As a professional travel journalist for 20 years, I've always prided myself on booking my own travel. From tracking down optimal flights to securing the corner room with a view to mastering public transportation timetables, I've used nearly every hack in the book. But when I was planning a big three-country trip with my mom, I found myself short on time and patience.
My mom had a double lung transplant in 2018, and we had always planned on doing a big trip after she healed. Fast forward to 2020, and all travel was grounded for years, especially with her immunocompromised status. But last year, she was healthy enough and cleared for international travel by her doctors, so I researched head-first. We wanted to get to Barcelona and Paris, and the direct flight would take us through London — so I figured what was one more city to add to our 10-day trip?
As soon as I dove into the logistics, however, I hit a wall. There was too much to lock down, too little time to do it, and the stakes were way too high. Then a friend suggested a travel advisor he had loved. At first, I bristled at the idea, thinking it wouldn't be worth the extra effort and cost. But I took the intro call, and immediately felt a sense of relief as she asked me to describe the types of places we liked to stay and the kind of things we wanted to do. It felt like someone was on my team. Someone who got me.
She whipped up two itinerary options in no time. The hotels and activities were so spot on — Hôtel Regina next to the Louvre? An architecture tour with a Gaudi professor? — that I had her lock down the whole trip right away. Did I pay a little more than I would have booking on my own? Maybe, but it was well worth the value — especially in the relief of seeing our driver holding "Ms. Galloway" sign after an all-day train ride.
Turns out, I'm not alone in turning to a travel pro. A survey by travel technology firm IBS Software found that nearly 38% of millennial and Gen Z travelers prefer to use a travel advisor, compared to just 12% and 2% of Gen X and Boomers, respectively. Even as online travel tools become ubiquitous (which were once heralded as the end of the travel agent profession altogether), the value of time and expertise has only become more apparent in recent years.
"Younger generations have become accustomed to concierge-style services in other aspects of their lives, from personal shoppers to financial advisors, and the same philosophy applies to travel," said luxury travel advisor Landi Burns. "Post-pandemic travel has also introduced new challenges, from ever-changing entry requirements to unexpected flight cancellations and delays, and having an experienced advisor means having an advocate who can navigate these complexities."
The landscape change has also necessitated a semantic one. The term "travel agent" has become outdated, in favor of the more collaborative "travel advisor" term. This change started as far back as 2018 when the then-American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) rebranded to become the American Society of Travel Advisors.
"The word agent had a dated perception that depicted us sitting in a storefront with a headset, order taking and just punching it into a computer," said Jessica Parker, who was the ASTA public relations consultant during the change, and is now a travel advisor herself as the founder of Trip Whisperer. "The word advisor makes more sense as you would look to your financial advisor or accountant. It's a specialty and professional service."
While a travel agent might also make their money solely via commissions paid by hotels or tour operators, travel advisors often charge an upfront itinerary fee (mine did). "It's an indicator that the person is worth their salt," said Parker. "This ensures we work for you, not suppliers or commissions. While we receive those, it will never dictate where I put a client." These fees can vary widely by advisor and itinerary, but $100 per day of itinerary is a reasonable benchmark. Advisors also often can get their clients complimentary breakfasts, room upgrades, and resort credits for less than an individual might pay booking online, making up for some of the upfront cost.
That said, it's important to schedule an introductory call to make sure your styles align. Most advisors offer this for free, and often even require it of their potential clients. "You can't convey emotions, tone, and preferences well in an email. So much more comes up when we have a conversation," said Parker. "Usually, clients have used it as a way to interview me and vice versa. We both need to enjoy the trip!"
Many travelers also mix and match their travel needs. Every trip may not require an advisor, and sometimes it makes sense to book your own flight or transportation and leave lodging to advisors, who can often secure room upgrades, resort credits, and complimentary late check-outs or early check-ins based on their professional affiliations and networks.
"I spend one-third of the year traveling and largely plan all my own trips. However, I recently reached out to my travel [advisor] friend to help me book a stay at a hotel in Patagonia because the property only showed availability three months out," said Gen Z travel blogger Jackie Swayze of Maximizing My PTO. "She was able to work with them to get us booked for a stay 11 months away. On top of that, I booked the rest of my Patagonia reservations with her because she was able to secure better rates than anything I could find online."
She also recommends choosing someone whose travel style aligns with your own. Budget travelers should skip the luxury travel advisors and vice versa. Also, don't feel bad about swapping advisors from trip to trip based on their location-based expertise. "Look for someone who has been where you're going," she suggests. "My travel agent has helped me with bookings in Easter Island and Patagonia and was able to give really useful and specific advice from her own trips to those areas."
Though it may seem obvious, it's also worth ensuring that the agent has some professional affiliation or accreditation. "Keep in mind that this is currently an unregulated trade," said travel advisor Raelinn Doty Schmitt. That means you want to ensure you're working with an experienced advisor who is certified and insured. A few verified certifications to look for include
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Certified Travel Associate (CTA): Offered by The Travel Institute, this is the "CPA certification for travel advisors" according to Doty Schmitt.
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ASTA Verified Travel Advisor: Offered by the American Society of Travel Advisors, this verification process is rigorous and requires years of experience.
- Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC): For those looking for cruise experts, this certification offered by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) provides specialized training for cruise vacation planning.
Travel advisors should also make themselves available before and during your trip to help with anything that might go wrong, such as a missed connection or lost reservation, or even in the worst-case scenario, a trip cancellation. After your return, they can also help with any insurance or billing-related issues, recovering lost items, and gathering feedback for the next trip.
Though a surprise snowstorm changed our arrival time, my advisor updated the driver and we got to the first hotel early for some much-needed downtime. The rest of the trip went exceptionally smoothly and we enjoyed a true trip of a lifetime, no doubt thanks to the professional help on the front end.
