Vacation Like a Pro: Tips from Travel Guru Amy Lytle

Ever dreamt of traversing the globe without the fear of a dwindling bank account? Let Amy Lytle from House of Travel be your guide to mastering the fine art of budget travel. Our latest adventure in podcasting uncovers the myths of booking vacations, the surprising shifts in travel trends post-COVID, and the strategic timing for snagging the best deals on flights and accommodations. With Amy's wisdom, forged from her grandmother's wanderlust and honed through years of crafting itineraries for savvy seniors, you'll learn how to transform your holiday dreams into reality and navigate peak seasons with ease.

Who knew the secret ingredient to a fulfilling journey was often hidden in the expertise of a travel agent? Discover the magic behind the curated experiences Amy and her team can provide, from the welcome parties awaiting you at exotic destinations to advice on how to handle unexpected travel hiccups. Whether you're plotting a solo excursion or a family retreat, this episode equips you with the insider knowledge to tailor a trip that aligns with your interests, all while keeping your wallet intact. We peel back the curtain on the true value of personalized travel planning and even share some local gems for those looking for adventure close to home.

Finally, we're serving up golden nuggets of travel wisdom with practical advice on maximizing your luggage space and finding the balance between a jam-packed itinerary and spontaneous exploration. Learn how to pack like a pro using space-saving techniques and why sometimes the best travel moments come from the unplanned detours. From the savannas of Africa to the tranquil waters of the South Pacific, we'll make sure you're prepared for the journey ahead. So, grab your passport, tune in, and prepare to elevate your travel game with tips from the one and only Amy Lytle.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want. Now here is your host, ms Kim Chapman. Welcome to another edition of Money Matters. I am your host, kim Chapman, and today we have a really fun topic to talk about travel. Who's ready for summer travel? Who's just ready for travel period? I know the kids are ready to get out of school. They want to go somewhere. The parents want to go somewhere, maybe separate from the children. But hey, we're going to try and learn all the ins and outs. How can you travel on a budget? How can you make that dream vacation come true today? So with me is Amy Lytle of House of Travel and she's going to give us all those good tips. We're going to be ready to go home and start packing after you listen to this episode. Welcome, amy. Thank you, kim. I really appreciate you having me.

Speaker 1: 0:52

I am so excited about this particular show because you know people that know me know I love to travel. I'm always looking for a good deal. I always want to know is it true? Do I need to book my travel Sunday at 3 am or leave on a Tuesday. So I hope that you can kind of clarify some of that, not just for me, but for our listeners that are looking to go ahead and start planning that summer vacation, fall vacation, or maybe they're getting ready to start a winter vacation. Whatever your travel needs are, hopefully we'll address those concerns today. So let's get started. What inspired you to pursue a career in the travel industry?

Speaker 2: 1:27

Well, kim, that all kind of started actually when I was very young, I would say probably in my teens. I had the experience of living vicariously through my grandmother's travels, and that was back in the 70s, and she was actually going to places like Rome and Paris and Cairo, and I would get so excited when she would come home and we'd talk about her trip and she'd tell me all about discovering these new places and I thought I would love to do that one day. But as I grew up and went into high school, I started thinking about now how could I do this and also have a career? And that's when my guidance counselor decided. She thought well, why don't you pursue one of two things either work for the airlines or work as a travel agent? And so the airlines required you to move to a big city, like you know, dallas or New York, to get the good flights.

Speaker 2: 2:28

And there was actually an opportunity here in Baton Rouge for a travel and tourism business class course. It was incorporated into like a kind of like a business school and it was called Spencer College and they offered travel and tourism. And so I enrolled in that and I began my career there. And so I enrolled in that and I began my career there and as soon as I got out of school I got a job immediately and it was kind of interesting the way I started in this business. Now, keep in mind I was only 19 or 20 years old, but I was working with the seniors 55 and older and planning group trips for them. So I would hang out with the senior citizens and we would go on these day trips and sometimes three and four day trips to, you know, get out of Louisiana and go and experience something else. And that's how I was introduced to the world of travel. Now it's evolved a lot since then, but that's kind of it's gone full circle with us, and I'll tell you more about that in the program later.

