One of the bigger expenditures people have is travel. In my last post (//marnicolbert.com/the-how-to-on-pe…ing-part-2-money/), I discussed money and how the best isn’t always the most expensive. The same is true with travel.
These are some of the questions you should ask before booking:
- Where?
- When?
- How many people?
- How many nights?
- What area in the city they are traveling?
- Do they need a car?
- Hotel preference
- First class or coach?
- How are they getting to the airport?
- Do they have frequent flier numbers?
When do you book it yourself vs. enlisting the help of a travel agent? Travel agents typically charge $35 per airline ticket they book, so if it’s a domestic trip for one or the family, it’s much cheaper to book the flights yourself.
There are numerous websites you can look at to see flights that are available on most airlines (Southwest and Virgin usually aren’t listed) to get prices and options to present to your client.
If they are looking for international flights or vacation packages, it may be beneficial to use a travel agent, keeping in mind that they charge for every hotel, flight and package they book. If they are traveling internationally, do they have a valid passport? When does it expire? Most countries will not accept a passport that expires within the next six months.
When booking hotels, do they want a smoking or non-smoking room? One king or two double beds? There are many factors and personal preferences people have when traveling. Make sure to ask questions. You can always tell who stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night!
In the next post I am going to go even deeper and discuss all the little things you probably didn’t think about when it comes to booking travel for your clients.