why use a travel consultant for hotel bookings?

In a recent dialog on FlyerTalk, the following question was posed: Why use a travel agent to make a hotel reservation through American Express FHR when you can just use their online booking engine? I offered a two-part answer:

1. Using a TA saves customers the hassle of dealing with American Express's unwieldy website (or their even more unwieldy telephone voice mail system).
2. I follow up every single reservation I make with a VIP email to the hotel's sales rep. In that email, I request an upgrade and convey my clients' standard requests to the hotel.

One individual took affront to what I wrote. He (I'm assuming it was a "he") questioned the usefulness of what he termed "self-important travel agents" and their "VIP letters," suggesting it may be counter-productive for travel agents to reach out to hotels. He asserted, moreover, that conversations with a few hoteliers had given him the impression that they found such communications bothersome. As the thread had gotten way off-topic, I decided not to respond in that venue.

What do I make of this?

(1) I'm not sure what he means by a "self-important travel agent." (I suspect there was an element of projection in what he wrote). My colleagues and I are extremely hard-working individuals who do our best for our clients. We learn your tastes and preferences. We try to get you the best value for your money. We work with you to plan experiences that fulfill your travel dreams.

(2) I invest time and energy developing my relationships with hoteliers at those hotels I book the most. I reach out to travel industry sales reps of individual hotels, national directors of sales for the major hotel chains, and even the GM's of some properties. I visit their properties, host them in my own office, and attend the annual Travel Week (Virtuoso's trade show) in Las Vegas which is all about networking. The main item on my Travel Week agenda is over 300 four-minute sales meetings in the course of a week.

(3) Hoteliers also invest a lot in developing relationships with travel consultants. It's nonsense to assert that they do not want to work with us. The travel industry is about relationships, and most travel professionals (both hoteliers and agents) have the same goals: (a) booking our clients in the properties that best match their tastes and budget and (b) ensuring they have a great stay. This is how we create future business.


Do these relationships pay off for the clients of travel consultants? Obviously my perspective is biased, but from my point-of-view, the services of a luxury travel consultant represent a win-win proposition for most clients. (There are many who prefer to do this on their own, and that's fine). But if you book through a Virtuoso travel consultant, you'll receive the Virtuoso negotiated amenities (and/or the FHR amenities if you prefer). Moreover, you'll benefit from the existing relationships that leading luxury hotel families have with their preferred partner travel agencies. Finally, you'll be first in queue for possible upgrades. Even luxury clientele want the best values, and my entire business is devoted to that goal.

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copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.