Travel Agents & Pet Travel Agents!
What makes a good travel agent? Do people use travel agents anymore and what in the world is a ‘pet travel agent’? Good questions! In my opinion a good travel agent is “worth their weight in gold’. Not only can they save you time and money but their experience and understanding of what is happening the in the world of travel is exceptional. So what does a ‘pet travel agency’ do that is different from a regular travel agency or that can just be accomplished on the internet? A PET TRAVEL AGENT does everything that a typical travel agent does plus adds pets to the mix. If you are traveling by airline with your pet, you cannot confirm it over the internet. Airlines have their own policies regarding pets and travel and they tend to change them without any notice. Here’s a simple example: You are flying on Delta Air Lines from Minneapolis to Miami and decide you want to ‘check your pet’ to travel with you on the trip. Your e-ticket information may read Delta Air Lines but actually you may be flying on a Northwest Airlines aircraft on one leg of the flight and on Delta Air Lines equipment on the connection. That’s not o.k. for your pet! The airlines do not ‘interline’ pets like they do luggage. If the airline you are planning to travel on has a mechanical and needs to send you on another airline at the last minute, the airline they reschedule you for may have a ‘no pet policy’. You arrive in Miami and the internet booking site said that the hotel you are planning to stay in accepts pets but you find out at check-in that you are required to pay a $250 non refundable deposit when staying with a pet and they only put pets in ‘smoking rooms’. Add any international destination to pet travel and you enter an entire new arena of travel challenges. That is why you will find it to be so worth the money to hire a ‘professional’ to do your pet travel arrangements. Do your due diligence, hire someone who has expertise to take care of your needs and your budget and of course if you are traveling with Fido, make sure you work with someone who loves dogs like you do!
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~ Anatole France
January 12th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Not bad for the first time?
January 12th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Nice article Barbara. There is so much that we don’t know about the travel business. We buy our ticket, scan the printed receipt, stand in line and then hopefully get through security. From there it is all downhill.
I have seen the worried looks on faces as they are kenneling their pets, trying to figure out what to do and relying on a ticket agent that would prefer the person just go away.
Good luck with your business and I look forward to hearing more1
June 12th, 2007 at 10:58 am
I agree in part with your post, but some of the text I find misleading ! This is not aimed as a criticsm and hope it is not taken that way. Travel is a favourite pastime of mine and I am passionate about it. !!
July 7th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
My Pet Travel.com is the fastest growing pet travel information and, hotel booking engine on the internet.
My pet travel offers products and services that no other pet travel website offers.
For many months we have searched on the internet for a pet travel website that we could book a pet friendly hotel real time online, also pin point pet friendly beaches, pet friendly parks, pet friendly restaurants, animal veterans, and a pet sitter just in case we wanted to go out near the hotel.
After late nights researching we could not find any. So we decide to create my pet travel.com make pet care givers, and there pets life easier when they travel. My pet travel.com offers all these services at the click of a mouse.
My pet travel is the only company that provides pet wills and trust by our legal counsel online. My Pet Travel has obtain our 501C3 to form our foundation so we raise money to build the first pet emergency care hospital in United States. Our Hospital will be free to pet owners who cannot afford pet insurance. Our pet Hospital will have an ambulance service to pick up pets if they get hurt in an accident. Also we will have a 24 hr pharmacy on premises. This will be hospital were people can bring their pets and have there surgery right on premises at no cost. This hospital will funded by donors around the world.
Proceeds from our website will help the Humane Society, ASPCA, Busch Wildlife foundation, and rescue foundation. We believe in giving back and helping animals that’s in distress. Please visit www.mypettravel.com
Anthony Bromley
August 6th, 2007 at 8:11 am
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article Pet Travel Agents!, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.