Do you know of a good travel agency?

[Sail School Bahamas]

Hi, we need to find one good travel agency that would like to feature on our website. We run a range of sailing adventure programs exclusively for Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, Sea and Scuba Scouts in the northern Bahamas and if we can refer our crews to a reputable travel agency it would be a big help to the folks that have to make more complex travel arrangements getting to and from the Bahamas. We have crews coming from as far away as California, Texas and Nebraska so an agency that can work in most States would be preferable.

 

Please let us know if you can recommend an agency that you know do a good job for small sized groups and seem to offer good value for money?

 

Thanks,

 

Brian

[Eamonn]

While I'm sure you know more about what your doing than I do!!

I'm not sure if I were in your shoes I'd be looking for a Travel Agency.

Having organized a fair amount of trips which have involved flying and going overseas, I found that most travel agents are not that interested because there just isn't enough money in it for them.

Most youth groups are trying to find the best deal out there and are willing to deal directly with airlines and the like. A pal of mine just took a group from New York to Florida Sea Base and used Jet Blue. He tells me that he saved a lot by using a discount airline that most travel agents don't deal with.

When I'm traveling I tend to use one of the on-line discount providers or look for the best deal I can find.

One of your competitors e-mailed me the other week with a deal that included airfare. It wasn't the cheapest way to go, but from an organizers point of view, it would seem to do away with a lot of headaches.

Back when we (our family) did use a travel agent, we kinda liked the idea that we were dealing with a real person!! Someone that we knew and who if things didn't go as well as we might have liked we could go to and complain!! If the travel agency is five states away, I'd just as soon use the Internet.

Some weeks back someone did send me the details about the offer you are offering for 2007. I knew I wasn't able to use it, but I did add it to the e-mail that goes to everyone in the District. (Yes I'm a nice little Eamonn!!)

While I have never as yet had the opportunity to use your services, everything I have heard has been good and dare I say much better value than BSA Florida Sea Base.

I think if I were in your shoes (Which of course I'm not) I'd focus on getting the word out there!! (We are selling ads for the NE-Region Sea Scout Ball, dinner program!!) As well as providing as much clear information (Names of Airports, airlines who serve the airports, taxi services, times and the like)

For our Ship a trip to the Bahamas, would give us bragging rights for a couple of years, but it would take a couple of years for our Scouts to save or earn the money needed.

I do wish you all the very best of British luck and do want to thank you for what you are doing for our Scouts.

Who knows maybe we can make it in 2008?

Eamonn.

[SoDakScouter]

We are sending a Crew in June 07. Coming from our town, we need to drive to Denver to get any chance at discount airlines. It is a 6-7 hour drive for us. So Discount airlines work if you are close to major markets. Also, for us, we still have openings, so hard to book a plane ticket for "John Doe" these days. We are using a local travel agency.