Speaker 1: 3:26

And I imagine in your role you get to travel a lot of places. Sometimes I'll see the ads that are here from other travel agents. You know they have to go there and experience the place so that they can come back and tell their consumers or their customers about it. So what are some of the best places that you've traveled to just because of your job or your career?

Speaker 2: 3:45

Wow, that's really so hard to pick just a few because we could talk for hours. But the ones that stand out to me and something I recently experienced was one of these like Viking Avalon River cruises in Europe, which is a whole kind of new way of seeing Europe without having to unpack every day, you know, unpack and then move and keep seeing other countries. You get to just kind of rest and settle in into the vacation and then the destinations come to you basically. So it's a really nice way to travel. I did have the opportunity to travel to the South Pacific, to Tahiti. That was Bora Bora and Morea and that was a really beautiful, interesting, off the beaten path kind of place. You know, these days people are looking for things that are kind of off the beaten path. They're looking to find their own space and kind of their own rhythm on vacation, get away from the craziness of life. So definitely.

Speaker 1: 4:49

And that kind of leads me to my next question. Let's talk about what are the benefits of travel, Because you know, when you and I talked, I remember being young, love to travel and at one point in time thought I want to be a travel agent. But then the Internet came and I thought, well, if they can get all this information on the internet, they won't need me and I'll go out of business. So obviously that is not true. So tell us what are the benefits of having a travel agent?

Speaker 2: 5:13

Okay, so, as you were saying, a lot of people do use the internet, mostly for their initial research.

Speaker 2: 5:21

I think, when it comes down to how we can help, it's more about helping them make a final decision on all the world of information that they're receiving on the internet Because, as you know, you can spend a lot of time looking but then you're not really sure when or how to execute the vacation. How to you know? I guess they pulled the trigger on the vacation. So we do get a lot of people that come to us that have already done some research, but they just want to make sure that they're making the right decision and, when it comes to the actual execution of it getting the financial parts in order, making sure they have the proper documentation for travel and this mostly comes into play when you're traveling overseas making sure you have the correct passport validity, you have visas that are required for certain countries, vaccinations, any of that kind of stuff they really want a professional on their side. So that's just one way that we can really be of assistance to our clients.

Speaker 1: 6:23

What do you think are some misconceptions that people have about travel agencies?

Speaker 2: 6:28

Well, you know, it's kind of hard for me to speak from that side of the table, but I would say, if I had to take a guess at it, that maybe they would pay a lot more to use a travel agent.

Speaker 1: 6:40

Definitely, I would think that would be one.

Speaker 2: 6:43

Yeah, that maybe they really haven't taken the time to build a relationship, because it is all about the relationship with our clients and getting to know them. So at House of Travel, we like to say we want you to be our client for life and how your family grows and evolves, and we can help you plan trips that would, you know, make sure everyone's entertained in the family and that you get that quality time together. Think about the little, small touches that make such a big difference. So I'll give you an example. I know this is a little bit off of what you asked me, but if you're traveling to a foreign country and you've been on a flight all night and you get off the plane and you're in a foreign country, you don't speak the language, you're not familiar with it. One of the nicest touches we can have is have someone that's there with a sign with your name on it, waiting for you to whisk you away to your hotel, which really doesn't cost a lot, but it's so comforting to know somebody is waiting on you there.

Speaker 1: 7:45

I did that when I went to Hawaii and you know, because I've seen it on TV and it just seems like what the Hollywood people do, and it was. It was so refreshing, it was so nice and they had the little lays waiting for us and they had the car. You didn't have to figure out where's my Uber, where I'm going. So it really is a nice touch and, like you said, it wasn't very expensive.

Speaker 2: 8:04

Yeah, and Hawaii is another one of those long flights. You're tired, you're ready to get to your hotel and just kind of start your vacation. So I mean, that's really the touches that we're talking about. That's just the beginning, but it's those little things that make the big difference.

