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TRAVEL
CREATIVE JUNCTION
Ask Deanna: why should I use a travel broker?
I am often asked the question, What
makes you different or what are you able
to do for me that I cannot do myself?
Agreed, you can book online, but where
do you start? There are so many choices.
There are so many sites for Hotels, Airlines
and travel associates and then you have
user review sites like trip advisor which
are often very mixed.
Have you ever tried to change the date
of your Hotel because you booked
the wrong year? Or your flight details
because you booked the ticket in your
maiden name, Tried to make last minute
amendments to your booking and deal
with trip delays, cancellations, or time
changes to your flights and then turn up
at the airport only to be told our flight
flew the night before? Then missed your
departure of your Cruise or Tour because
you were not sure how you were going
to manage changing a Non-Refundable
ticket and the airline counter was closed
for the night, and there is no way to buy
a new ticket or contact the tour company
after hours to let them know!
Have you purchased Travel Insurance
and then realised you were not covered
because you didn’t declare your pre-
existing medical condition or it didn’t
cover you for being over 25 weeks
pregnant?
Where a Broker often comes into their
own is not always in the booking (Some
Itineraries are often simple to do), A
Broker becomes paramount and valuable
when things need amending or have
to be cancelled. Often using a Broker
seems more costly to people HOWEVER
a Broker can save you time, money and
disappointment.
Brokers, have been in the Industry for
years and have the Knowledge. The
Industry constantly changes and booking
travel is a lot harder than it ever used to
be especially with Interline agreements
among Airlines. Would you, if you are
travelling to Europe and deciding on
properties to stay book via a website and
their anonymous reviews versus speaking
to a professional who knows what they
are talking about, who uses Suppliers
who know about the product!
A Broker will match your needs and
budget to suit rather than just sell a
package that is available. They will take
the time to listen and narrow down with
the questions to what you want for your
holiday or Business trip.
One of the biggest things a Broker will
do is take Accountability. Broker’s take
responsibility for every trip, they are a
real person who you can speak with
to work things out. A Great Broker will
work also as a Travel adviser and work
collaboratively with their clients to sort
through vast amounts of information
to make informed decisions. As they
have been in the Travel Industry a long
time, they have developed long-term
relationships with Airlines and Suppliers
and often have Leverage with these
companies to get what they want rather
than a single consumer.
Using a Broker, WILL save you time,
hassles, aggravation-and often money.
Warren Buffett said it brilliantly when he
quoted, “Price is what pay, value is what
you get.”
09 972 7225 | 021 503 418
[email protected]
www.nztravelbrokers.co.nz/deanna