In addition to lobbying for consumer protection on issues like airline bankruptcy and travel safety, ASTA has an active Consumer Affairs Department that monitors travelers' problems and helps to find solutions. The Society works closely with other travel organizations to continually upgrade service and technology to better serve the traveling public. Ask about your agent's professional background. Many have been trained in business management, travel and tourism or geography. Others have supplemented their agency experience with extensive education and training courses, such as ASTA's Travel Management Academy, one of the most intensive programs in the industry.
Travel agents are the leading distributors of travel products and services.
Agents are the only unbiased professionals who can sort through nearly 100,000 daily changes in airfares alone . Experience, constant industry interaction and computer reservations systems make travel agents the only source savvy enough to engineer a relaxing trip out of the fluctuating complexities of t ravel offerings. So, save yourself time, money and frustration. As a veteran travel executive, that's a question I'm often asked. Yet that's precisely why the services of a professional travel consultant are more valuable than ever.