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Frequently Asked Questions Why Should I Use a Travel Agent? How do I find a good travel agent? What should be the determining factor in choosing a travel agency? What special services do travel agencies offer? How do I know if my travel agent is consumer-conscious? How do I know if my travel agent is well trained? Who uses travel agents? Who are ASTA travel agents? I Have Received a Vacation Quote From Elite Escapes Travel. How Long Can I Wait to Book the Trip? How Do I Use the Vacation Search Page? How Do I Log On to the My Trips Page? How Do I Enter to Win the Getaway Giveaway? What Are Elite Escapes? What is a “Honeymoon / Destination Wedding Specialist”? What is a “Disney® Specialist”? What is a “CUNARD Commodore”? What is a “Premier Spas Specialist”? Is Elite Escapes Travel a Member of any Travel Industry Organizations? Why Should I Use a Travel Agent? Planning a trip today can be confusing and time consuming. A travel agent not only arranges the various modes of transportation, but also may be able to save you money with early booking discounts, special fares, accommodation details and travel advisories. Save Money! – Strong working relationships with travel suppliers and the latest in computer reservations technology enable travel agents to access the most up-to-date information on how to get you the best value. Traveler Advocates – Your best interests are the priority. The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has a long-standing record of fighting for consumer rights and ASTA member travel agents are required to adhere to a strict Code of Ethics. Convenience – The ASTA membership includes travel agents across the country and throughout the world, most of which offer one-stop shopping for all travel arrangements. Service – ASTA member travel agents are knowledgeable and active in the industry. The Society provides education, training and resource materials to its members to equip them with the tools to offer the highest quality of service. Agents Will Go the Extra Mile – Agents work for you and will do everything they can to meet your travel needs. TOP How do I find a good travel agent? Choose one like you would a doctor or lawyer. Get advice from friends and relatives who use an agent they trust. Since travel choices are personal decisions that reflect individual desires and lifestyles, you will want to visit or call several agencies to find the one that best suits your needs. Consider everything from the appearance of the office to the agent's willingness to listen and answer questions. The best agents want to establish a long-term relationship with a client, not just make one sale. TOP What should be the determining factor in choosing a travel agency? Your agency should belong to the American Society of Travel Agents, Inc. (ASTA). With over 20,000 members in 140 countries, ASTA is the largest and most influential travel trade association in the world. Membership includes travel agencies, airlines, hotels, railroads, cruise lines, tour operators, car rental companies and travel schools. Through its continuing education and training programs, ASTA prepares its members to operate high-caliber, competitive businesses. Due to the Society's on-going educational programs, comprehensive agent management resources and stringent Code of Ethics, ASTA travel agents are known as dedicated, hard-working professionals who provide superior service to their customers. TOP What special services do travel agencies offer? As the industry grows more competitive, travel agencies increase the quality and type of services they offer. Agents can arrange all types of domestic and international travel, from hotel and resort accommodations to air and ground transportation, including car rental needs and tour packages. They can provide assistance with insurance protection, passport and visa applications, inoculation procedures and other foreign travel requirements. Many have toll-free phone numbers and offer meeting planning and incentive travel services. Some agents maintain automated individual profiles that include the client's frequent flyer number, airline seating preference, smoking or non-smoking designation and other specifications for a custom-designed trip. Arrangements can also be tailored to suit business and vacation objectives, personal interests and budget concerns. Although most provide a wide range of services, some agencies may specialize in areas such as family travel, group travel, adventure travel, ecotourism, the mature market, incentive travel or travel for the disabled. TOP How do I know if my travel agent is consumer-conscious? Membership in ASTA is a sign of consumer awareness. The Society works on behalf of its members to support pro-consumer issues. In addition to lobbying for consumer protection on issues like airline bankruptcy and travel safety, ASTA has an active Consumer Affairs Department that monitors travelers' problems and helps to find solutions. The Society works closely with other travel organizations to continually upgrade service and technology to better serve the traveling public. TOP How do I know if my travel agent is well trained? Ask about your agent's professional background. Many have been trained in business management, travel and tourism or geography. Others have supplemented their agency experience with extensive education and training courses. Some travel agents are Certified Travel Counselors (CTC), having completed an educational program with the Institute of Certified Travel Agents. TOP Who uses travel agents? Travel agents are the leading distributors of travel products and services. Travel agents sell: 87% of cruises 81% of all tours and packages 51% of all airline tickets 47% of all hotel stays 45% of all car rentals Source: 2004 Travel Industry Survey/Travel Weekly Agents are the only unbiased professionals who can sort through nearly 100,000 daily changes in airfares alone. Experience, constant industry interaction and computer reservations systems make travel agents the only source savvy enough to engineer