Posts Tagged ‘travel agent’

Kelly Jo at USTravel found a great cruise in Fiji! Check out the B-L-U-E Lagoon!

First, fly from L.A. to Fiji, then hop aboard the Captain Cook cruise through the islands. It’s a three-night cruise, combined with an overnight hotel at Sofitel Denarau on arrival. The cost? Just $749 per person.

Oh–here’s one for the kids: On Disney Cruise Lines, children 17 and under can sail free on most 3- or 4-night cruises between Jan. 7 and Apr. 15.

Even if you don’t take the cruise, Kelly Jo has some great resort packages in Fiji, including:

a. Five days/four nights at Sonaisali Island Resort Fiji, from $535 per person, double. Includes: breakfast daily, roundtrip transfers airport/hotel, flower lei on arrival.

b. 5 days/4 nights at Tokoriki Island Resort, from $1,044 per person, double. This is a romantic retreat tucked away on a secluded island in the northern Mamanucas. Roundtrip launch transfers Denarau/Tokoriki Island, roundtrip transfers airport/hotel and lower lei on arrival

Let Kelly Jo find the best air fares for you–both within the U.S. and internationally. Call her at (907)561-2434 or toll-free (800)544-2217. Remember, USTravel has offices in Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Unalaska and Prudhoe Bay.

Our friends at USTravel are digging up some great air fares for travel to/from Alaska!

Of course, your travel experience is more than just air fare! Ask your USTravel professional for a great deal on hotels and rental cars, too. Or cruises! Wow–there are some great deals out there.

Most important: let your USTravel agent find the best deal for you–and fit it to your trip. The right connections. The right itinerary. Plus, the local knowledge to make sure it’s the best fit.

Whether it’s a train trip across Canada, a Cancun vacation or a beach getaway in Hawaii, your USTravel agent works with airlines, hotels and rental agencies to get it right for you–the first time.

Here are a few fares that jumped out at me.

Anchorage-Chicago: $464rt
Anchorage-Denver: 395rt
Anchorage-Minneapolis: $395rt
Anchorage-New York $479rt
Anchorage-Salt Lake: $483rt
Anchorage-San Francisco $476rt
Anchorage-Wash. DC $489rt
…and my favorite:
Anchorage-Frankfurt: $709rt on Condor!

Call (907)561-2434 in Anchorage, or toll-free: (800)544-2217.

Okay–True story. Kelly Jo over at USTravel saved me yesterday. I was charged with making arrangements for my family–everyone was coming and going at different times. Different flights. DIfferent times. Some award miles. Some cash (yecch–I hate that!!). But it was my responsibility. I made an honest effort before throwing up my hands and calling Kelly Jo. (more…)

I got a nice note from Ellen in Anchorage asking about airlines. “Should I buy a ticket on a bankrupt airline–or pay more for another carrier?”

It’s a good question. The stigma about airlines in bankruptcy is gone, since all but a couple have taken a twirl through the doors of the Federal Bankruptcy Court.

This brings up an important point, though. More folks are pushing through the veil to act as their own travel expert. Sometimes the magic works. Sometimes it doesn’t. 

Face it: there are tricks to every trade. And your travel agent knows most of them. Remember travel agents? I know–so retro. But they can save you a ton of money. More importantly, they can save you time and aggravation trying to line up all the details of your trip.

Of course, there are good travel agents and bad ones. I use my friends at USTravel here in Anchorage. Call them: (907)561-2434 or toll-free (800)544-2217. Specifically, my agent is Laura. But Giovanni also is available in this office–and he’s getting great reviews from my readers. 

Laura and I talk all the time about great fares where there are no flights. About how airlines “batch” flights. About extra charges that are not disclosed in hotel prices, car prices or airline fares.

We also discuss the best destinations, the best cruises, the best vacation experiences–the whole banana. 

These days, your travel agent charges a fee for service–just like everyone else. That adds up to $38 for an airline ticket. But the aggravation of getting the right flight, the right seat, the right connections–heck, let your agent handle it.

I hear about all sorts of horror stories: booked flights that don’t exist, false claims from a hotel and prices that are nothing less than bait-and-switch.

Most travelers use the internet and the online options to research their vacations or business trip. But the travel environment is increasingly littered with land mines: cancellations, delays, up-charges, changes and surprises. 

Let our friends at USTravel help you plan your next trip. They’ve got offices in Anchorage, Kodiak (907)486-3232, Dutch Harbor (907)581-3133Prudhoe Bay, Juneau (907)463-5446, Ketchikan (907)228-8900 and Fairbanks (907)452-8992. Their sister company, Doug Fox Travel (800)368-4369, has offices throughout the Seattle-Tacoma area. Tell Laura or Giovanni or one of the other fine professionals that Scott sent you.