class.

Be advised that you'll get more options the earlier you book. If you can start planning months in advance, that'd be great. In fact, don't feel silly if you decide to start planning your vacation practically a year beforehand!

About Options

If your travel agent is only showing you a very small number of options, it could be for a couple of reasons: First, and most common, is that these are simply the best for your needs, as far as your agent can tell. Second, they could be trying to lean you towards something more expensive for a bigger commission.

This second possibility is unlikely, but it does happen. If you feel you're not seeing the whole picture, ask to take a look at some other options. If your agent won't budge, you might be better off taking your business elsewhere. An honest travel agent is going to give you options to fly to just about anywhere you want to go (well, unless they specialize in one part of the world).

What's Included

Find out what, if any, food and drinks are included. Even if you don't choose an all-inclusive resort, a lot of top quality hotels have concierge floors with free food and beverages all or part of the day. It may be worth the extra money for the concierge floor to save on breakfast, lunch and daily snacks. If you are purchasing an inclusive package, be sure to find out exactly what is included and not included in the package you choose. Some trips just include breakfast and lunch but not dinner. You don't want any surprises once you get there.

Be sure to ask about your specific resort's policies on recreation activities such as golf, sailing, diving and spa services. You don't want to assume that just because the brochure talks all about these activities, you can just show up whenever you feel like it. Most resorts require advance reservations for high-demand activities such as scuba diving and massage therapy.