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The Internet: Two thumbs up! (10/23/2006)

By Richard Turen
Dear client: Like anyone who enjoys a good deal, it may have occurred to you that you can actually plan some of the best moments of your life online. A proportion of vacation planning is done that way and I, as your agent, want to tell you about some of the advantages in using an online site, instead of me, to plan your next vacation:
   1. Your privacy will not be invaded. The Internet will never want to meet you, to know your personal likes and dislikes, to strive to treat you as an individual. No one will ask about your prior travel experiences to match you with the very best travel product. No one will inquire about your medical background. In fact, to protect your privacy, your entire transaction may be occurring in Bangladesh. But this won't bother you because no one will tell you this.

2. The simplicity of the Internet is appealing. The only bit of information you need to give up is your credit card number. Sure, credit card security is a major issue, and you may actually be speaking with a hotel reservationist who is currently incarcerated, but giving your credit card to someone who may be using a fictitious name is not really that dangerous. Don't worry about it.

3. You won't have to deal with any negative information. In fact, you probably won't have to deal with any downside information about your hotel, your airline seat or your cruise line. Everything smells like a strawberry on the Internet. It is a world where everything is fine and your booking will be simple and efficient without wasting time discussing the relative merits of hotels and their locations, air routing, personalized sightseeing geared to your interests and feedback from personal inspections. No downside information. The Internet is always positive, even if your hotel is a hellhole. I like that about them.

4. Internet sites often allow you to pay more for your vacation. This keeps lots of folks employed. You never have to worry about being called a cheapskate for using the Internet, since there is such a good chance that you are paying the same or more then you would have paid to use my services. You see, after you work with me, you don't have to call the hotel, cruise line or tour operator, checking to make certain that the Internet site did not mess up your reservation. Since I do my job and the Internet often doesn't, who do you think gets the better rates form suppliers?

5. Booking online gives you one less number to call in case of an emergency. Just strike it off your list. Just get your doctor on the phone if there is a problem overseas.

6. Remember the Woody Allen movie where prisoners were sentenced to spend time locked in a room with an insurance salesman? Well, on the Internet that won't happen. Chances are no one at all will discuss the benefits of various travel insurance policies. That would take too much time. You can always use more free time. So what if you're uninsured? What could happen?

7. You may get to work with many Web sites to book your vacation. It's fun to try new things. And because online travel firms go out of business at a rate that is significantly higher than home-based or brick and mortar firms, you will get to meet lots of new friends, all of whom want to be friends with your credit card -- but not with you -- which means you've saved even more precious time.

8. The best part of booking your next vacation on the Internet is that it's more fun. If you have to cancel or change your trip, doing it over the Internet is like a strategy game. If you love virtual reality and have lots of time on your hands, you will love making changes to an existing Internet booking. It is much more of a game then just calling me up. Now that's boring.

Contributing Editor Richard Turen owns Churchill and Turen Ltd., a vacation-planning firm, and has been named to Conde Nast's list of the World's Best Travel Specialists since the list began.
There are times when booking travel online makes sense.
  • If you are comfortable with online booking tools
  • You have traveled extensively and have knowledge of your destination
  • You have used that airline before
  • You have stayed in that particular hotel in the past
  • The booking is a domestic airfare without hotels, car rentals or connecting airfares
When you have completed your research and are ready to book please feel free to use our excellent booking tools.
  • Book with Confidence! -- Our booking tools are powered By Travelocity!
However, please read the following article written in Travel Weekly magazine. I found this quite educational if not humorous. We are here to help you with all of your travel needs and you will also be helping our children whether you book online or use an agent.  Thank you, 
Russell B. Dawe
CEO