Speaker 1: 8:21

So people that are thinking about travel right now, what should they know? Or do they need to know anything when they call you? Do they need to know where they want to go? Or can I just call you and say, hey, I have X amount of dollars, I want to go somewhere fun and adventurous and you do the rest? Or what do I need to know when I call?

Speaker 2: 8:40

You can call us with just a total blank slate and that's where we'll start a small interview process. You can call us with just a total blank slate for you and that's where we'll start a small interview process. Take about 15 to 20 minutes to talk to you about what your special interests and hobbies are, who's traveling kind of what your budget range is. We do like people to have kind of a range in mind only because we know where to start, but we also know how to add a little extra things that you maybe not think of. If you're traveling overseas, you want to prepay as much as you can in your US dollars rather than having it exchanged when you get over there because of the exchange fees that are involved.

Speaker 2: 9:21

So you know, when you come to us we want to provide you a whole picture of what your trip's going to look like and kind of a budget to expect to have for the entire thing, rather than just the initial upfront you know cost. So when you come to us we'll enter, you know we'll go through the interview process 15 to 20 minutes. We can do it on the phone, we can do it in person at our office or we can do it via Zoom, whatever makes the client feel comfortable. But we set aside that time to start working on their trip and then we kind of have you know agreement of when we're going to meet next and how we're going to proceed through the process. If at any time the client is not comfortable, they can let us know and we can go a different route. You know like pick a different destination. Or you know, if they decide that we're not going to do this trip this year, that's fine too. But in the first initial conversation we really get a lot covered.

Speaker 1: 10:18

So, ideally, how far in advance should someone contact you if they're, let's say, for example, you know summer's right around the corner? Is it too late now to put together something for summer, or what would be the ideal time that maybe should I have called in January or February to put together something for the summer?

Speaker 2: 10:34

That's a good point If it's a destination that has a smaller season, a tighter season. I'll give you an example Alaska has a tighter season from May to September. So people do plan farther in advance just because the concentration of tourists are going those four or five months, you know. So they start planning usually in January. But I had a call this week and it was a case where they thought they were going to go in 2025, but due to some medical issues, they've decided that they're going to go in 2024 and go ahead and do the trip now, while they're feeling good, and so we're going to work as hard as we can just to get that done for them and meeting with them tomorrow. So really it's never too late to call. We'll do what we can, but ideally six months you should start thinking about your trip.

Speaker 1: 11:27

And then from the point after the interview, how long does it take before I have my package in front of me with all the details, the full itinerary?

Speaker 2: 11:36

Okay, so the timeline, for our services typically start with the initial meeting and then we'll follow that up with an estimate based on what we talked about in the meeting. That takes two days, maybe two to three days at the most, depending on the complexity of it. Then, once you have made the determination you want to move forward, we'll put deposits down. Now a lot of people don't realize, but when you use a travel agent or travel advisor, they have access to companies that take deposits rather than full payment at the time of the reservation. So that's a good benefit. It is a good benefit especially for someone who's budgeting, and they start six months in advance. So, as an example, you may put down 25 percent on your vacation at that point, and then there'll be a deadline to have it paid off, and that's usually somewhere around 60 days before.

Speaker 2: 12:28

After everything's been paid off, you'll have communication throughout the process. Then, about 60 days prior, you'll finish paying it off and then you'll receive a packet. You can have it sent to you digitally or we can do a printed version of it as well. Some people like to travel with the printed version and that will come to you in that around 30 days prior, but it'll always be accessible to you throughout this the process. It's just those final documents as an example. If you have say, like I know, I'm going back to overseas travel, but like a ferry or a train or something that's booked kind of in the last section of the trip, last segment of the trip, those documents don't come until later. So you get everything about 30 days prior.

