These superagents, like Mr. Fritschi, are known as travel consultants, and they offer what only a few are able to pay for. A typical client of Mr. Fritschi's is Mr. Fogel, president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Some agents believe this is how the industry should have been operating all along. Still, being smart is more than a marketing pitch. An agent can run a computer but may not have traveled that much.
Many consultants specialize in travel to particular destinations.
At McNair Travel Management in Alexandria, Va., one agent exclusively sets up overseas honeymoons and weddings. Another specializes in chartering private jets and renting castles. As baby boomers head toward retirement with mounting nest eggs, demand for travel consultants is expected to grow. So Mr. Fritschi became a pioneer of the travel consultancy business, and now his business is booming. Mr. Fritschi says many travelers are conservative and will avoid new destinations.