a relaxing trip out of the fluctuating complexities of travel offerings. So, save yourself time, money and frustration. TOP Who are ASTA travel agents? ASTA travel agents are knowledgeable professional members of the American Society of Travel Agents [ASTA] — who uphold a strict code of ethics. The Society provides education, training and resource materials to its members to equip them with the tools they need to offer you the highest quality of service. ASTA travel agents keep up-to-date by attending industry events that offer educational seminars and networking opportunities. TOP I Have Received a Vacation Quote From Elite Escapes Travel. How Long Can I Wait to Book the Trip? You may wait as long as you like to complete your reservation as we will keep all details of your trip on file. However, fares quoted, room/cabin types and itineraries are not guaranteed until the reservation is actually confirmed, so understand the longer you wait the better the chances are that the fares will change. For this reason we at Elite Escapes Travel strongly recommend you complete your reservation as soon as possible to avoid unfortunate fare changes. TOP How Do I Use the Vacation Search Page? This program is designed to provide you with the latest vacation offers from top suppliers in the travel industry. The data is updated many times a day. Our search and comparison tools are designed to help you find a vacation offer that meets your personal interests. The program has four primary areas: Feature Page This is the first page in the program. It highlights Featured Specials and links to Hot Destinations, as well as other special travel offers. You can examine details about the Feature Specials by clicking each link. You can view all offers for a Hot Destination by clicking each destination link. You can also perform a quick search of our database of thousands of travel offers. Switch between the tabs of the Quick Search box to choose the type of travel you want. The offers are updated often, so be sure to check this page whenever you are on the web. Detailed Search Page Use this page to create a very specific search for a vacation offer. You can specify a travel type, a preferred destination or region, a time and duration of travel, special interests, budget, and travel supplier. Specify as much or as little as you need to narrow your search to your ideal vacation. Search Results When you perform a Quick or Detailed Search, you will see a list of offers as your search results. This list allows you to sort the results and lets you filter the results by type of travel. Basic information about each travel offer is displayed, and you can easily click the More Details link for additional information. Sorting - Select the method for sorting that best fits your interests. You can sort by Price, Date or number of nights, among others. Comparing Offers - Click the Compare checkbox next to as many as three offers, then click the Compare button. You will see a page that displays details for those offers side-by-side. Trip Request The Trip Request is your personal channel for communicating with us. When you find an offer that interests you, click the "Add to Trip Request" button. The Trip Request form asks you for information about your travel needs and your contact preferences. The more information you provide, the easier it will be for us to help you. Sending your Trip Request - Click the Email button when you're ready to send us your trip request. When you submit the Trip Request, your contact information and the list of offers you've selected will be automatically sent to us. We will then respond to your inquiry in the manner you've requested. Saving your Trip Request - Click the Save button to save your Trip Request for later use. This will allow you to come back later and add, change, or remove offers from the same Trip Request. How do I use this site? The first page you will see is the Feature Page. You can get to vacation deals several ways. You can click on the links in the Featured Specials or Hot Destinations boxes, you can perform a Quick Search of our entire offer database, or you can click the Detailed Search link for a search with more options. Once you have located the perfect vacation offer, add it to your Trip Request by clicking the Add to Trip Request button. Use your Trip Request and personal profile to organize your vacation planning and/or communicate with us about desired vacations. How do I search for a particular vacation destination? On the Feature Page, locate the Quick Search box. Click on the tab that is appropriate for the type of travel you want. Fill in a few simple criteria and click Go. You can also perform a Detailed Search by clicking the Detailed Search link at the top of each page or in the Quick Search box. This will allow you to specify more exact criteria when searching. If I know the Offer ID, how can I go directly to that offer? From any page, click on the Detailed Search link. This will take you to the Detailed Search page. Enter the Offer ID in the Offer ID box and click the Search button. This will take you directly to that specific offer. If I know what supplier I would like to see, how can I search only their offers? From any page, click on the Detailed Search link. This will take you to the Detailed Search page. In the box labeled "What company would you like to travel with?", enter the name of the travel supplier that you wish to use. Click the Search button and you will be presented with a list of that supplier's offers. How do I get the best search results? Most times, our newly enhanced Quick Search will get you the results you're looking for. If you cannot find what you're looking for here, go to the Detailed Search page. Start by entering a broad range of dates and travel types to see more offers. Then return to the Detailed Search page and narrow down the criteria if the results are too broad. What is a Trip Request? The Trip Request is a way for you to organize vacations of interest. Our form helps you describe your travel interests so we can help you plan your next vacation. The Trip