5 Reasons to Book Your Trip with a Professional Travel Advisor

Yes, travel agents still exist; our industry is thriving! In an era of search engines and Ai tools, there are highly valuable, overlooked reasons to enlist the help of a qualified, experienced travel professional. Here are the top 5 reasons my clients return to me trip after trip, year after year:

1. Access to Exclusive Perks & Amenities. But what does that really mean?
"Exclusive" means admitting only a carefully selected group. Through my privileged Virtuoso perks, I have access to amenities you simply cannot get by booking directly with the tour company, hotel or cruise line. These are things like shipboard credits, room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, resort credits & more. These elite benefits are negotiated with the travel companies specifically for our clients. This also means that our elite, vetted travel suppliers are THE BEST OF THE BEST. They offer our clients perks because our agency and advisors are also the best of the best! These travel vendors can do so because they are spending less money on advertising and in return they can give back to you as the traveler therefore offering higher levels of service and creating elevated experiences. 

2. Personalized, High Touch Service
My service is highly personal and meticulously detailed. I am your partner during each step: from the initial trip idea, to researching and evaluating/comparing options, the entire reservation and booking process, back-up support while you’re traveling, to recon on your return. As my clients often mention in their reviews, I strive to be "perfectionist-level" in my planning, ensuring every facet of your trip is planned, confirmed and executed. I am in constant communication with you regarding each piece of the trip. This extends after you return. Something unsatisfactory and you are due a refund or credit? I chase it with the travel companies. Have to file an insurance claim? I help you manage the process and become your advocate with the insurance company. Have you ever dealt with an insurance claim before? If so, you know how valuable it is to have help. 

3. Human Safety Net - Ai Can’t do it! 
Things happen. I’m there to assist you when you have to cancel or change your plans. I handle the time consuming tasks of calling, emailing, accessing multiple internet sites or platforms to update your travel arrangements. Flight delayed or cancelled? I have an entire air team that handles all of this on your behalf. The airlines constantly change your flight schedule and don’t automatically book you on the best alternative flights. Humans monitor and process all of that. Think about how much time you’ve spent on hold calling an airline. God forbid a medical emergency happens before or during your trip: I supplement the travel insurance’s help - but at a much higher service level. You know what it’s like to deal with call centers often in foreign countries. With more than 20 years in the travel industry, I have extensive experience managing issues and fixing problems. Most trips go off without a hitch - but you had that peace of mind that if something did happen, I’ve got your back. 

4. Special, ‘Ungenerated’ Experiences
Aside from cruises and pre-packaged group tours, the extensions and itineraries I plan are ‘un-googleable’ and Ai simply cannot replicate the relationships myself and my network have cultivated. By leveraging my industry expertise and global connections, I provide the most amazing, worry-free, value rich experience you didn’t know you should be expecting. Google and Ai tools do not have the privileged access to the best suppliers and perks like I do. Travel should be a personalized experience and if value and experience are important to you, it is crucial to have a human by your side. 

5. Total Peace of Mind
​My ultimate goal is to elevate your travel experience by handling all the details and making the entire process easy and stress-free so that you can spend your valuable time elsewhere. My clients frequently report that I "take all the potential stress out of a trip," leaving them free to simply relish the moment and focus on what is most important to them (like soaking in the awe of experience and connecting with loved ones). Check out the reviews and testimonials from my happy clients (scroll down and click reviews & recommendations): https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/betts/advisors/15743050/amber-betts

Ready to find out what you’ve been missing? Contact me to start planning your next trip. 303.359.2140 [email protected]

FOLLOW UP BLOG: 3 Reasons Why You Should NOT Book Your Trip with a Professional Travel Advisor
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