San Francisco/Stanford/Silicon Valley. Worth the trip, fly back from SFO.

Daren

Going places is My Travel, Thomson is merging with 1st Choice. Thomas Cook is merging with My Travel.

So does this mean by next year we will have Thomson my 1st cook travel?????

What about Washington or LA?

Erm im new to holidays and travel agents. But i want to book a holiday for my girlfriend her child and myself my friends tell me Turkey is quite good in the summer but im not sure who i should book with?
Thomson , Thomas cook or Co - op travel???
can anyone offer some advice or tell me how their past experience with any travel agent has been.
Thanks

Regards

Luke

Hi Darren

Travel supermarket are like all so called holidyay comparision sites, fall down on there face when it comes to self catering and hotel deals.

Half the time they come back with scarry prices, or no prices at all.

Rant over

Les

Erm i have been to visit a couple of travel agents during this week both in London and leicester and only one seemed to know what they were talking about. The others were all pants offered little advice and basically told me to check the catalogue myself!!!
The funny thing is if im going to start reading through entire catalogues what is the point of a travel agent??? Arent they supposed to ask me questions to fact find and make appropriate recommendations???
Van Haydon in leicester city centre offered amazing customer services.
He actually had some knowledge of my location with out looking in a brochure and also he seemed genuinely interested in saving me money i think he was an independant.
Darren mate if you could tell me you past experience stories i would greatly appreciate it cheers.
And if anyone else has any stories i would appreciate it if u cud share them so i can make an informed decision.
I have never used the internet to book a holiday but i hear expedia is gd???

I honestly do not see the point in the travel agent the majority of them seem absolutley useless. They really need to step up their game. The role of an agent is more than processing and order once peole have made up their mind. Travel agents need to advise people. I work in a phone shop on the weekend and know shit loads about mobile phones. If you come in as a customer and ask me a question i can give you a good answer and develop a package and mobile phone to suit your needs as a consumer i dont just chuck any old crap at u. I listen to customers needs and then advise appropriately. At a basic level this is what travel agents need to do. I think they also need to build on and develop their knowledge of the destinations they offer holidays to.
Im sorry but hadning a customer a catalogue and telling them to **** till they arranged the holiday themselves just does not cut it.
That customer can take the catalogu and ave a look online instead. Given the number of people with internet connection it is not exactly difficult or out of reason to believe this is the reality of the current market.

When the big 4 started they called themselves Holiday Shops not Travel Agents. They did not train the same way as Travel Agents and did not have the knowledge. Things have moved on, they are now called Travel Agents that is the only change.

Independent travel agency staff have done a 2 year course to become Travel Agents and the experience is different. As a Travel Agent I hate been tarred with the same brush as the big 4.

When I work for a large company I was surprised how blinkered we where towards book now with us because we the best! That what the staff are taught and it comes over.

I am sure Darrens experience with Select World has proven to him that there are still Travel Agents out there.

Main thing with an independent is to ask for help. Not just say can you suggest somewhere to go. Try I am stuck with somewhere to go, I like…….. What can you suggest? Most Travel Agents will give you ideas.

Along another track, I wonder how many people would be prepared to pay for “proper travel agents” a few agents have start to charge a “refundable on booking fee” . To cover the cost of provided an advice instead of a booking service.

Hello everyone like Luke i am also planning a holiday for my husband and I. I got about £600 and i want to take him somewhere special for his birthday in June. It might just be for a weekend or a week at a push if he can get away with the time off work. Can anyone make any recommendations please? On location as well as how and where to book.

xxx

Kim

xxx

Prague seems like a nice idea but like most women i am totally useless when it comes to using technology im so rubbish on my husbands computer i thinks it is a mac im not sure. I might have to get help from my brother if i book the holiday online. Which high street travel agents would you recommend i visit.

xxx

Kim

xxx

Oppsy

i forget to say thank you for your advice how rude of me

xxx

Kim

xxx

Hi kim,

I think that’s the right website - not sure - but you can google them. You might want to try budapest, hungary as this is a great option for a romantic break. We booked with Perfect Profiles as they offer a great spa package at the hotel margaritz - beautiful hotel on maragret island -pure escapism - you can even take a horse drawn carriage around the island itself - v. romantic!! The hotel is beautiful and you can make the most of the thermal waters there - very good for de-stressing and a little pampering if it’s an extra special holiday. There are also theatres and good restaurants in the city - we went to this beautiful fish restaurant - the name escapes me but it has an open courtyard in the centre and candle light - the perfect romantic setting. Flights can be booked separately and we got a really good cheap deal with whizz air.

Kim

If you want something different and not mass market city wise try Milan or Budapest.

Budapest is what Prague was before it got mass market. It is a very romantic city.

If you do not want to travel far and maybe go by train try Bruges. Very pretty, small and easy to get around

okay i will check them out although their office seems a little far from where i live. They is a Co op travel close to where i live has anyone got any thoughts on their service??? Im thinking about visiting them when im not busy.

xxx

Kim

xxx

Kim,

I used to work for the Co-op. The travel section is made up of over 10 companies plus some franchises. Service varies from company to company. But they are supposed to be independent and helpful.

Have you tried asking friends if they would recommend a travel agent?

My friends never use travel agents their husbands always arrange holiday’s. If i ask one of my friends it might get back to my husband and ruin the suprise for his birthday!!!

So what was it like working for co op if dont mind me asking? Did you work for the travel section?

I visited a thomson and they didnt seem to know much or have many suggestions.

xxx

kim

xxx

I live in Leicester very close to the town centre they are a lot of travel agents in the town centre its just difficult to find the time to visit them all and sit down to have a meaningful conversation with them.

Whilst in the city i have passed by a lot of travel agents including STA, Going places, Co op travel ,Van Haydon, and Independant travel. So many travel agents and not enough time. Hhhhmmmm ???

xxx

Kim

xxx

fair enough sounds like good advice i will give it a try thank you
x
Kim
x

Hi Kim

I would call 2 or 3 agents max they are all on the same system give or take.

Beware of being offered a diy package check the company is bonded with Atol.

Also i have tried travel supermarket and they only seem to promote XL holidays and first choice.

Chris