Request is not a shopping cart and does not require a purchase. It is simply a planning and communication tool. When do I use the Trip Request? If you see a vacation special that is of interest, place it in your Trip Request. Also, if you see something that is close to what you are looking for, but not exactly, include this in the Trip Request and let us help you find exactly what you are looking for by filling out the Additional Information section of the Trip Request. What do I do if the Trip Request does not appear to send my email? If you are experiencing problems with the Trip Request, please contact us to report the problem. Please be as descriptive as possible when reporting errors to better help us identify the problem. What if I have a problem navigating through the site? One cause for many navigational problems is the use of an older browser version. The supported browsers for this site are: Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher, and Netscape 4.7 or higher. Your browser must also support Cookies and Javascript. Please check to see if your browser meets these minimum requirements. If it does not, you can download a newer version of the browser from the Microsoft or Netscape websites. Some personal firewall software can also cause problems when navigating through this and other sites. This is because some personal firewalls block certain types of content, preventing the page from displaying correctly. If you are having problems viewing pages on this site, and you use a personal firewall, check your firewall logs to see if there is any indication of traffic that is being blocked. You should then be able to modify your firewall's configuration to allow the blocked traffic to go through. TOP How Do I Log On to the My Trips Page? When you book a flight, car or hotel through Elite Escapes Travel, you will be able to view your reservation and receive real-time updates 24/7 by clicking on the My Trips link from our website. You will then be directed to www.checkmytrip.com. Then simply enter your reservation number from your confirmation sent to you by Elite Escapes Travel. Once logged in, you will have access to your itinerary as well as additional travel tools such as destination information, subway maps, currency conversion, airport links and more! TOP How Do I Enter to Win the Getaway Giveaway? Just book a qualifying vacation (minimum roundtrip air and 3 night hotel stay or cruise for 2 adults) through Elite Escapes Travel. You may earn additional entries by extending your vacation beyond the minimum 3 nights, adding car rental, sightseeing excursion, or theme park tickets, and even referring a friend! Your Elite Escapes Travel professional will suggest ways throughout your trip planning process for you to earn more entries! TOP What Are Elite Escapes? Elite Escapes are custom vacations tailored specifically to you. For example, singles travel, special golf vacations, scuba diving vacations, culinary or wine themed vacations, luxury train travel or luxury cruises. Anything your heart desires can be found with one of our Elite Escapes and they may be more affordable than you think! As with all our clients, you will receive courteous, personal service, and since we understand the value of your hard earned money, we will only suggest add-ons that will add real value to your travel experience. TOP What is a “Honeymoon / Destination Wedding Specialist”? Our Honeymoon / Destination Wedding Specialist has gone through specific training by the Travel Institute. The training focuses on comprehensive statistics about the honeymoon market, including the six types of honeymoon and the latest travel trends. It also covers important details to consider when planning a destination wedding, including an overview of the top destinations and legal requirements. All this will ensure that your Honeymoon and/or Destination Wedding is in good hands with Elite Escapes Travel’s Honeymoon / Destination Wedding Specialist. TOP What is a “Disney® Specialist”? Our Disney® Specialist has been trained directly by Disney® in order to offer the most knowledgeable Disney® Vacation Planning available. Our specialist has spent hours studying the history, individual parks, attractions, accommodations, ticket options, meal plans and more to ensure that you will get the most magical experience, and value for your money, when you book a Disney® vacation through Elite Escapes Travel. TOP What is a “CUNARD Commodore”? Our CUNARD Commodore has been meticulously trained directly by CUNARD, The Most Famous Ocean Liners In The World (SM), on its rich history, ship specifications, luxurious staterooms, White Star Service (SM), world class dining halls, traditional events on board, and more. Training consists of twenty-four in-depth courses and quizzes culminating in the final comprehensive exam. Upon completion of the final exam, our CUNARD Commodore was one of the lucky few who earned a free sailing aboard the legendary Queen Mary 2 on her Transatlantic Crossing! CUNARD is the quintessential luxury ocean line, and our CUNARD Commodore has the knowledge and personal experience to ensure that you will be as informed as a Platinum Level World Club Member, even if this is your first voyage with CUNARD. TOP What is a “Premier Spas Specialist”? Our Premier Spas Specialist has been trained by Travel Agent University on everything Premier Spas has to offer. Premier Spas include the Mauna Lani Spa in Hawaii, BodyHoliday at LeSport in St. Lucia, and Paraiso de la Bonita Resort & Thalasso in the Riviera Maya. Our Premier Spas Specialist will ensure that your spa vacation is relaxing and rejuvenating because you deserve it! TOP Is Elite Escapes Travel a Member of any Travel Industry Organizations? Elite Escapes Travel is an affiliate of Travel Planners International, who are members of ARC, ASTA, IATAN, CLIA, Vacation.com, NACTA, and OSSN. We have access to all the resources and benefits these organizations provide their members. We are also a member of the Manhattan (KS) Area Chamber of Commerce. |
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