If you’ve never used a travel advisor you might wonder what the use is in the first place. Why do travel advisors still exist and what do they do? And when did travel agents become travel advisors?
There are several types of travel advisors; we can handle everything from your family reunion in the Ozarks to that 50+ group of folks for your annual alumni pilgrimage. Travel for work, or want to get away for your 25th anniversary but don’t know where to go? We’ve got that covered, too. From destination ideas to intimate group tours and activities, Maupin Travel can advise you on planning the trip of your dreams.
Below are the top five reasons why you SHOULD use a travel advisor!
The Human Element
We’re passionate about what we do at Maupin Travel. We discover the world through our own trips – whether Karen is in New Zealand, Michele is in Mexico, Marilyn is in France, Tina is in Puerto Rico, or Lisa is in the Czech Republic, if there’s a place you’d like to go chances are one of us has been there before. We love sharing our expertise to make your trips personal and memorable. We don’t have an automated phone system either; when you call our offices, you speak with a live person who’s based right here in Raleigh, ready and excited to help you plan your next adventure. We know there are no do-overs for a vacation done wrong, so we go the extra mile to make sure your trip happens exactly the way we planned it. Stuck at the airport with a delayed connection that means you’re going to miss boarding your River Cruise? Call us and we’ll work with the airline, your travel insurance, and the cruise line to ensure things get fixed. Lost your luggage in Barcelona upon your arrival in Florence? We can fix that, too. Take the stress out of vacation logistics by working with us.
Weather and Natural Disasters
2018 has been a particularly rough year for travel, with system failures and natural disasters overwhelming some travel suppliers. Do you know which parts of the Danube are too low to sail down? Do you know when the best time to travel to Iceland might be, or which connections to avoid in the dead of winter to get you to your Mexican New Year’s soiree on time? Travel advisors have both the knowledge and access to help speed up your re-accommodation and act as advocates when things go wrong. Everyone at Maupin Travel is prepared to get on the phone in your place to change travel dates and destinations so your vacation isn’t derailed. We can hold your cruise and air options for you and confirm hotels before booking a non-refundable reservation. We are on the front lines with the airlines and tour operators, saving you from hours of phone calls and frustration. You worry about having fun, we’ll take care of the weather [as best as we can]!
Value
We book a lot of trips. A LOT of trips. That means we have access to amenities you aren’t going to find on your typical online travel sites. Booking with Maupin Travel means you have access to late check-out, complimentary gratuity payments, automatic room upgrades, lower flight prices, exclusive port and city tour opportunities like cooking and wine tasting classes and intimate, in-home dinners so you can experience the world like a local no matter where you are, and valuable insight from our experienced advisors on what is worth a splurge and what isn’t. Want fresh lavender in your room whether you’re in Spain or Sedona, Arizona? We’ve got you covered. We will go above and beyond every time to make your accommodations truly feel like your home away from home while you’re out exploring.
Connections and Relationships
You can’t VIP yourself, but we can. We spend time one-on-one with our preferred vendors, airlines, and tour operators. We have relationships in nearly every port, in every city, in every country. That means there’s boots on the ground when you land, ready to make your experience the best it can be.
Time
You work 40+ hours per week, cook dinner every night, run the kids to dance class, clean the house, mow the yard, attend every high school football game your son plays in, and somehow you still need to find time to walk the dog. Do you really want to spend hours planning a vacation to a new destination, unsure of what’s going to be the best value for your money and time? We can sit down with you for an hour, learn about your likes, dislikes, budget, destination and desired travel dates and run with it. We can help you achieve your travel goals by listening, suggesting, adjusting, understanding, and become a friend who’s invested in your plans. We aren’t a search engine or an anonymous voice. We do the work, you pack and GO!
