The world is unpredictable. Whether it’s Corona Virus, hurricanes or government events, life can change in a day or less. Many of these changes affect travel, as we have seen on the news. So, who has your back when you travel? Are you depending on an overloaded call center, spending hundreds of minutes on hold? There is a better option!
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been busy helping clients who are scheduled for travel to Asia with changes. In some cases, it’s a change of flight connections; in some it requires completely redoing the trip. Our clients know that they can depend upon us to have the latest information, and to be available to help.
A good example is a cruise with several stops in Cuba that Bob & Emily reserved a year ago. They had friends who were going on the same cruise, but booked it directly with the cruise line, believing that they would have better service by dealing directly with the supplier.
Several weeks after the deposits were placed, the US State Department changed requirements for travel to Cuba. Upon hearing this change, I called the cruise line to see how it would affect the itinerary. They didn’t have a clear answer and I continued to call weekly for over three months, until they were able to state clearly that the Cuba stops would be dropped, and other Caribbean ports substituted.
I immediately called Bob & Emily, as I knew that the primary reason for selecting this cruise was to visit Cuba. As expected, they chose to cancel, and I requested a refund of their deposit. We selected another trip for this year and began working on those plans. A few days later, they spoke with their friends who booked with the cruise line and were surprised to discover that they had no awareness of the changes. The cruise line had not yet notified passengers that the itinerary was changed. By the time the cruise line made notifications, my clients had their refund in hand.
My team and I receive daily updates on travel related events and are proactive to assure that any effects on our clients’ travels are addressed quickly. I ask again, who has your back for your travel plans? A professional travel advisor will be there before, during and after your trip to do everything we can to assure you have a trip that exceeds your desires.
If we can help you with your travels, please call or email us. We look forward to being there for whatever you need. laura@globaldreamvacations.com .
