Welcome to this edition of Travel Talk, where I’ll present views on maximizing value for your travel dollars and avoiding hassles and loss.

Though the recession is still hurting many, more travelers and vacationers are beginning to stir again. With the great recession of 2008 – 2009 beginning to wane now, some of us are ready to break through the malaise of the past year and once again renew our vagabond spirits by planning a trip – maybe a great cruise, special tour or just an island getaway for several days. What we all want is to be certain of two things: 1) That the trip will indeed meet or exceed our expectations; and 2) that we receive real value for the money we invest in such a trip.

Of course, there are literally hundreds of thousands of possibilities out there, and it’s easy to get plenty of ideas from family, friends and, of course, the internet. With stars in their eyes after viewing pretty pictures and ‘great’ deals, some will choose to move forward with an internet booking. Just type in your credit card number and personal data, hit ‘Enter’, or click ‘buy now’ and you have bought yourself a vacation!

Wow. That’s simple, nice and clean, even if it took several hours of your precious time. All you have to do is pack and go and enjoy, right? After all, you’re the one in control with no need to bother with working with another human being (i.e. travel consultant), and look how easy it was!

Let’s analyze this situation a bit more closely to get to the truth of the matter.

Yes, by booking directly on the internet you are in control; that is, until you press ‘Enter!’ After you purchase a trip online you are now in the hands of the travel company, airline, cruise line, hotel or resort. If everything goes as you’ve planned, your trip should come off nicely. Even the fact that the price you paid appears discounted, did you receive a further adjustment in your rate since the travel company will not have to pay the built in commission cost reserved for travel consultants? Chances are, you did not. You then have deprived yourself of the impartial advice of a travel expert and received no benefit as a result.

Now let’s say something happens and you must change your plans. How do you begin? Since you’re in control of this trip, (and responsible for your selection) you have no advocate or intermediary to assist you, you must contact the travel company directly (online or by phone) and seek to make the necessary changes. What happens now? Send them an email? Wait on hold? “What do you mean that it’ll cost a ton to make the changes? Where can I get relief? Let me speak with a supervisor! What? You’ve got to be kidding! It’s not my fault that mom broke her hip! Do you people have no heart? No shame? Somebody, please HELP ME!”

Talk about frustration, hassle, and lost time (not to mention money again). But remember, you were the one in control, but no longer. Get in line; we’ll get to you when we can. Yes, it’s going to cost you more. Not a pretty picture for you or the global tourism industry, which relies on your visit and millions of others to keep their sometimes precarious national economies alive.

Fortunately the above scenario doesn’t have to occur. When one truly values their time, money and sanity, they realize that personal service by knowledgeable, reliable, and conscientious travel advisors is of great value and their reasonable fees are worth that and more.

Yet another consideration. As your trip progresses it seems that your airline schedule has changed, and you’re in for a misconnect to your destination. If you’ve booked directly, you’re once again “in control” and on your own. Even if you can book a later flight on your Blackberry, you still will need to visit the airline counter to straighten out your reservations, ticketing and checked baggage. You and the other 200 or so affected passengers. If you had utilized the services of a travel professional, likely you would have been provided an emergency number to call in just such situations, mitigating much hassle and frustration.

If you utilize the service of a lawyer, accountant, or stock broker, you do so because you recognize the value they bring to meet your needs. These professionals are not inexpensive, but their value to you remains high, because they save you time, hassle, provide advocacy, and accountability in getting the job done right. So it is with a good travel consultant. It usually just takes that one bad experience for people to understand how important personal service can be when investing precious time and dollars in a good or great trip.

To find a good travel consultant, please contact west@tntravel.com.