Speaker 1: 13:16

So what about protection for the consumer in terms of maybe insuring their vacation? I know that there are types of insurance online. As a matter of fact, I was actually surprised we were going to get insurance for a recent vacation because we were traveling in the winter and I was afraid that, you know, the day that we were going to leave there was going to be a snowstorm or a blizzard, but we hadn't paid for a hotel, we hadn't paid for certain things, and I learned that, oh, the travel insurance is only going to take care of things that you paid for in full, and only things that maybe, for example, if it was my airline ticket, as long as the airline company was going to give me credit, they would not reimburse me. So can you talk a little bit about what type of maybe extra benefits may come with getting with a travel agent, so that I would know up front what's protected, what's not protected or if something does happen at the last minute?

Speaker 2: 14:04

what's protected, what's not protected, or if something does happen at the last minute. Well, kim, you dug into it a lot more than most people do, and that's a good thing, because you really do want to know what you're purchasing and when you buy something through a website online. How many people really take the time to read the terms and conditions? Not very many. The time that you find out what the restrictions are is usually when you have to make a change or a cancellation and you find out, oops, that wasn't covered, and so you're right.

Speaker 2: 14:31

There are many different types of coverages, ranging from we have independent companies like AIG Travel Guard that we use, but a lot of our tour companies that we use have their own policies as well and then they also have something called a travel waiver, so it's not technically insurance. I'll explain the difference between the two. The waiver is what is offered through the tour company, and they allow you to make cancellations up until right before the trip and get either a credit or a refund. You can pick one or the other and pay the appropriate premium. That's a waiver. Okay, it all takes place prior to the trip. It covers you prior to the trip. It does not go with you on the trip. Okay, it's where insurance actually covers you while you're traveling.

Speaker 2: 15:24

So a lot of our clients think are focused on their investment, mostly like meaning they want to make sure they can get their money back, because travel is like an investment.

Speaker 2: 15:36

You know you don't want to lose your money if something happens that you can't control, so a lot of clients focus only on that. But I do want to bring up the importance of having coverage outside of your own medical network. Okay, that you have, so insurance covers you as well. A lot of insurance covers you for accidental emergency, return home, baggage loss, flight misconnection, those sort of things. So you can either buy both a waiver and insurance, or you can buy one or the other. They can be split. So, as a travel agent, we take the time to explain to the client what their options are and what the different costs are, and then we also ask them to look at their own coverage, maybe through their credit card, to see if they already have something, because you don't need to be double insured, and so you know we do that as part of the planning process is to go through that.

Speaker 1: 16:35

So now let's talk about the actual travel. You know summer's coming up. What are some good hidden places that people don't think about? You know everybody wants to go to the flashy cities New York, you know, maybe Miami for the summer. What are those hidden jewels where you could have just as much fun but it's not mainstream and so it's not going to cost you as much?

Speaker 2: 16:56

Oh, that's a good question. So summertime is just heavily traveled, you know period. So summertime is just heavily traveled, you know period. But if you must go between, like, say, june and June 1st and August 1st, which are the two peak months of the year for traveling, kind of a spoken hub type vacation, meaning that you find a spot that is accessible to other things by using your car for the day, okay, and you get out and you do like little trips, not necessarily stay in the major city but go over for the day and visit Okay.

Speaker 2: 17:41

So as an example for a driving type trip, we just recently went to see the eclipse, okay, in in texas. So instead of staying in san antonio we stayed up north of san antonio. So it wasn't quite as, as you know, it's crowded in bernie, that area and so. But then you could do day trips, fredericksburg, you could go to San Antonio one day you could do, you know. So you're going to experience the major cities, but you're not when you come back in the afternoon or the evening, then you have just kind of more of a relaxing environment. So from here I would say that's always popular. Same thing in Florida If you go into the theme parks. Maybe pick a central location and do some day trips from there into the parks.

Speaker 1: 18:30

So when people are traveling and of course they like to travel during peak season, whatever time of the year that may be are there some tips that you can share with us that may help? For example, like you mentioned, june to August, because that's when the kids are typically out of school. That's always going to be peak season. Are there some things that we can do? For example, you know, buying the tickets in January or in December. What are some little tips that can help minimize that cost, since we already know we're going to be paying more because it is peak season?

