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Luxury Travel InsiderUnbiassed Luxury Travel & Cruises reviews by an industry insider for over 25 years. Travel Agencies play key role, even in Internet ageTravel Agencies play key role, even in Internet age A recent column published in the Honolulu Advertiser touts the value of using a professional travel agent, even in the Internet age. Consumers are beginning to understand that the difference between using an agent and self-booking on-line is excellent customer service. Below is the full article by Irene Croft Jr.
Virtually all retail travel agencies now charge a fee for certain services. Fourteen years ago clients did not pay extra to purchase air tickets because the carriers actually paid 10 percent commissions to their "partners in travel," the producers of 85 percent of their ticket sales.
But then the travel world as clients and agents knew it changed forever in 1994 when the major airlines determined to rearrange their relationship with travel agencies. In a sudden and dramatic move, the carriers imposed on travel agencies fixed-dollar caps not to exceed $50 per ticket on even the highest priced air itineraries.
The trend escalated in 1997 when agency air commissions were cut to 8 percent, a 20 percent drop in revenues overnight. Since traditional agencies earned their income almost exclusively through supplier commissions of 10 percent to 15 percent, and largely from airline ticket sales, these draconian reductions caused their earnings in many instances to drop below the hard costs of doing business. Even slim profits were relegated to memories.
FINAL BLOW CAME IN '02
Many agencies stopped selling air tickets entirely and specialized in cruises and tours exclusively where they would still be paid commissions and could offer their services free of charge to clients.
The carriers' promotion of the Internet as a vehicle for selling directly to passengers escalated in the late 1990s. Today, every domestic and most international airlines have a Web site where they promote special Internet-only fares to their customers. Online sales were negligible in the early years but now represent a substantial and ever-increasing portion of airline revenues.
In 2002, the carriers severed their final pretense of partnership with agencies by instituting a zero commission policy. As a result of the airlines' actions, hundreds of travel agencies were forced to close up shop across the nation, most of them long-established, small mom-and-pop businesses that were fixtures of their communities. With this alarming occurrence, one can understand that service fees appear to be salvation for full-service travel agencies in the 21st century.
FEES, SERVICES VARY
Agency fees, according to a survey by the American Society of Travel Agents, may be calculated as a flat charge to cover labor and overhead for a specific transaction, as a percentage of the total cost, or may be charged as an hourly fee for professional services. The survey revealed the most common charges involved air transactions — for ticketing, handling coupons and special promotions, refunds or exchanges, and cancellations. Most of these bear a median charge of $25, as do car-only and hotel-only reservations, rail tickets, document delivery and long-distance communication costs. Thirty dollars is reported as the median fee applied to lost-ticket applications, visa/passport handling and to special accounting and reporting requirements of business clients. Higher fees, up to $500, in the form of a deposit credited against the final package cost may be imposed for time-consuming personal research and custom itinerary arrangements.
Here in Hawai'i, where "consumers will chase a nickel down the street," according to one prominent O'ahu agent, fees are often limited to airline transactions. A local agency will charge, typically, from $25 to $50 for issuing an air ticket and between $15 and $30 for a reissue, depending on the time or difficulty involved.
THEIR KNOWLEDGE HELPS
The question is are you willing to pay a travel agency directly for its expertise, informed recommendations and TLC? Actually, the question should be can you afford not to? Do you trust the Internet or individual airlines to look after your best interests, to assist when Murphy's law prevails during your travels? Be aware that you've actually been paying agents all along: the commissions they earned from travel suppliers were built into the price of the products and services you bought. To date, with rare exceptions, the consumer price tag for air tickets, cruises, hotels, car rentals, tour packages, etc., is still the same to you whether or not an agency is involved in the booking.
When airlines reduced, then eliminated agency commissions, they kept the profit windfall for themselves and did not lower airfares to the flying public. As a consequence, the travel industry has been atwitter with continuing speculation that other suppliers, such as cruise lines and tour operators, will eventually join ranks with air carriers in an attempt to bypass their traditional distribution system — the agents — in favor of direct sales. Obviously, such a move would impose serious consequences on the consumer and further threaten the viability of the nation's retail travel agencies.
So why should you be willing to pay a fee, however modest, to purchase travel components that you could possibly obtain from the supplier or through the Internet? Quite simply, a competent, experienced travel agent is as valuable as a trusted physician and lawyer. A top agent is a professional with indispensable knowledge and skills who can help you make savvy decisions and save you time and money in organizing your travel arrangements. You pay a fee for specialized service and advice that is available nowhere else.
