"Can You Beat This Price?" What Most Travel Advisors Won't Tell You

A common question every travel advisor will get is “I got a quote for a vacation package from another travel agency….can you beat it?”

Seems like it would make sense to shop around. We do this with other things, right? If we’re going to buy a television, we check the prices at Best Buy, Amazon, and Bob’s T.V. Store and see who has the best deal.

But when shopping for a travel advisor to plan and book your vacation, this is a total waste of your time.

SAY WHAT?

Travel advisors are NOT travel suppliers. We don’t bring the products to market, and we don’t set the prices. Think of us as similar to independent insurance agents. We can sell anyone’s product, and our job is to listen to our client and find the right one for them. But the travel supplier sets the price. We have zero control over that.

So that means any two travel advisors who quote the exact same vacation package, from the exact same travel supplier on any given day are going to get the same price.

BUT I DID GET A DIFFERENT PRICE! I REALLY DID!

The truth is, prices fluctuate from day to day…especially if they include airfare. Or perhaps the next travel advisor you shopped with quoted a different air itinerary altogether, or a different room category, or a different level of travel insurance or a shared airport transfer rather than a private one. They may have used a different travel supplier that has slightly different package pricing. Sometimes you can tweak the price by jiggling the individual components or checking with another supplier, but any travel advisor can do that. So if you don’t love the price, the best use of your time is to work with that same advisor to see what modifications may be available.

And sometimes the price is just the price. A balcony cabin with XYZ cruise line on a given ship departing on a given day with the same amenities is the same price today whether you buy it from XYZ cruise line, your local travel advisor, or Bob’s T.V. Store. But that price might change tomorrow. And that makes you think that you scored a better advisor. Nope.

SOME EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE…THAT ARENT REALLY EXCEPTIONS

A travel advisor or agency may put together a group travel package with a supplier that they are exclusively selling at an exclusive price. But this will be a group trip departing on a certain day, and will include the components the advisor chose. If that fits into your travel plans…great! And every travel advisor has an equal opportunity to put these group trips together.

The other exception is that some suppliers will allow an agency to run a sale once or twice per year. This is most common with cruise lines. But again, all agencies have equal access to this opportunity.

Being with one of the largest agencies, we can secure, from time to time, an exclusive amenity from a supplier for our clients, such as extra onboard spending money on a cruise, or a discount on a tour, or a spa credit, just for our clients, if they book within a certain window of time. But you know what? Next month another large agency is getting that same deal exclusively for their clients.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t shop around for a travel advisor…I’m just saying you shouldn’t base the decision on price. Base it on things like:

• How responsive are they to your inquiries?
• Do they seem knowledgeable about the type of trip you’re planning?
• Do they ask you questions about things you didn’t think of yet? Are they adding value?
• Are they excited for you and your trip, and do they really listen to your wants and needs?
• If you send them an email with 15 questions in it, are they excited to help you?
• Do they seem on top of their processes and efficient with your time?
• Do they fit your vibe, your personality, your style? Is it easy to communicate with them?

I won’t go so far as to say it’s like picking a good therapist, but might be close!

NO MAGIC WANDS or CRYSTAL BALLS

No advisor has magic access to back-door prices that nobody else has. Anyone who tells you differently is lying.

So, when someone comes to me with a vacation proposal they received from another travel agency and asks me in the style of Michael Jackson to “Just Beat It,”  I am honest with them about all of this, because I hate to see them waste their time, starting over with a new advisor, when all they have to do is continue working with the original one to modify the proposal if possible.

I understand wanting a great deal, but that can just as easily be achieved by continuing to work with the original advisor you chose, who already put in some work, and deserves the booking IF they’re doing a good job for you.

You absolutely deserve to feel you are getting good value for your money, and an expert advisor will explain the value you’re getting at different price points. The right advisor will aim to build the kind of trusted relationship where these conversations come easily. So base your decision on that, and you’ll have found your lifelong travel advisor.