With the number of coronavirus cases around the world breaching the 100,000 mark and the Philippines being placed on Public Health Emergency Code Red Sublevel 2 status, many people have started to rethink their travel plans. Most of the time, these people have decided to cancel their flights and have requested for refunds.
With many airlines directly selling their tickets to travelers, many travelers have been forced to process the refund requests and to personally follow up on them. All this hassle could have been avoided if the travelers booked their tickets through a licensed and registered travel agent.
“For the past few weeks, we have been inundated with calls for cancellations and ticket refunds and our customers are really happy that they coursed their travel requirements through us,” said Maria Paz Alberto, current President of the Philippine IATA Agents Travel Association and Ark Travel Express Inc. “Our customers tell us that their friends who booked directly with the airlines are having a hard time getting their refunds and are being given the run around.”
While there are many online booking sites that allow customers to book their flights and hotel rooms on their own, there are still many advantages of booking your trips through a travel agent. For one, a travel agency has access to the best deals that can potentially save travelers a lot of money.
“If you book with a travel agency like us, we will make sure that you get the best deals and that you will really enjoy your travel experience,” added Carlo Severino, vice president of PIATA. “We also have very reliable partners who will make that extra effort to make the experience very memorable.”
A travel agent will also help you come up with your ideal itinerary, saving you much time and effort. If anything should go wrong during the trip, your travel agent can be relied on to assist you.
“A travel agent will suggest and arrange alternate travel arrangements, help you to deal with any travel emergencies you may have, put you in touch with the right local people to answer your needs and coordinate opening a claim with your travel insurance provider,” Alberto said.
Alberto said travel agents are always on the lookout for new travel destinations and most of the time, they have already personally experienced either the place you are planning to visit or the hotel you want to stay in.
“You can never go wrong with a travel agent because we can give you insider tips and advice to guide you with your vacation decisions,” she said. “In these times of crisis, travel agents are a big help because we can help you rebook your canceled flights or help you get a refund without having you to do all the paperwork.” Alberto said.
For his part, Severino said people should not believe everything that is being posted on social media and that we should only trust news that emanates from reliable sources like the Department of Health.
“Let’s not panic because of all the news that we have been receiving about the Corona virus,” Severino said. “We as responsible travel agents can stop the spread of unnecessary panic but still be mindful of the established hygiene protocol to avoid getting the virus.”