Unlike a travel supplier with a specific product to promote, travel agents are charged to conduct business in the best interests of their clients. From among dozens of different offerings, they can steer you toward a cheap consolidator airfare, recommend a hotel that suits your needs, advise on the smartest auto rental deal and match you to the most appropriate cruise ship or tour program.
Obtaining informed, unbiased opinions is unlikely from a supplier or from commercial sites on the Internet. Securing the best choice and top value, which is often not the lowest price, for your travel purchases is what you should expect at a minimum from your personal agent. This accomplishment is certainly worthy of compensation commensurate with professional services rendered.
Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Hottest Night Spots Around The WorldCondé Nast the premiere luxury travel and life style magazine released recently their lists for the hottest night spots around the world. As the summer approaching and you will all be traveling to the four corners of the world, I will be delighted to receive your feed back and experiences. Now to the hottest night spots around the world in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, China, France, Mexico, Spain and Sri Lanka Australia Rooftop Cinema Melbourne, Australia The view from the sixth-floor rooftop of downtown Melbourne's landmarked Curtin House building is cinematic—literally. Outdoor movies are popular in Australia's second city, but this is the first to turn away from river and beach and toward skyscrapers. Two hundred striped deck chairs on a surprisingly soft fake lawn take in a screen showing everything from black-and-white classics to talked-about indies. Arrive just before 8 P.M., order the lemon granita with a touch of pear and gin, and mingle with the friendly locals Address: 252 Swanston St. Bermuda Café Cairo Hamilton, Bermuda Walking into Café Cairo from bustling Front Street with its pastel-hued buildings is pleasantly jarring: It's all Middle Eastern tapestries, exotic scents, and gilded hookahs borne by waiters. Also a restaurant, the place morphs late at night into a trendy bar with heavy dance beats and classic cocktails. The crimson velvet-hung private room in the back is a must-see. Address: 93 Front St. Canada Melody Bar Toronto, Canada With walls paneled in rich wood, alabaster lamps hanging from the ten-foot ceilings, fat Romanesque pillars, and an original 1930s wooden bar, the Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar isn't so much nouveau retro as a rollicking saloon. Weekend karaoke nights have become the stuff of legend, with the host brandishing a giant APPLAUSE sign to stoke the crowd—an interesting hodgepodge of expertly coiffed hipsters, ad execs, pixie punk girls, and dust-caked construction workers. Address: 1214 Queen St. W. Chile Bar Yellow Santiago, Chile A skinny space of stainless steel wainscoting and burnt-red walls with a big round taxicab-yellow sign bearing its name, Bar Yellow is a clear indication that Santiago is embracing nightlife. Around midnight, young professionals and tourists congregate, eager to sample the world's finest beers, liqueurs, wines, and cocktails made with top-shelf ingredients. Imbibers sample the Immaculate (light rum and amaretto shaken with sugar and fresh lime and lemon juices) or aged single malts. Scrumptious food is also served, from smoked salmon to empanadas dulces for dessert. Address: 47-51 General Flores China Q Bar Beijing, China It's hard to find but worth the hunt to discover Beijing's hippest rooftop. Take the elevator to the fifth floor of the bare-bones Eastern Inn hotel, walk up a flight of stairs, and you'll find Q Bar, a comfortable space with deep-red walls. The master mixologist owners have a loyal following of sophisticated young expats and locals; they flock here to imbibe the signature Q martini, a breezy blend of vodka, crushed mint, and vermouth. Perch at the bar, or sink into a suede sofa and relax to the sultry strains of nu jazz and classic house. A spacious tree-lined terrace offers views halfway across the capital. Address: Nansanlitun Rd. Glamour Bar Shanghai, China Shanghai looks best at night, viewed through large windows overlooking the twinkling lights and skyscrapers of Pudong. Here, the indoor view also entices: Beautiful Chinese and expat couples, fresh from dinner at one of the gourmet restaurants in the same building, sip champagne and martinis. The decor blends Marie Antoinette–esque sets with 1930s Art Deco details (think pink lighting, chrome columns, parquet floors, and hand-painted Chinese screens). With more than 20 wines available by the glass, 300 by the bottle, and a whole bar devoted to bubbly, this place reeks of China's economic boom. Address: 20 Guangdong Rd. Monsoon Shanghai, China In a brilliantly renovated Art Deco–era brewery on Suzhou Creek, near the Moganshan arts district, Pier One is a complex of upscale nightspots, with moods that range from champagne fancy to dressed-down funky. Our favorite is the rooftop bar