Speaker 2: 19:00

So, yeah, planning in advance is definitely a good deal, because as you get closer, everything with travel is a supply and demand kind of determining factor with cost. So as the demand goes higher and the supply gets shorter, then the prices will increase. So you're right planning out, you know, maybe in January get your airline tickets bought, and then in March let's get your airline tickets bought, and then in March let's get your hotel reserved and a deposit on it, so you can kind of space out. Not only is it more of doable, you know, by spacing it out for some families, especially if you have two or three kids, I mean that really starts adding up to have four or five, you know, people going on vacation.

Speaker 2: 19:45

So, yeah, planning early is a great idea. Staying outside of the major cities using your own vehicle is a great idea. As far as attractions and activities go, we can always help make recommendations that are either very cost-friendly or free, because a lot of people don't realize it, but there are places in bigger cities where there are actually free things to do and, of course, getting out in nature and doing the trails and doing you know things, fishing, and I mean just whatever the client is looking for we can help them find cost-friendly activities for their family.

Speaker 1: 20:23

So you were mentioned. Of course we were talking about buying early to save money. But of course when I'm looking online I always see these little things like last minute deals you can save. But it's almost kind of like an oxymoron, because the closer you get to your date, that airline price goes up, the hotel goes up because of supply and demand. So is there really a niche or is there really a space to be able to find last minute deals? Or is that just a little marketing ploy to get you to go ahead and look, you know, take your breath away with the scenes and then you're going to buy it regardless of the price.

Speaker 2: 20:54

Yeah, it is a marketing thing. Okay, Now, that's not to say that there's never specials out there. For last minute there are. What we're finding is a trend from COVID. Now, this sounds odd, but what we're finding is that the best and the most highest-end accommodations, the suites, the great views, all that they're selling out first.

Speaker 1: 21:19

Really.

Speaker 2: 21:20

Yes, interesting, huh, very, yeah, and the rooms that are left are the standard rooms facing the street.

Speaker 1: 21:27

See, I'd get the standard and hope that the penthouse is available and they'll give it to me for half price because nobody's buying it.

Speaker 2: 21:34

And you know what? That's always a good ploy and it works every once in a while.

Speaker 1: 21:39

But it worked for me. But we're seeing that we're seeing.

Speaker 2: 21:41

The trend is, when people want to do something nice, you know, go and treat themselves. They want to go all out.

Speaker 1: 21:49

Wow. So let's talk about those airline secrets. When should I be buying my airline ticket? Should it, you know? Is it Sunday? I've heard that it's Sunday. I heard that if you fly out on a Tuesday, you know there's so many different things. When you turn the channel, you hear different pieces of advice. Are there some real tips out there that can help you save money when we're trying to buy an airline ticket?

Speaker 2: 22:09

I think finding a place that you know, a price point you're comfortable with, you've kind of know your budget and starting to look early of course, is the key. But I'm not saying six months is the sweet spot Again, it's a supply and demand thing. If it's a holiday say it's anywhere around Memorial Day or Fourth of July you say you're traveling during the summer then those are going to be imperative that you really get those early. If you have some flexibility with your dates and I was going to tell you this earlier I think the key to getting the best prices is having flexibility. You know most people, just like you and I, they want to leave out in the morning, they want to get to their destination Early, early.

Speaker 1: 22:55

My family hates me because I love to leave before the sun comes out.

Speaker 2: 22:58

Exactly, they want to get on that early flight and then they want to come back on a comfortable flight on the return. You know, not get back at midnight, but you know again, not have to leave at 6 in the morning to come back. Most I would say almost 80% of people want to do that, Okay. So if you're really on a budget and you're willing, go in the evening, take the kids and leave the airport at two or three o'clock in the afternoon and and then you'll arrive in the evening. But then you could get an airport hotel for that evening and I do that quite often for for clients, because you know you don't really want to try to go figure out things that first night when you arrive late. But you may be able to save $100 or $200 per ticket for a family of four or five. That can be a big savings. So that's one idea.

Speaker 2: 23:47

Another one is, like I said, be flexible with your days.

