I Should Have Listened to My Travel Agent
Trust your travel agent when they make recommendations about your vacation planning. They most likely are making these recommendations based on their experiences. Remember that is why you are using a travel agent in the first place, to benefit from their knowledge. Here are some of the most common mistakes travelers make:
Not purchasing the recommended travel protection or pre departure waiver.
I think we used to live in a world were travel protection was rarely considered unless you were on an epic adventures in Africa. The likelihood of us needing travel protection was very small. Today things are very different. We recommend travel protection or pre departure waiver (when available) for every booking. Travel protection can protect you and the value of your trip, before and during travel. Pre Departure waivers are there to protect the value of your trip up until departure. These policies are a must have. We all see how quickly things can change and having the needed protection can make rebooking or canceling the trip simple while protecting your investment.
Not taking that early flight.
Travel Agents generally pick an early departure flight to get you to your destination at the best time. In most situations we try to select flights that get you to your destination around 1pm. This might mean you have to take the 8am flight or even the 6am flight. For all-inclusive resort trips, arriving at 1pm gives you time to get through customs (usually about an hours or so), gather your bags, find your transfer, and make the drive to your destination (sometimes 30 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on location) and still make it to your resort around 3 or 3:30pm. The perfect time for check in. Taking that early flight prevents you from arriving at your resort at 7pm at night, missing half a day of fun.
Not packing a swimsuit (or other important items) in your carry on.
In all my travels I have only had my bag delayed once. Knock on wood. Luckily it was delivered to my hotel room that evening but I was still without my essentials all day. Always pack a few items (medication too) in your carry on so you can continue on your vacation while the airline hunts down your bag and delivers it to your hotel room. You don’t want to be the only one not enjoying the pool as soon as you arrive to the resort. Also, always pack your car keys in your carry on bag.
Not splitting your resort stay between two resorts.
Did you even know you could do that? This is a great option when you want to stay at a high end resort (or over water bungalows) but the budget can’t take 7 nights of it. Stay at a moderate resort for the first 4 days then splurge on the over water bungalows the last three days. Always stay at the deluxe resort on the second part of the trip.
Not reviewing your travel documents before you leave.
Travel Agents provide these documents for a reason. They have all the ins and outs of your trip. What immigration forms you need, where to meet your transfer, what time check in at the hotel is, what the dress code for dinner is, and contact information for your Travel Agent, resort, transfer, and travel protection. This information is there to help have a stress free travel experience.
Not making a copy of your travel documents for a family member at home.
This one is a no brainer. Let someone know where you will be in case they need to contact you in the event of an emergency. While you are at it, make a copy or snap a few pictures of your passport in case yours comes up missing during travel. This will help you so much when trying to get it replaced.
Not booking with a travel agent who has traveled.
You wouldn’t trust a hair dresser who has never cut hair before, so why trust a Travel Agent who doesn’t travel. Ideally, you would want to find a Travel Agent who has been to your desired destination or has a network of business partners who have traveled to your destination. We travel as often as we can. If you know our story, you know we have been all over the world. If we haven’t been to your destination yet, we know a business partner who has.
