Tips to having a good relationship with your agent

It’s a travel agent’s job to meet your travel needs, whether that be booking your trip to Cape Town or helping you get away from an emergency. Agents can make reservations, negotiate rates, and rebook several clients on alternate flights all before their lunch break. As you can imagine, that’s a lot on top of helping clients that may call for flight changes or inquiries.

Your agent is there for you in all these aspects and much more. That’s why having a good relationship with a travel agent is important to have. Luckily, it isn’t hard to achieve.

Stay in contact
As with any other relationship, staying in contact is of the upmost importance when working with a travel agent. If there are any travel-related inquiries that you have, feel free to shoot your agent a message or pick up the phone. They’ll be more than willing to assist you in any way. Just be sure to be mindful of their time and only contact them when you need assistance.

It’s okay if you need to cancel, just let us know ahead of time
Unexpected events happen that may cause you to need to cancel your trip. Agents understand this. With that being said, you shouldn’t hesitate in letting them know as soon as you realize you need to cancel. If you inform your agent ahead of time they can assist you in the best possible way. If it’s not a nonrefundable ticket, they may even be able to get a refund. If you wait until the last minute, there’s a possibility that you’ll be charged a cancellation fee by the airline.

Be vocal if there are any issues
If there’s a problem with a booking, be vocal about it. Whether that be your layover is too long or there’s a scheduling conflict, be sure to let your agent know. It’s the agent’s job to assist you in having everything you need to achieve your individual mission around the globe. The only way they can do that and meet your expectations is if you bring any issues to light. Remember, staying in contact is of the upmost importance.

Let them know what they’re doing right
While everyone enjoys being complimented, letting travel agents know what they’re doing right plays an instrumental role in the travel process. What is meant by this is that if agents know what they’re doing right, they’ll be better equipped to meet your needs. For example, if an agent gets you an aisle seat, and that’s your preferred seat, tell them that. It allows them to be able to anticipate your needs and make for a smoother process in the future.

Be patient
It’s been said that patience is a virtue. Here at EWA, we believe so too. While agents to hope to resolve all client issues instantaneously, it’s simply not possible in every occasion. Depending on the situation, agents may have to personally contact airlines to find out what the issue is. For that reason, it’s important for clients to remain patient and remember their agents are doing everything they can to alleviate any issues that may arise.