Speaker 2: 23:49

So always look at the day before and the day after. It can make a huge difference and there are a few airlines that will let you like register, like say, hey, notify me if the price on this route goes down, and so I have had clients tell me that they do that. So that's another idea. You start doing that about six months in advance and, like I said, say, if you're flying from here to Seattle, let's just say you're going to go on one of these Alaska cruises and the price is coming up at $500 round trip. You know they'll notify you if it drops to $450 or $400. And I mean definitely $400 is a good deal to go all the way across the country round trip, and so that's just one way of you doing it, being flexible, going in advance. I've heard Tuesdays and Wednesdays they tend to put out prices more, so like lower them than they do on the weekend, because a lot of people are shopping on the weekend. So that's, but I can't tell you if that's really factual.

Speaker 1: 24:48

It's kind of a trial and error little thing, huh, I think it is. So let's talk a little bit about itineraries. You know one of those things I had to improve I was one of those traveling people that, oh my God, we had to get up and watch the sun rise and then we had to do everything in between and we would be worn out. We literally need a vacation after our vacation. So how can you, as a travel agent, help us with itineraries? What sort of things do you put emphasis on in terms of planning for somebody that you know kind of keeps us out of that red zone?

Speaker 2: 25:20

Yeah, I've been there too. I did it with my family and they did not like me by about day three. So what I've learned over the years is that some of the funnest things that I've ever experienced on a trip were spontaneous and I know that's a scary word for some people. Yes, but I would always suggest building in a couple of hours per day where you don't have anything that you have to do Now you can have in your back pocket, you know, an option if the kids get bored. But the some of the funnest things have been just go have a relaxing lunch at a cafe and just enjoy each other's company and people watch. One of my favorite things to do is to go, and when I'm at the airport and I got a couple hours to kill, I'm just people watching you know, yes, it can be an interesting thing.

Speaker 1: 26:15

So, in terms of the itinerary, can I just say plan everything from where I eat lunch to dinner? Will you take care of getting tickets, whether it's to a theater or to a theme park? Do I need to do anything other than give you my budget and pay my fees?

Speaker 2: 26:33

Okay. So the majority of our clients want us to handle the major portions of their trip. So those are the things like airport, airline transportation when they arrive, whether that be car rental or transfers, private driver accommodations, some tours that have to be booked in advance, if there's like a group type tour that has to be booked in advance. When it comes to the actual getting of tickets, we offer a few different places, like in New York we'll do Broadway tickets, okay, but typically most people want to go in and look at the seat chart and kind of figure out where they want to be. So we'll give them some guidance in that.

Speaker 2: 27:15

Most people do buy their own concert tickets or special event tickets and most will make their own reservations for dining. Now, if it's part of a tour, like, for, as an example, if you want to eat dinner in the Eiffel Tower, you have to book that exactly on the mark the day it opens up. You can't believe 60 or 90 days. Now, something like that we can arrange. It's a special event type thing. Depending on the client and how much they want included, we can do more of a concierge type package for them. Okay, so what do you think would be the?

Speaker 1: 27:52

best route for somebody. I know everybody's budget is going to be different, their time is going to be different. Their time is going to be different. But what would give me, I guess, the best value for contacting a travel agent? Is it just to get those big things taken care of? Is it going to be more costly if I have you do all the little nitpicking? What is generally like the best package or accommodations that you offer?

Speaker 2: 28:14

The best package or accommodations, or the best value, best value, best value. Are you asking me to give you a place?

Speaker 1: 28:23

Not necessarily a place, but in terms of, if I pick up the phone, am I going to get more value in having you just take care of, like I said, the airline ticket and the hotel and then I do all the little leg work, or is it going to, is my dollar going to stretch further if I have you take care of all the little places that? I want to go to as well.

Speaker 2: 28:39

Yeah, a lot of time. It depends on whether you see time as money okay, and some people do and some people don't. So definitely having someone handle the major components of the trip can relieve the stress off of you and allow you to plan the fun stuff. So I like to think of it that way there's the kind of the stressful stuff and then there's the fun stuff, and I call the fun stuff is what are we going to do every day while we're there? And so if it's an organized tour that needs to be booked in advance, I would suggest you use someone to go ahead and get that booked.