Monsoon, with stained glass and a spacious patio featuring sunset Jacuzzi happenings with DJs, cocktails, and even massage (to ease you into party mode). Here is proof positive that chic Shanghai nightlife extends far beyond the Bund. Address: 88 Yi Chang Rd. France 15cent15 Paris, France Paris's eighth-arrondissement golden triangle—bounded by the Champs-Élysées, the Avenue Montaigne, and the Avenue George V—may have trendy rooms galore, but it has long lacked a civilized but chic young lounge in which to have a chat, a drink, and a nosh. With the opening of this wonderfully louche new bar at the Hôtel Marignan, that need is stylishly answered. Hip designer Olivier Gagnère's chocolate-brown velvet walls, cushy sofas, herringbone parquet carpeting, and funky objets such as a wall-mounted stag's head are charming, as is a gold-leaf circular ceiling with two Murano chandeliers. Young French fashion execs and an international crowd of creative types chat above the pleasant Latin beat, enjoying light meals from the great sale/sucre (salty/sweet) tapas menu of Stéphane Colé, chef at Alain Ducasse's restaurant Spoon, also in the hotel. Try the namesake cocktail, made with white rum, violet liqueur, apple juice, and honey (cover, $24–$26). Address: 12 rue de Marignan Mexico Cibeles Mexico City, Mexico An air vent runs the length of the low ceiling, the walls are exposed brick, and the floor is concrete. Warehouse superstore or hot Roma neighborhood bar? That it's the latter becomes clear as you make out an intimate series of mini living rooms in which retro garage sale furniture (a chrome chandelier above a 1970s brown Naugahyde couch) meets high-end castoffs (a chintz couch whose provenance appears to be Upper East Side Manhattan circa 1965). The food doesn't range beyond a few pizzas, but no matter; the appeal is laid-back chilangos (capital city residents) conversing to a chill backbeat, the antithesis of the painfully trendy Polanco district nearby. Guests wander around, plopping into a Barcelona chair here, leaning against a dresser on an old Turkish carpet there, or chatting in front of a huge wall mirror framed by Vegas-like stage lights. Make friends with popular bartender Benny Carvente, who mans the sleek red-lacquered bar that runs the length of the back wall. Address: 17 Plaza Villa de Madrid Terrasse Renault Mexico City, Mexico High-performance racing car expert Renault revs up the Polanco district's nightlife in its new space that's part restaurant/bar and part showroom. Slink over from the Hotel Habita across the street for a tequila martini, with Gran Centenario Plata tequila, dry vermouth, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Address: 214 Masaryk Spain Leblon Madrid, Spain By day, Leblon is a lunch spot for high-powered execs. But at night, the tables get pushed back, the music gets turned up, and the restaurant transforms itself into a boîte worthy of its Brazilian namesake. Christened after the chic Rio neighborhood (photos of it bedeck the walls), Leblon serves its homemade foie gras in the early evening—in Madrid, that means anytime before midnight—but its reputation rests on its fame as a late-night cocktail purveyor. With bossa nova pulsing from the stereo, you understand why sexy Spaniards snuggle into the club's suede banquettes and spend hours caipirinha-sipping and canoodling. Address: 10 Calle Recoletos The Penthouse Madrid, Spain In the past year, scores of open-air bars have discovered the outdoor heater, transforming Madrid's much-loved terrazas—once a summer phenomenon—into a year-round passion. The first European venture for Rande Gerber (of L.A.'s Stone Rose and New York's Whiskey), the lounge inhabits the roof of a former hotel for traveling bullfighters, now the hotel ME Madrid Reina Victoria. Upstairs, an urbane playlist and delicious cocktails like the signature Lavender Margarita provide the sophistication, but it's the setting that gives the place sex appeal. On a broad balcony that affords gorgeous views over the tiled rooftops and crowded pavements of the lively Plaza de Santa Ana, stylish young couples stretch out on wide Balinese teak beds piled high with cushions. Address: 14 Plaza de Santa Ana Sri Lanka Dick's Bar Galle, Sri Lanka This charming bar was named for Dick Dumas, a particularly colorful character who blazed the trail for the tangle of exotic transplants now living in this colonial anachronism three hours south of Colombo. A bijou lounge, Dick's incongruously boasts an electric disco ball that casts red beams on white-lacquered walls hung with seafarer's maps and mounted antlers. Tanned tourists spill out onto the leafy flagstone courtyard of the Sun House, Galle's original small chic hotel. Visitors, take note: balance the sun and surges of alcohol with "SLappas," an indigenous take on British comfort foods such as shepherd's pie. Address: 18 Upper Dickson Rd. Soft Touches In The Luxury Hospitality MarketAfter many years of male domination, the luxury hospitality market is now experiencing a new trend - luxury hotels, resorts and villas owned and designed by women.
