Choosing a Travel Agent

The following is general information regarding travel services. This report contains a step by step guide to follow when considering using the services of a travel agent.

Consumers spend billions of dollars each year traveling in the United States and abroad. Whether you choose to be your own travel agent or use the services of a professional, good planning is a major factor in making vacation travel a delight.

Recognizing a Good Travel Agent:

Takes time to learn your travel needs, preferences, tastes, budget, and personal limitations such as medical conditions or phobias.

Does comparison shopping to find the transportation, accommodations, attractions, and services that will give you the greatest satisfaction, and at the best price.

Keeps abreast of new developments in the travel industry that could benefit you, such as price cuts and special deals on airfares and hotels.

Is highly knowledgeable about attractions and local customs at popular destinations and can provide tips that will help you choose among options and keep your trip running smoothly.

Services Offered By Travel Agents Include:

Arranging reservations for air, sea, bus and rail travel, cruises, and car rentals here and abroad.

Providing information on travel and luggage insurance, visas, passports, inoculations, traveler’s checks, currency exchange, weather, etc.

Preparation of individual itineraries and arrangements for package tours and for personally escorted tours or group tours, within the U.S. and abroad.

How to Find A Good Travel Agent:

Take advice from friends and business associates who use an agent they trust.

Visit or call several agencies to find the one that best suits your needs.

Consider everything from the appearance of the office to the agent’s willingness to listen and answer questions.

Ask about a specific agent’s professional background. For example, what kind of training or education they might have had.

BBB for a reliability report on a travel agent you may consider using.

You can contact the American Society of Travel Agents at (703) 739-2782 to check if a travel agent you are considering using belongs to this organization.

When possible, deal with a local travel agent.

NOTE: There are many travel promotions offering "vacation certificates" on the premise that a "free" vacation will draw customers to their sales sites. A large number of these organizations offer packages to Florida destinations. All companies offering travel from the State of Florida must be registered with the Department of Agriculture, Seller of Travel Division. To check whether a company is registered, you can contact them at (904) 488-2221.

Before agreeing to purchase a vacation certificate, the BBB recommends the following:

Ask for information about the offer in writing before making any form of payment.

Be leery of high pressure sales tactics, such as "This offer is only good for 72 hours."

Be leery of companies that "sound like" well-known firms.

Be leery of prices that are ridiculously low.

Find out exactly what is included in the quoted price, and what isn’t.

Don’t give out your credit card number for an offer to a person or company that you are not familiar with.

This information is general in nature and is not intended as a reliability report on any company, product, or service.