Speaker 2: 29:16

Okay, Now I will tell you we have a ahead and get that booked. Okay, Now I will tell you, we have a lot of clients that like to do their own, but they may have other people traveling with them, like not their family, I'm just talking about like a group, a small group, and they don't want to be responsible for everybody else. So they'll come to us and they'll say you know, I'm okay doing this for myself, but I don't really want to do it for the group, you know, and then they'll hand everything off to us. So that's another type of client that we help a lot or small groups.

Speaker 1: 29:45

Is one form of travel more economical than the other? Plane versus cruise versus trains? Trains are becoming popular again and of course you know you would like to think that it's driving in the car. You know good old Griswold family trip. But gas prices tend to fluctuate and get to be really, really high. And they may not be high where you're leaving from, where your destination starts, but definitely maybe where you're traveling to.

Speaker 2: 30:09

And again it goes back to time and money. What do you have more of? Okay of Okay. So when it comes to driving, my rule of thumb is if the vacation is, say, nine, 10 hours away from you, you're probably still more beneficial driving Okay Okay. If it's beyond that, then I would consider flying, especially if you can get a direct flight to that city, because and you can go from Baton Rouge, because then you can be there in four hours, something like that half the time, which gives you another half a day of a trip, you know. So it kind of comes down to how much how you're going to use your vacation time that you have. You know, having your car can have benefits because you're not relying on public transportation. But you know, we drove to I was telling you we just drove to Texas for the Eclipse San Antonio area. That should be about a seven to eight hour drive. Coming home it was a 10 hour drive because there were lots of traffic.

Speaker 2: 31:11

That Houston traffic is crazy. You know I was more and I wouldn't even driving, I was riding and I was more stressed Got home, you know. It's just something that I would like to say. There's this you know time of day where you can just miss all the traffic, but I don't know if there really is or not anymore.

Speaker 1: 31:31

Is there a particular day of the week to leave? On or even travel back, is there a particular day that's one day is better than the other.

Speaker 2: 31:37

That that is. There is some truth to that. So, uh, those are the days when, cause you got your weekend travelers Okay, which typically leave Thursdays and Fridays, come home Sundays and Mondays, so those are the days to avoid, okay. Okay, so Saturdays are good for travel and Tuesdays and Wednesdays are good for travel Okay, saturdays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Speaker 1: 31:58

So what are some of the top destinations? What are people coming in and asking for? Is there a trend now?

Speaker 2: 32:03

Mm-hmm, so coming out of COVID. So now we're about two years removed from COVID. We are seeing the cruises come back, okay, so people are enjoying the cruises right now. And you asked about value travel. If you are flexible and say you're not traveling with family, you can go anytime during the year. There's some great cruise deals out there. The other values that we're seeing and people wanting to travel are bucket list type items. So again, traveling in the off season, we have people that want to go see the Northern Lights. That's been very popular this year and that is an off season, typically an off season date. Those have to be like when it's darker up in North between like September and March. Okay, now it's cooler, can be downright cold, but it's when you'll actually see that beautiful aurora borealis in the sky, and so that's been really popular. Alaska has come back as a really popular. Hawaii's come back as a really popular destination. I would say. Always the national parks are a big deal, especially Yellowstone.

Speaker 1: 33:16

So what are some travel tips that are going to be useful, just in general packing you know I have friends that they only carry carry-on luggage and I've not mastered that skill of being able to travel with just one bag if I'm going to be somewhere for more than a night. So what are some travel tips that you can share about packing? You know what to bring, what not to bring.

Speaker 2: 33:41

Yeah, as far as trying to carry on, yeah, that can be a challenge, especially with shoes. Yes, that seems to take up a lot of room and we can't. Us ladies have a little hard time. You know we need to choose that match our outfits, and Ladies have a little hard time. You know we need shoes that match our outfits, and so I guess my well, let me just say this about packing.

