Travel Agent "Etiquette"???

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01-07-2011, 06:55 PM
kristenrice

Travel Agent "Etiquette"???

Being a DVC member, I have never used a TA for a Disney reservation. As of now, I have no more points to use this year, but I would like to take a trip for my birthday in October. I want to go over a weekend during F&W festival so I know that I need to start getting my stuff together.

I would like to try a travel agent for my Disney reservation, but since my plans aren't firm and entirely dependent on cost, I do not want to "bother" anyone with a bunch of quotes and then decide that I can't afford it.

Is it "ok" to ask for a quote(s) and then not book? I would like to book something, in the hopes that a code will come out, and then apply the code if I can. But, if I can't get a code/discount, and the price of the trip exceeds my budget, I would have to cancel.

I'm also not sure if I would be traveling with my BFF or my DH. If I go with BFF, I will only have to pay half of the cost. If DH comes along, it's double, and thus the reason I really need a ballpark figure. As of now, with no discounts, I could not go with DH, and my BFF will not commit to anything yet.

Any tips, advice or "etiquette lessons" are appreciated:sunshine:.
01-07-2011, 11:02 PM
SunshineGirl

I think as long as you intend to book if the price is right, you should definitely give the TA a shot!
01-08-2011, 12:24 AM
MouseUnlimited

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristenrice

Being a DVC member, I have never used a TA for a Disney reservation. As of now, I have no more points to use this year, but I would like to take a trip for my birthday in October. I want to go over a weekend during F&W festival so I know that I need to start getting my stuff together.

I would like to try a travel agent for my Disney reservation, but since my plans aren't firm and entirely dependent on cost, I do not want to "bother" anyone with a bunch of quotes and then decide that I can't afford it.

Is it "ok" to ask for a quote(s) and then not book? I would like to book something, in the hopes that a code will come out, and then apply the code if I can. But, if I can't get a code/discount, and the price of the trip exceeds my budget, I would have to cancel.

I'm also not sure if I would be traveling with my BFF or my DH. If I go with BFF, I will only have to pay half of the cost. If DH comes along, it's double, and thus the reason I really need a ballpark figure. As of now, with no discounts, I could not go with DH, and my BFF will not commit to anything yet.

Any tips, advice or "etiquette lessons" are appreciated:sunshine:.

It can be said that if you're just "window shopping", and you know what you want, you should probably just run a quick quote on Disney's site. However, if you're looking for advice, or more than one quote for various options, there's no reason why you shouldn't request a quote from a Travel Agent. While there are agencies that discourage you from requesting a quote if you have no intention of booking, there are still plenty of us who will work for your business - even if it's for a trip down the road.

We even have a handy Quote Request Form on our site, so you can request exactly what you're looking for, and also provide additional comments (including a note that you're just shopping).

And what's even better is that if you book with us, you'll earn Sunshine Rewards Cash Back!

We have many, many happy clients - and several of them are Sunshine Rewards members....some who can definitely attest to our willingness to send quote after quote, even if it doesn't work out. :)

You can e-mail me directly at tom AT mouse unlimited DOT com and/or submit a Quote Request through our site. We'd love to have you as a client!
01-08-2011, 01:44 AM
kristenrice

Thanks for the info!

I obligate myself to have my entire trip budget available by the day I leave on a vacation. We have a trip to HHI planned for April and, as of right now, I have almost enough rewards earnings to pay for the trip without touching our vacation savings account. So, *if* I can pull off the HHI trip on freebies alone and don't touch the vacation account, I will have about $1000 left over:banana:. That is plenty for me to travel with my BFF, but I would need to do really well with my rewards to earn enough for DH to come instead.

As you can probably tell, *I* want to go to WDW...who will be joining me is still up in the air:rolleyes:.
01-08-2011, 01:44 PM
MouseUnlimited

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristenrice

Thanks for the info!

I obligate myself to have my entire trip budget available by the day I leave on a vacation. We have a trip to HHI planned for April and, as of right now, I have almost enough rewards earnings to pay for the trip without touching our vacation savings account. So, *if* I can pull off the HHI trip on freebies alone and don't touch the vacation account, I will have about $1000 left over:banana:. That is plenty for me to travel with my BFF, but I would need to do really well with my rewards to earn enough for DH to come instead.

As you can probably tell, *I* want to go to WDW...who will be joining me is still up in the air:rolleyes:.

Well, just keep in mind that Room-Only bookings can be canceled 6 days out with no penalty, and packages can be canceled 45 days out with no penalty.

If you book now, you'd need to pay a deposit, but you can always have us cancel the trip before the 45-day mark if you haven't solidified a travel partner yet.

Shoot me an e-mail when you get a chance :)