Travelers, Where Do We Go From Here?

As summer approaches, many are facing the fact that highly anticipated vacation plans will need to be postponed or canceled altogether.

Nobody knows with certainty what the future will bring for the travel industry. But we turned to Stacey Fugere, travel advisor with Boca Express Travel in Boca Raton, for her thoughts on traveling now and later.

How are you adapting to the pandemic’s effects on travel?

The COVID-19 situation is evolving every day. Each morning, our emails are filled with policy changes, schedule changes, and new rules and regulations. We are constantly staying on top of these changes to make sure that we are the best advocates for our clients.

What are you advising people who have vacations scheduled for sometime soon?

Every person’s situation is different, but cruise lines, tour operators, hotels and airlines have changed their policies in ways that keep things flexible to rebook.

For example, a typical airline policy is that you can change your flight (with a change fee) and use the value of the ticket for one year from the date of purchase. Currently, many airlines have waived cancellation fees and are allowing extended rebooking periods of up to two years.

How else are travel suppliers adjusting to the pandemic?

Most suppliers are offering incentives for people who postpone their vacation plans instead of cancelling. For example, on voyages that they have cancelled (and only starting the day that they cancelled those sailings; this does not apply to reservations cancelled prior), they are offering 125 percent of the amount you paid for your vacation if you choose a future cruise credit instead of a refund.

How can a travel advisor help travelers during this time? 

One of the biggest concerns we’ve heard from people who booked without a travel advisor has been accessibility. People are waiting on hold for hours – many times to find their calls disconnected. This is not unlike what we as agents are going through, but, by doing this on behalf of our clients, we can save them hours and stress.

What other perks are there to working with an advisor?

Our relationships with preferred suppliers. If we have a situation that isn’t going the way we would like, we are able to reach out and often find resolutions quickly. We had one situation in the beginning of March where a client’s daughter booked their vacation directly with a hotel. They were worried about leaving their young children home, and so they wanted to cancel their vacation. The hotel informed them they would have to pay a penalty. Our client reached out to us, and we contacted our friend at the hotel. The next day, we were able to secure a full refund for the traveler.

For more information, visit BocaExpressTravel.com.