From Shambala Estate in Bali, the high-end Lindian Village in Rhodes, Greece and Casa Colonial in the Dominican Republic to the ultra chic Cerulean-Villa on St. Barnes Bay, Anguilla women are now leading the charge in ownership and design of unique luxury hotels and resorts. This new breed of hoteliers is inspired by a booming luxury travel market, as well as personal experiences as hotel guests traveling for corporate and leisure. The end-result is hotels, resorts and villas that focus on the smallest details and design elements which incorporate comfort and style into communal areas to provide an ‘at home’ atmosphere. Another factor that distinguishes this group from its male counterparts is the commitment to using high-end materials for a truly luxurious experience. Inarguably, there has been an increase in recent years of luxurious hotels, resorts and villas in the world’s most desirable destinations created, owned and managed by women: Rhodes in ancient Greece is home to Lindian Village, a five-star resort and conference center owned by Marisa Sviriades and her family; Cerulean Villa is the creation of filmmaker Laurie Weltz and is situated on the most coveted strip of beach in Anguilla; Shambala Estate and Parrot Cay offer unique hospitality experiences and are owned by Christina Ong; Hotel Esprit in St-Germain on the Left Bank of Paris, France is owned by Laurence Tafanel and Casa Colonial in the Dominican Republic was designed by Sarah Garcia who also owns the resort with her family. In addition to purchasing high-end properties, women are also designing hotels with an emphasis on providing the ultimate guest experience along with conveniences and comforts of an upscale home. Attention to detail is the focus among female architects and hotel/resort owners. Travel Insider Picks for Travel in 2007Happy New Year Everyone! Well its this time of the year when I publish my annual list of top destinations picks for travel for the year 2007. The reality of the world we live today had influenced the overall selections however as much as possible I have tried to reflect the need of horizon expanding and focus on stresslessness to meet today hectic and fast life style that most of us live in the 21st century as well as the seasonality in each region to cover a year round travel schedules. Now without any further delay the long awaited Luxury Travel Insider List of Top Destinations for 2007 hand picked by your Luxury Travel insider and they are in different categories and they are the Top 5 Caribbean, European, Latin America, USA & Canada, World & Exotic and finally the Top 10 Destinations and the picks are: Category Top 5 Caribbean Destinations Picks 2007 Turks & Caicos, St. Barths, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Anguilla Category Top 5 European Destinations Italian Lakes, St. Moritz, Tuscany, Budapest, Côte d'Azur Category Top 5 USA & Canada Destinations Québec, Phoenix & Scottsdale, Napa & Sonoma, Big Island, Las Vegas Category Top 5 Latin America Destinations Cancun, Buenos Aires, Peru, Rivera Maya, Rio de JaneiroCategory Top 5 World & Exotic Destinations Garden Route (S.Africa), Tokyo, French Polynesia, Cape Town, Luxor And Finally Top 10 Destinations Picks 2007 Rio de Janeiro, Italian Lakes, South Africa, Tokyo, Rivera Maya, Phoenix & Scottsdale, Las Vegas, French Polynesia, Big Island, AnguillaBrazil - Ihle Grande ImpressionThis is the first of 3 part series on Brazil. The first part covering Ihle Gramde. You can view it by cliking here or alternatively you can copy and paste this address in your browser to view http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGW8rSqzihI
Ahmed Argentina Video is Now On-LineHappy Holidays All I have started to work on my pictures from my latest trip to Brazil and Argentina which lasted two weeks. The video show of Buenos Aires is now on-line and can be reached by going to http://video.yahoo.com/video/profile?yid=ahmedfathinyc It looks there are going to be 4 part for this trip. The first one is for Argentina and my impression of the destination. The following three parts will cover Brazil destinations Rio de Janeiro, Ihle Grande and pretty Buzios. I hope by Christmas all parts will be ready. Ahmed Brazil & Argentina TripI just came back from a two weeks trip to Brazil & Argentina. Lots of visits across the destinations from Art Deco Rio de Janeiro with its legendary energy vibrated across the city, to remote and laid back Ihle Grande to Chic Buzios and then to artistic Buenos Aires. I took lots of pictures and wrote some quick impressions which I will share with you in the coming weeks. So till then have a Happy Holidays. Web Page Live in 9 other LanguagesFor the first time I am able to provide live translation from English to 9 other languages on my personal home page and the languages are Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The web page is still not fully transformed into Flash I am still working on fixing the bugs in them. You will see that the content has improved a lot with the Destinations Resources Center being phased. Keep logging back as updates are continued through out the summer. Ahmed
My Home Page Address is Flash Web SiteAfter several attempts and published versions of my personal home page I decided for the first time to use Flash in web authoring, there is still a long way to go but the new Home Page update came out nicely. I am not sure if the music will work on all computers or not. I am working on it. Let me know what do you think and keep checking back.
Ahmed
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