WAYNE'S WORLD #1 

Once upon a time (until the early 1990s) there were some 47,000 travel agencies in the USA. Since WWII these travel agencies first wrote and then printed (issued) approx. 85% of all of the airlines' tickets. That percentage (at least) is also the approx. number of tours, cruises, resort vacations, hotels, rental cars, and travel insurance booked by those same  Travel Agents. The Travel Agent was (and still is except for airline tickets) paid a commission for making those bookings, and taking care of the whole process for you (the client). If you book something through a  tour operator directly the rate would be the same as your Travel Agent told you, but you would not receive the commission...AND you would not have a local Travel Agent there to work on your behalf.

Unfortunately, everyone didn't live happily ever after: The airlines and  online booking sites have slowly but surely eliminated a large number of  agents because people have gone to the Internet thinking that the deals  were better (in some cases they are); But they also lost their best travel  friend and advocate: Their local Travel Agent. Now, if you can find 12,  000 travel agencies you would be lucky. The really sad part in all of this  is that the airlines stopped paying Travel Agents commissions thinking that  they would make a fortune- not paying those commissions....Look Again:  They could not pay employees, and provide benefits for what they were  paying the agents to issue those tickets. So, they were forced to sell  allotments of ticketing seats to various online booking agencies: i.e.,  Expedia, Travelosity, Kayak, Priceline.com, etc. at prices that literally  change every day!

If you thought that airline ticketing has gone off of the deep end, take a  look at hotels, even some cruise lines....and you guessed it: They are  also dealing with allotments. That simply means that if you go online to  most hotel sites and do not find room...Fear not, you can simply go to one  of the above sites like Trip Advisor-etc. And they may have space. This is  becoming the norm, and it is quite sad. Not only are you forced to jump  around all over the place, not have anyone who will answer a questions for  you...............When you do book something and have questions or a  problem...Who can you call who will answer? Yes, your local Travel  Agent......However, she or he cannot help you because you didn't go to them  in the first place, and they cannot touch anything that you have booked.

It is hard to imagine that many people would turn-down the solid advice  that a professional Travel Agent would offer (for the most part free).  These Travel Agents have spent years acquiring these skills and knowledge,  yet many people simply do not take advantage of this. The least you can do  is to contact your local Travel Agent and ask them to price something for  you and to make suggestions....I suspect that the advise is extremely good  and worth consideration.

What can we do for you? One of the best things we have done for our  clients is this website. This is an amazing website, not just for unique  pricing comparisons but a host of special travel information from around  the world. Look at this page and see the words BOOK RACK..click on it and  fine over a hundred electronic brochures for you to read and do your  research: It , like our agency, is free at no charge to you. I even have school classes use this side based on what it contains.  Check it out!

TRAVEL NEWS: 

• South Airlines (March 22) is about to start flights to Hawaii.  So you can  fly to Hawaii, and spend time on an island or two; Or  you can fly to Honolulu and board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and have a  great 7 nt cruise to four of the seven islands.....  And/or you can sail from San Diego, or Los Angeles on a round trip cruise. 
• By far the best cruise deals in the Mid-Atlantic area sail from Baltimore  on Royal Caribbean (Grandeur of the Seas) and  Carnival Cruise Line on The Pride. These cruises offer 7nt, 8nt,and 9nt  sailings to Canada, New England, Bermuda, the  Bahamas, the Eastern, Western,& Southern Caribbean plus Grand Turk. You  do not have to fly anywhere...you just save  money and enjoy the whole thing. 
• New to cruise lines: Non-refundable Deposits...Beware! make sure that  you know if your deposit is refundable or not: Non-  refundable cruise prices are less, but you must be sure.  
• You do not have to have a Passport to sail from Baltimore round trip...you  can use your Birth Certificate.  
• Fly to Europe on Icelandair or WOW airlines via Iceland from PHL or BWI  and get amazing deals on a one or two day stay.  
• Our top recommended Caribbean resorts are SANDALS AND BEACHES!  

More to come......................Let us know if you need any  assistance...Ann & I will be here for you.