All of us who remember how we used to go to the Travel Agent of our town to buy a ticket should also remember the blue Sabre or Amadeus screen where the lady who worked there used to type in those complex codes. Well whatever this lady could do on her screen we can now do it from home. All, or almost all state owned (or ex state owned airlines – including Cyprus Airways) have now a web site where the passenger himself can make a booking, pay and even get his/her boarding pass.
So why do we need travel agents? This question was made to me during our event in Limassol last month. Travel agents who live on ticketing have little future? Will they disappear? My opinion is that they will not disappear, they will have to adapt.
I was in the office of my travel agent in Nicosia the other day and what impressed me more were the answers the ladies and gentlemen that work there could answer over the phone in a very natural and sure manner. Questions that not even Google can answer that quickly and that accurately.
They were just brilliant, … no sir no worries your flight is confirmed and the assistance for your mother is also confirmed. You will have someone to pick her up in Rome to help her in the airport. His phone is ….
So my advice is, if you are a travel agent, offer good personalised service!! If you are a frequent or not so frequent flyer pay those 30 Euros service charge so you get tranquillity when you fly, every cent is worth it. Now if you are an airline invest in your web since not all of us have the luxury to book a flight on working hours.
In my way of seeing things the challenge is for the Airlines, they need to offer excellent web services to compete with the professionalism of the travel agents and not vice versa.
Have a good flight
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for you comments, they are very valuable to us.