The Cheapest Deal Isn't Always The Best Deal

Not most but some clients ask for the cheapest deal that will get them to a certain destination. If this is what the client is looking for then I will be happy to provide them with this request. However, they may want to rethink if the monetary value is worth the sometimes lower quality experience. 

What is the most important thing for a client to be satisfied with? For sure it is the quality of the accommodation. If you book a 4-star all-inclusive or higher, you are going to get a better bang for your buck, trust us agents when we say so. 

What components make up that star rating of a hotel? This is how Trip Advisor does it below. 

• Location 
• Sleep Quality 
• Rooms 
• Service 
• Value 
• Cleanliness 

Think about these components before you purchase "the best deal". The higher star rating, the more the components are better overall. As a consultant, I would recommend no less than 3.5 stars for an all-inclusive southern vacation. Paying a little more for that resort on a crystal clear baby blue beach is worth it. From major cities across Canada you can easily find during the winter months a trip down south for $1000 - $1400 per person for a 4-5 star resort. You can see many options by just looking on TravelOnly's website. 

For European destinations, for me it's not really about selling the higher star rated hotels; it's all about amenities and location. If the hotel has bus transfer service, breakfast, and internet included, then that is all I need. So for travellers going to Europe, you'll want to have certain amenities included. For most of my clients, they only spend their time sleeping on the hotel premises depending where they are in Europe such as London. There is always something to see, do, and explore there!  

Why home-based travel agents are the way to go when you book travel

Here are 5 major points as to why a home-based travel agent is the way to go when you plan & reserve your next trip. 

Round-The-Clock Support. Before, during, and after your vacation, a home-based agent works around your hours to best serve and assist you. As a home-based agent myself, working in my home, at a local cafe, or meeting my clients in person is more flexible for me and my client to discuss travel plans. It's a win-win situation for both the traveller and the consultant. 

We Are VERY Passionate Travellers. If you know someone who is an entrepreneur, they likely have passion about what they are doing. I work longer hours sometimes because I enjoy running my own business and doing something that I love. It's a lot more work than working for someone else but it's worth it but I love it. It's my rep that's on the line so if I'm going to do something, I better do it right and show people why that passion is worth all the longer hours and prospecting. 

Travel is #1 on my bucket list of things to accomplish in life. I simply LOVE to travel. So talking about different places around the world with my clients (especially Europe & Mexico) comes easily for me. 

A More Personalized Experience. Having worked in Tourism for quite a few years, I understand what it really means for someone to go the extra mile or make your experience that much better. I know it sounds cheesy, but making someone's day really made my day better too.

Some things I like to do for my clients are send them their invoices via post or deliver them in person along with creating a personal letter and giving them some guidance specifically related to their trip. If I have any on hand I also usually give my clients baggage tags and send my clients a welcome home card once they return from their trip. They appreciate that you care and aren't finished dealing with them once you make the sale.

More Flexible To Go On FAM Trips. What are FAM trips? They're Familiarization Trips! Agents get discounts on vacation packages so that they can experience what you will experience! Since we don't work for anyone but ourselves, we get to decide when we want to test the product and then we can tell you all about it and how awesome it was to be there! 

We're Social Media Guru's. I use social media as a main tool to promote travel deals to my clients and gain new clients. On my Facebook pageTravelOnlywithAutumn each week you'll see posts on what deals there are mainly from the Halifax Airport.

Nova Scotians are my #1 priority in assisting with travel plans but certainly it doesn't stop here or even across Canada. When I lived in Spain for over a year, I made some great connections with a lot of fellow travellers when I was travelling around Europe and sometimes they want my assistance when planning to go to their next destination.