Travel Agent knows- it- all!
Travel agents used to be the go-to people for booking flights and special tour packages. But people all over the world have found is easier to pull out their credit cards and book their travel ticket from their own homes. But what a consumer doesn’t know is that a travel agent is like a chest of treasure waiting to be explored. Any certified travel agent is very well aware of the rules & regulations, new routes and also the lowest fare available with the airlines which will help the traveler to have pocket friendly schedule planned.
Traveling abroad is only pleasurable when the preliminary requisites for the trip have been completed in a stress free manner. When a person wants to travel abroad, a travel agent helps to check and verify all the credentials. A copy of these documents are filed with the travel agent making it reliable source for the government of the country to fall back on incase of any national emergency like background verification which will require the traveler’s details. Most international travelers are to file their income tax return statements with the travel agent for documentation purposes and this in turn helps the Income Tax department to check on the records of the citizens of the country. For many official organizations, the travel agents are a readymade resource for extracting the necessary background data of the citizens.
Professional assistance has been the key factor for all visa procedures as the requisites for application vary from one country to another. Most foreign countries are rigid with regards to travel documents and most travelers are unaware of the right documents which they are to carry with them while traveling. A certified travel agent will always have a list of Dos & Don’ts which are specific for each country making the components needed for travel well defined and precise.
Human beings are highly susceptible to stress when they are unsure of the next activity they are to do and hence it is essential for every traveler to have a travel itenary and travel advisory. These help a traveler to plan the trip and also be aware of the various tourist regulations present in the foreign country. At most times, people are unaware of the baggage limit, climatic conditions and also clothing required for travel. The travel agent is answerable to all such queries that a traveler has and is required to prepare the traveler in the best way possible for the travel.
Never does a traveler book a ticket with a pre-notion of canceling it, however there are times some unprecedented event can upset one’s traveling plan. During such times, cancellation of the tickets and getting a refund is an additional headache for the traveler, at this juncture; the travel agent is to step in and relieve the person by coordinating with the airlines for the refund of the unused ticket. All this just points out that a travel agent is an absolutely knowledge hub on travel and would know how exactly to pull-out his customer from an uncomfortable situation. Aviation industry is one of the most dynamic industries with various developments happening. Mostly people are unaware of the developments happening in the industry like stoppage of flights, addition of flights, new destinations, direct and connecting flights etc. It is a part of the travel agent’s job profile to keep a tab on these developments and to update the consumer on the same as and when it is required.
All this shows that ‘cutting off the middle-man’ is next to impossible as they are responsible towards the airlines as well as the consumer. Airlines are able to generate constant revenue from travel agents thus ensuring constant flow of cash within the industry. The travel agent stands as a guarantee to the consumer for a pleasurable travel. This evidently makes the travel agent a ‘Jack-of all-trades’ with high efficiency levels.
About the Author
Mr.Rajji Rai,
President, TAAI
Travelon, Anti-Theft Document Organizer, Style No. 42221.mp4