I've been in the travel business since 1989 and owned two store front agencies for about 10 years, with staffs of agents, before selling them. During that time, I did a variety of travel arrangements (with a lot of focus on Mexico, which I love) and had agents handling other areas like Hawaii, Europe, Cruises, etc., while I supervised the agents and did quality control on their arrangements. I also personally handled the corporate travel for some of the businesses in the area, including Driscoll Berries, as well as arranging last minute tickets for FEMA personnel responding to emergencies for a period of time. During that same time, I served on the national board of directors for the Association of Retail Travel Agents, with responsibility for travel legislation review for the western region of the US. After selling the agencies, I worked as a reservation agent for a well-respected tour company for another 10 years, working with travel agents to arrange travel to Hawaii and the South Pacific for their clients. For different periods of time, this work included coordinating destination weddings in French Polynesia and working as the South Pacific Dive Specialist – along with arranging travel to New Zealand and Australia. During my 30+ years in the travel business, I’ve helped arrange a wide variety of destinations and types of travel for clients. Currently, I'm an independent agent for one of the largest agencies in the country, which gives me access to the best rates and allows me to routinely match the pricing at the large on-line agencies. One of the services I provide is to check for lower pricing at the biggest online agencies - then match that offer, to make sure I'm getting my clients the best available price for their trip. I also get emails from the major travel suppliers and, when they have a new promotion, compare the new promotional pricing to what is being held. With the big online agencies, the client would have to bring that new pricing to their attention - the agencies don't monitor it for them. It's just the type of service I think a good travel agent should provide for their clients.
