I do get this question every now and then: What is the difference between booking with you and booking with an on Online Travel Agency (OTA) like Expedia?
When I first started working in the Travel Industry in 1995, OTA websites like Expedia did not exist. People had to call the airline/tour company or a travel agent directly in order to book any of their trips.
I remember working for AAA in Burnsville and on Sundays the phone lines were always busy with hold times of over an hour. People would read the travel section in the newspaper and rush to call and book their trip before seats ran out.
Boy, a lot has changed! Once Expedia and other online travel agencies became popular many people would book their trips on their computers. This hurt travel agencies resulting in a lot of agencies closing their stores. Travel agencies that did make it had to shift their way of thinking and come up with new ideas to keep their stores open.
During this time, there was a surge in Home-based Travel Agents. These agents changed their business model and focused on providing the highest level of customer service they could and started specializing in specific types of travel. They started taking the time to build client relationships and really listened to their clients wants and needs when booking their package.
So this is where we are today. I became a Home-based Travel Agent in 2004. It started slow (just like any new self-employed business does) but now has developed into a strong business based on repeat customers as well as referrals.
For this article, I want to talk about the differences between booking with me and reserving your trip with Expedia. This should help you decide who to book with for your next trip!
Becker World Travel Saves you a Ton of Time
So you are ready to book your next trip. How many hours of research will you do? What if you make a costly mistake? The average person will visit 38 websites and spend 10-20 hours researching options until they find the package that they think will provide them the best experience.
This is where I come in. I will save you real time and a lot of aggravation!
Time is money and most people fail to realize that they "can't miss what they don't know". My focus is not just to book your trip but to make it the best possible vacation that it can be.
The act of booking a trip is easy on Expedia but its difficult to plan a memorable vacation experience. That is my main focus to all my clients that book with me.
Expedia offers the booking capability, the question is whether they provide the level of customer service that many travelers demand. And Becker World Travel definitely provides that!
No Hold Times and Excellent Customer Service
Now that you have your trip booked, what if you need to make a change or if you made an error in your reservation?
I have heard horror stories about travelers waiting on hold for a ridiculously amount of time just to be told that there was nothing that could be done.
If any issues arise, it is the most complicated process dealing with them. How much is your time worth?
Becker World Travel is an advocate for you and will help you in way possible. I am here for you 24 hours a day/7 days a week and quickly responds to any questions or issues you may have.
You will never be placed on hold or receive below average customer service. My main focus is to provide excellent customer service so that you will think of me when booking your next vacation!
Expedia is Known for Overbooking their rooms
Take this into consideration.You have traveled all day and you are now ready to check into your hotel only to find that Expedia overbooked the hotel and you do not have a room. I can't tell you enough how many times that has happened.
And instead of helping you, you are left to find another resort AND pay for it. They have a clause in their Terms of Use page that states that Expedia: "has no liability and will make no refund in the event of a delay, cancellation, overbooking or other issue that is beyond their direct control."
Completely ridiculous. They are the ones that overbooked the hotel, why would they not be held liable?
I have had situations come up where this has happened. The big difference is that I WILL help you and WILL get you a reservation for another resort. And most of the time it is an upgrade from the one we initially booked.
This is what an honorable company would do. I have your back and will do whatever I can to make sure your vacation is a success!
Expedia customers are Typically the Last Ones to get any Upgrades or the Best Rooms
So maybe your resort is not overbooked and you check in without any issues. You grab the key to your room and cant wait to settle in.
You open the door, go the window and find that you have an amazing view of the parking lot. Not exactly what you were thinking!
Again, this doesn't happen every time but it is known that when the resort is assigning your room number, Expedia and other OTA's get the last pick.
You may be paying less but a terrible view is not worth it. I have good relationships with all my vendors and hotels and try to get the best room available. And in some cases, I am also able to get you a complimentary upgrade to make your vacation even more memorable!
Becker World Travel is your Advocate
This is a big one. I talked about it above but I can't express to you enough how important it is to have someone working on your behalf.
No mater what your questions are or what issues arise, I am there for you. Whether it is a question on your resort, an airport or document question or flight/airline information, I am there for you.
This is a priceless service that I do for every one of my clients. I realize that not everyone appreciates this and would rather book their own travel but I think this is the #1 thing that my clients appreciate about Becker World Travel.
There are some people that like doing everything themselves like cutting their own hair or assembling IKEA furniture (haha) but Becker World Travel can save you time and money, find fine print loopholes, help you avoid timely hassles, get insider expert tips and give you priceless peace of mind.
With all these reasons, are you ready to give Becker World Travel a try?
Thanks for reading!!