Some bloggers should really stick to things they know about or, at the very least, research the topic before they spread the word as if it were gospel.

I just finished reading a blog entitled, “The Four Times to Skip a Travel Agent”.

As you might expect, I have something to say about it.

First, I would like to give the journalist credit for recommending the use of a travel agent for major events such as honeymoons and more complicated travel planning such as cruises and extended vacations.

However, after that, he seems to go out of his way to make the story fit the title of his blog.

Cases in point: two of the four reasons listed to bypass a travel agent are;

1- if the travel agent is uninterested in assisting you
2- if the travel agent is negligent!

Well, thank you Captain Obvious….is there any business or service you should consider using if they are uninterested or negligent? Would you consider the services of a plumber or a lawyer under those circumstances?

Why not change the title of the blog to read “The FIVE Times to Skip a Travel Agent” and include “if your travel agent also doubles as a drug dealer!”

How ridiculous!

The other two occasions that were recommended:

1-if the traveler knows more than the travel agent
2-if the traveler has the time to research and plan for themselves.

We can tackle both of these with one argument.

I have a client who at one time felt there was no need for using our service. He was a very knowledgeable traveler and seemed to have the time and desire to plan his own vacation travel.

At the very beginning of one trip, he found himself with no one to assist him in the JFK Airport when his flight to Athens had been cancelled. The airline counter was packed with stranded travelers and the line was hundreds of people long.

His bigger problem was he was departing Athens for a cruise the next day and once you miss a cruise departure, it usually is you responsibility to catch up to it and at your own expense.

I am not suggesting that we could have forced the flight to operate but we certainly could have pulled him out of that line and made alternate flight arrangements ourselves.

In fact, this sort of thing has occurred a number of times. In one particular case, I had a corporate traveler returning from the west coast making a connection in Detroit on his way back to Buffalo. His secretary called and informed me that he was in Detroit and had just been advised that his flight to Buffalo had been cancelled. He now was in a line maybe 75 to 100 people deep waiting to make alternate arrangements.

After checking our air reservation system, I immediately told her that the airport was going to close due to bad weather and I had secured the last seat the next morning from Detroit to Buffalo. We made a reservation at an airport hotel for him, arranged for transportation to the hotel and flew him out the next morning!

Try getting that kind of service with an on-line reservation system.

In short, whether you have the time or knowledge, it’s always good to have travel assistance one phone call away. That is something we can provide that the on-line reservation systems can not.

At the end of the day I understand that there are those who have reasons for handling their own travel plans:

1-They may feel they have better control of their arrangements?

2-They may not trust anything but their own eyes when checking availability and pricing?

3-They may be under the preconceived notion that they are saving money?

4-And finally, they might just enjoy the challenges of research.

Whatever it may be….it is each person’s choice but when someone takes on the taste of blogging on the subject they should obtain some solid information to build their story around.

I have toyed with the idea of providing a regular travel blog taking on some of the misconceptions about our role (the travel agents) within this industry. There is so much that is misunderstood.

Well this last blog has given me the push I required. I have no set timetable for this project but I plan to provide a blog periodically about the benefits of using a travel agent. Yes it will be self promoting but it also will be factual.

This won’t be a journalist who happens to write a story about the travel industry, this will be coming from a travel agent/agency owner who has been in the retail travel agency business since 1977! Its time to set the story straight!