Purchasing Airfare First: You think you found a deal and you purchased your airfare - but find a tour to fit your dates is next to impossible or there is an event happening in Dublin and hotels are scarce, except for the 5-star deluxe properties at $600 per night.
Solution: If you are purchasing a tour we can obtain airfare, sometimes discounted airfare, in conjunction with your tour, ensuring the correct arrival and departure cities as well as flight time. When you purchase airfare with your tour, transfers are automatically included. If you're looking for a self-drive vacation we will ensure that flying into one airport and out of the other is the most economical and that your route takes into account any events that may make it difficult to find accommodations.
At least twice per week I receive requests where someone has purchased airfare roundtrip to/from Dublin and want to know if I can suggest some tours. Unfortunately this is like fitting a square peg into a round hole - tours start on specific dates and typically start at one airport and leave from the other. The other common request is for a self-drive where potential clients have their Dublin airfare but want to tour the west coast - so why didn't they fly out of Shannon? More often than not they didn't know Shannon was there and therefore they'll spend a half day driving back to Dublin to spend the night before flying home.
Comparing On-Line Prices: I've lost a good deal of business over the years because folks found a package that saved them $25, or less, per person. To try and remain competitive I have asked to view their package and make sure my rates were on par - only to discover that we were comparing completely different packages. Different hotels or different car sizes . or the fact that I include the mandatory CDW and so these folks are actually paying more for the total package after all is said and credit cards done. Worse than that, a few potential clients ended up purchasing hotels that were not within walking distance of town or their itinerary was too random and unmanageable. but it was too late, they booked to save a bit of money.
Solution: I have decided to price-match and if I can meet the price, I'll take an additional $25 off the booking! Just forward your legitimate, detailed price quote via email or fax and I will price out the exact package to ensure accurate comparison. If the rate is too good to compete I will concede and you will know you received an excellent deal, peace of mind with no cost to you.
True story here - I had a request for a Haunted Castles Tour which includes 4-star haunted castles with a total of 6 nights. I processed the quote within an hour and waited to hear back. nothing. I inquired to see if the person was interested only to find that they found the package cheaper elsewhere so I asked if I could see the quote to ensure I was in-line with current pricing. The quote she sent was for a 7-night bed and breakfast self-drive! Hmm, castles compared to B&Bs? I priced out my B&B package exactly as she booked - and I beat the package by $111.36 total.
Booking without an Agent: Why should I? I can save the money the agent charges and going direct will make it cheaper. WRONG - agents are paid by tour operators for bringing in the business and by going direct you simply increase the tour operator's profit margin without receiving the customer service you are paying for. In the event of an unforeseen problem you will need to handle the issue, contact the tour operator and/or hotels to find a resolution but keep in mind you are one in a million in their eyes and the chances of traveling with them again is minimal.
Solution: Find a reputable travel agent and work directly with them. Not only are you stimulating their business but you're building a relationship that will be mutually beneficial and cost you nothing more than loyalty. If you like to research your trip online, simply tell your agent and they will try to get you the same package, ensure the best rate and provide the customer service should you need to use them if anything unforeseen happens.
I once had a total stranger call me who had booked her vacation to Ireland herself and somehow managed to miss her flight to Shannon and her boyfriend, who is in the Army, was going to worry when she didn't show up. Somehow she thought that I could help her with a flight . unfortunately she was on her own because she didn't use an agent to help coordinate all of this.
On the flip side I did have a client who was re-routed from Shannon to Dublin due to bad weather and they had to sit on a bus as they were transported back to Shannon for their car rental, a 4+ hour journey. Upon return she told me her story, knowing I was not responsible for airlines (who is really?) but I knew she purchased travel insurance and helped kick off the process to see if she could obtain a partial refund. Indeed her insurance covered delays and within weeks she had over $200 per person for her delay.
Using Any Agent: Just because someone is called a travel agent doesn't mean they know a particular destination nor does it mean they have traveled to where you want to go.
Solution: Inquire about your agent's experience just as you would your doctor and if you're not comfortable, move on to the next. Ask about affiliations and references - you've worked long and hard for that vacation and so should your agent.
Obviously I've been to Ireland well over a dozen times and know my way around like the back of my hand so Ireland is easy for me to sell and plan. I've been to Europe numerous times as well and feel comfortable with many countries throughout. When clients talk to me about Disney or some of the Caribbean, I concede and forward their request along to one of my associates who specialize in the request and ensure that my clients receive the best information and customer service possible.
Booking Late: Booking one or even two months beforehand is not the best timeframe for obtaining the best price.
Solution: Plan and book early ... 6- to 9-months in advance. Ireland books up well in advance, 3- to 6-months to be more precise and due to its popularity that lead time is increasing. There are few, very few, specials to be found during the peak season and if you wait you will lose the lower-priced airfare or find accommodations booked up.
Just one week prior to St. Patrick's Week I was contacted for a self-drive package with a few nights in Dublin for the festivities. one week before! Mind you this couple thought they had a package booked elsewhere but something strange happened and it wasn't actually reserved so it was completely their fault. The bottom-line here is that the only hotels available were 4-star and above, expensive to say the least. they could go, but they paid more than they normally would have.