The people we used to call travel agents are alive and well. And considering recent changes to the travel industry, they might just save your next trip.
It’s that time of year when you’re likely to be booking holiday travel, and undoubtedly you’ve logged onto travel sites to seek the best deals in flights, hotels, resorts, car rentals, and cruises.
It’s also a good time to consider using a travel advisor to help you do that.
That’s right. You may think you know all there is to know about travel, but that’s akin to thinking someone who can sing in the shower is ready for a recording contract. Professional travel advisors—which we used to call travel agents—can still be a vital lifeline.
After a severe downturn during Covid, in 2022 gross bookings by travel agencies increased 120% and continue climbing. Today there are some 160,000 advisors nationwide.
Starting in the mid-1980s, I have seen that every time someone writes an obituary for travel advisors, the profession somehow finds a way to continue.
That is truer now than ever. Here’s what I wish travelers knew about travel planners in 2024.
1. They’re not really agents anymore because they prioritize your needs.
For starters, let’s stop calling them travel agents. Sometimes a profession changes its name just to create buzz. But other times, there can be solid reasons for rebooting a title (such as replacing “stewardess” with “flight attendant”). So it is with travel advisors.
I once wrote a cover story for Travel Agent entitled “Agent of Whom?” For clients or for the travel suppliers? Commissions have been greatly reduced since the 1990s, although some remain in play, but to make up for that change, nearly all advisors now charge their own service fees instead, and there’s a greater motivation to earn those fees by prioritizing travelers’ needs.
I’ll admit I sometimes slip and say “travel agent.” But “advisor” makes more sense, because the best travel professionals aren’t representatives for any particular side, but truly are advisors, offering advice and recommendations based on years of experience.
2. The profession is still innovating and advocating.
The first travel agency, Cox & Kings of London, predates the United States itself, having opened its doors in 1758. Through the centuries, agencies have assisted travelers with everything from sailing ships to railroads to stagecoaches. Today, a wide range of advisors can arrange round-the-world flights to safaris to river cruises to family reunions.
Yet many of us have become our own travel planners. Consider how technology transformed nearly all our retail interactions via two dreaded words: “self-service.” Electronic transactions have pushed millions of Americans into becoming their own bank tellers, grocery clerks, gas station attendants, accountants, IT specialists, book publishers, and so on.
The advent of Online Travel Agents (OTAs) early in this century completely remade airline and travel distribution channels into one of the biggest self-serve industries of all. But do you really understand all the rules, tricks, and gotchas inherent in travel? It’s one thing to bag your own groceries, and quite another to navigate the opaque, murky, and sometimes downright deceptive world of travel. But travel advisors know how to do it.
Consider the recent actions by American Airlines. When the carrier attempted to implement dramatic changes to its AAdvantage frequent flyer program, it was travel advisors who led a successful fight to prevent American from only awarding miles to customers who booked directly and not exclusively through “preferred agencies.”
In May, I spoke at the Travel Advisor Conference, hosted by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) in Dallas, to discuss the recent “How to Fix Flying” white paper I co-authored. And in conversation after conversation, I was struck by the many knowledgeable, innovative, and enthusiastic travel advisors still eager to build their small businesses.
3. When things go wrong, you can call your travel advisor for help.
A key benefit of travel advisors is they can mitigate awful performances by travel suppliers when you encounter trouble on the road—and sometimes they find you lower rates while they’re at it. Itinerary changes and trip cancellations have soared in recent years due to Covid, an increase in natural disasters, and shortages in every sector of the industry, from pilots to air traffic controllers.
During a recent summer airline meltdown, my friend Tom McDonald told me of his upcoming multi-destination trip to visit numerous minor league baseball stadiums. Knowing that flight delays and cancellations were soaring then, I asked him about his contingency plan. His answer: Sofia, a local travel advisor he relied upon for years. In fact, Tom later told me she had seamlessly rebooked him after several flights were disrupted.
Being stranded at the airport or hotel front desk often means you can’t get through via text, email, or phone with corporate headquarters to make back-up plans. “Self-service” may result in long waits at the customer service desk or on the phone. But advisors have direct access to reservations systems and sometimes that can make all the difference.
4. Travel advisors are an antidote to corporate bureaucracy and AI.
Recently I wrote on Frommer’s (“Where is Everybody?”) about the frustrating and sometimes eerie experience of not having any human interaction with travel companies. As AI threatens to take over travel, some of us worry about the future of automated airline seat assignments, hotel check-ins, and vehicle pick-ups.
Virtually all aspects of travel are vulnerable to AI replacement. But with most agencies—ironically enough, especially the smallest ones—there’s the added advantage of providing human attention and focus while mega-corporations increasingly cede customer service to bots, apps, and telephonic decision tree algorithms.
5. Complicated itineraries require advisors.
I get it. You’re booking your fifth round-trip between Boston and Washington this year, and you’re very likely to handle it yourself via an OTA or even directly with the airline. But certain trips can be too complex for even the most frequent travelers.
Consider cruises, which present a plethora of issues involving passports, visas, health requirements, vaccinations, safety, security, cabin classes, meal plans, day trips, and much more. The Phocuswright Cruise Market Report for 2022–2026 indicated self-bookings had increased during Covid, but advisor bookings for the cruise sector alone are expected to rebound to 71% of vacations by 2026.
A good rule of thumb: If your vacation involves complex itineraries, first-time destinations, multiple foreign nations, or anything that floats, you’ll want to at least consider an advisor. What’s more, if you’re booking niche travel such as safaris or tours, you’ll want an advisor who specializes in them and therefore has connections that make it much more likely they’ll find discounts for complicated trips.
How to find the right travel advisor
• There are plenty of travel advisors nationwide, and some even still welcome in-person visits. ASTA provides an online search tool to help connect you.
• If you’re specifically looking to book a cruise, CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) provides an online travel agency verification feature for advisors who are in good standing.
• Ask your advisor what customer service assistance they offer while you’re traveling. When you’re vacationing in other time zones, a 24/7 help desk is particularly helpful.
• Ask your advisor about any preferred supplier agreements they might have with airlines, cruise lines, hotels, and so on. When travel advisors make bookings in volume, that often unlocks customer perks such as discounts, free services, upgrades, and more.
William J. McGee is the Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. An FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he spent seven years in airline flight operations management and was Editor-in-Chief of Consumer Reports Travel Letter. He is the author of Attention All Passengers and teaches at Vaughn College of Aeronautics. There is more at www.economicliberties.us/william-mcgee/.