Taking the Kids: The pluses of using a travel agent

By Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agency on Sep 8, 2016

How do you find a travel agent you can trust? Look for someone who is an expert in the kind of trip you are planning, or in the destination. You can find one through the American Society of Travel Agents or The Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), which can steer you to a CLIA-affiliated agent who is a cruise expert.

"For those looking for competitive pricing, travel agents can help you price compare and offer various options that might help to cut the price. They can also flag any special offers that might be available," said Colleen McDaniel, senior executive editor of CruiseCritic.com, the leading online resource for cruise planning.

These days, it doesn't matter if you're in the same time zone much less in the same town as your travel adviser. Get advice from friends and family who have had good experiences. Jason Reuben's in-laws were longtime clients of Yale's, who says she's hearing from a lot of her clients' children these days.

When planning a multigenerational trip to Alaska, Sheila Hensley, a working mom of three from Raleigh, N.C., turned to her college roommate-turned travel adviser, who lives in Florida and specializes in family trips for the Texas-based The Departure Lounge.

"I didn't know one cruise ship from another," Hensley said, adding that the price, with perks her travel adviser was able to get, "was better than I could have gotten on my own."

But there are other significant advantages to using a travel adviser, families say: An expert will be able to suggest the best activities for kids, where and when to splurge and when and where to cut back to stay on budget. And with someone else doing the planning, Hensley added, "there's nobody pointing fingers on the trip," when things don't go exactly as planned.

"People's time is so valuable on vacation," said Ezon. "They feel they can't afford to make a mistake."

Denver mom Rachel Olson put her family's summer trip in the hands of a fellow mom and travel adviser at her kids' school. They were rewarded not only with a good deal at a Mexico resort they loved, but also with experiences they wouldn't have otherwise planned, such as exploring underwater caves.

"That was the highlight of our trip," Olson said.

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