Value in Service

What is it people value? What draws people back to the same service provider? I realize this could be a list of many items. What would be interesting to know what is most important. Price; Expertise; Unique Service; Profressionalism; Trust; Post Service or there may be some important reason's I've missed. I would appreciate hearing back from people reading this blog. In your opinion what is most important thing when picking a service provider. Add any item you feel is missing. List them in order of importance.

Winter Vacations

It's the end of September and the grass is continuing to grow like it is mid summer. It's been a unique summer for us in Manitoba. Very soon all this green will make way for our beautiful Autumn, leaves will change from green to wonderful colors of orange, yellow and red. Eventually winter will be with us. Winter is a time when many people find them selves needing a break from cold temperatures and the restlessness that comes from being cooped up from being indoors. October is the best month to book those winter getaways to warm climates. Popular choices for Manitobans have often been Mexico, Cuba, or Dominican. We are seeing a rise in booking to Hawaii and Jamaica. Much of this has to do with what is available to fly direct from Winnipeg. Sometimes its worth looking at the option of flying from Grand Forks.
We our only 4 weeks away from our Travel Show event. We are all busy getting ready for this. Last minute planning for displays, mall setup, refreshments, draw prizes, promotions, etc. I hope this event is well attended. Someone attending will win West Jet Tickets. This show will take place Friday October 23 1-7 and Saturday October 24 10-3 everyone is welcome to enjoy our event. Come out and have a chance to win some great prizes and find out what kind of promotions we can offer to you.

Summer? What Summer?

I can’t help but to think that this is the calm before the busy season here at South East Travel. We have our moments of peacefulness and then our moments of trying to keep up. The consultants here tell me September and October are the busy months, it will soon be upon us. We are just entering the first week of September. I am looking forward to the energy that is created by being busy. Meeting many new people and seeing how the staff handles the constant flow of clients will be exciting. A common question that clients ask is; what is the hot spot this year? Everyone is interested to know what the majority of people will book for winter vacations. I am seeing a lot of advertising for Costa Rica by the travel companies. Mexico and Cuba at this time seem to be causing the most interest among our clients. Hawaii is also a very affordable vacation that many people overlook. Hawaii can often be priced similar as going to Mexico.

I have talked to many people this year that wanted to buy a summer, seeing as summer forgot all about Manitoba this year.
It's time to take advantage of all the great vacation deals this fall and get that summer you missed!

Booking with a Travel Consultant

Within a few short weeks at South East Travel I have witnessed the agents doing all they can to help their clients in all ways possible. I have learned that booking with an agent saves you time and often money as well. I have had friends and business owners tell me they prefer to book online. So I did some research, I have found out that an agent has access to more options for flights and pricing than you can find online. A good agent cares about their clients and will do all they can to help make your travels as pleasant as possible.
We often forget that a travel agency can do more than just arrange your flights. They are capable of arranging your insurance, hotels, car rentals, tours, and pretty much anything to do with your trip planning.

Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is always an interesting topic and many people are curious to know what others tip. We want to tip appropriately. Should you still tip when it says no tipping required, or tipping included with cost of trip? (i think not)
What is the amount you should tip for different services? (a bit of guildline at the end of this post)
Something I have found that helps me is to decide what I can afford to tip on a trip and put that money aside before we leave on the trip. Ideally it is nice to exchange your money to the currency of the country you travel to, this way the local people are saved a trip to the bank and possibly the inability to cash a bill that is damaged and they usually cannot exchange coin from another country When the currency is not available in your country it is nice to buy small U.S. bills at the bank. I like the idea of tipping the same way I would here at home in Canada. I have also heard of people that tip one large amount in the beginning of the week and then again at the end, and this method works well they say. I have not tried this method. It does sound like a nice way to avoid carrying money with you every day. Some of the information I have located about tipping:
Taxi Drivers: 15% of total fare, but no less than $1
Waiters/Waitresses: 15% - 20% of amount before taxes
Bartenders/Cocktail Servers: 15%-20% of total bill before taxes, or $1 per drink
Hotel Maid: $2-5 per person in a room per day, more if extra cleanup is involved
Tour Guides: $5 per tour or 10%-20 of the tour cost
Baggage Handlers: $1-2 per bag

How to get more than you've paid for

I came across an interesting article today. I thought it was worth sharing.

There's nothing like getting more than you paid for and announcing that you "got bumped up." Of course, many airline passengers earn their upgrades. Loyalty programs offer automatic promotions, when available, to high-flying members, but for globe trotters who haven't achieved "platinum" status, or aren't travelling with their usual airline, there are ways to make the upgrade. Contrary to popular opinion, these methods have very little to do with luck:
Timing is everything

Complimentary, random upgrades are extremely rare. These days, it's all about logistics. Airlines typically allow for no-shows by double-booking some seats. So when almost everyone turns up, late arrivals are often bumped into a higher class. If you're travelling with carry-on luggage, arrive late to stand the best chance of being among the upgrade candidates. Be warned, though, that you could also get bumped off a packed plane.

The passengers who paid most for economy tickets - often business travellers - will usually be at the front of the bump-up line. So you can level the playing field by flying at unpopular times for road warriors: Saturdays, holidays, midday and late evenings.

Once you've made it this far, you may get that coveted cushy seat without having to jump through any more hoops. Keep reading, however, if you want to improve your chances.
Presentation
Let's face it: airlines don't want scruffy travellers cluttering their First-Class cabins. Dress neatly and be polite with staff. There's no harm in turning on the charm at check-in and with the gate agent. Make sure there's no one immediately behind you in line to spoil the effect of catching an agent in a kind moment. And if you usually fly from the same airport on the same airline, take the time to recognize and make small talk with personnel.

Also, if you're travelling with a companion, being assigned to separate seats because of overbooking can earn sympathy points with airline staff, who may then seat you together in a higher class.
Ask, ask, ask
Make requests for an upgrade all the way down the line, from when you book to check-in to the departure gate. If time allows, volunteer when an agent asks for someone to take another flight because of overbooking. You might be upgraded for your courtesy. To improve the chances of getting bumped off one flight and into the First-Class cabin of another, visit www.bumptracker.com, where travellers share information on under-sold flights they've volunteered to board.
Little white lies
Maybe you are on your honeymoon. Perhaps you have just spent 14 hours in the departure lounge on a layover. If so, make sure to mention it. If not, a wee white lie of this sort, while a bit cheesy, has been known to work wonders. Airline staff have heard every upgrade plea imaginable, but creativity and guts can work just as well as courtesy.

Another surreptitious tactic is to report to the Business-Class desk at check-in. Explain that a request for an upgrade should be noted in the computer system. And when it can't be found, your polite displeasure may yield results. It's sneaky, but it can work.

taken from: © Cheapflights Ltd

I'd love to hear from anyone that has an experience where they got more than they paid for.