Speaker 2: 34:02

As most people know, if you're flying, then airlines do typically charge extra for baggage, unless you're flying Southwest and then you're allowed to check baggage as part of your airfare.

Speaker 2: 34:15

That baggage can start to add up if you're bringing a family of four or five, and so my suggestion, especially with the kids, is let them cross pack or share a larger piece plus their carry-on is to do that.

Speaker 2: 34:30

If you're traveling as a individual, it's not as expensive to check luggage. But there are ways you can get around with the carry-on, especially if you use also a backpack and you pack some. You roll your clothes, put them in your backpack, bring you a couple outfits in your backpack and then the rest in your carry-on. You can do that because you know you're allowed a piece that goes under the seat and then a piece that goes in the overhead bin. So that is a possibility to do. It takes a little creativity and if you're going to a warmer destination it's easier, you know, versus going skiing or something where you have lots of heavy, big clothes and boots and things like that you probably would have to check luggage. It is a little cheaper to pay for that piece, pay for that check piece up front rather than doing that at the airport.

Speaker 1: 35:21

Do you have a favorite airline, a preferred airline? I know that they all offer something a little different. I won't name names, but there are some that I find that are always delayed and canceling and moving flights. But then there's one that, like you said, you get to carry the extra luggage for free, and so do you have a preferred one? Just being in the business?

Speaker 2: 35:41

Yeah, there's no perfect airline. So typically what we do for the client is really look at the destination that they're traveling to and is there an airline that offers more convenient service? I realize there are loyal frequent flyers out there for certain. You know certain airlines and they will stick to them, but we always like to offer an option. I'll give you an example. If you're going on Alaska cruise and you're flying to Seattle, there is a non-stop from New Orleans to Seattle twice a day on Alaska Airlines. Okay, and especially if you're going on a cruise, you want to get there the most efficient way, and especially if you have to leave the day of the cruise, which we don't really recommend, but some people do it. So, depending on the destination, I always like to look at options and you know price is important, but it's not always the most important, because when you come to your vacation, dollar value is really what you want, right? You know, if you save three hours of fly time but you have to spend an extra $40 or $50, it's well worth it.

Speaker 1: 36:48

Let's talk a little bit about safety. You know what can a travel agent offer that may ensure a little more security, peace of mind? I know that I still stay in mainstream hotels or resorts. I've been curious about Airbnbs and Verbos and things like that, but you hear so many horror stories on the news. You know how rare is that. Or should somebody really be concerned? What tips would you have? If somebody wants to do an Airbnb, Would that be a benefit of using a travel agent? Because maybe it's an Airbnb that you use all the time? So Airbnbs can be.

Speaker 2: 37:24

They are a totally different animal. Okay, and I know they're very popular, but it's not our mainstream business. Okay, now, I have personally stayed in one or two and I had a good experience, but I've had clients tell me about issues they've had with theirs anywhere from plumbing to the owner canceling at the last minute or to being in a questionable neighborhood. So we don't really push Airbnbs, but we will work with the client to help them either find an alternative to that or, if they insist on it, then we'll do our research to you know, to find out if there's been any issues or complaints filed.

Speaker 1: 38:08

So what kind of things can you help me with? If I'm on vacation, you booked my travel and my room isn't ready or they can't find my reservation, my tickets, what can we rely on in terms of using a travel agent?

Speaker 2: 38:21

Yeah, that's a great question, because that is probably one of the best values that you're going to find is that you have someone kind of running offense for you in the event something goes sideways. So, for example, if you sometimes it's, you know, maybe the vendor's fault or maybe the client's mishap, oh, I got to the airport too late, they wouldn't let me through security. We've had that issue before. Now, you know there's not too many people going to feel sorry for you about that, but we will do everything we can to get you on the next flight and try to salvage your vacation. If it's an airline issue, you have to look at it from the standpoint. If it's a weather-related issue, everybody is down, everybody's grounded. So what we're going to do is make sure that we're working directly with the airline, where you don't have to stay in line with the other hundred people to get service, knowing that there's people in front of you that are probably taking the seats that you need. You can be on the phone with us, you can be in line.

Speaker 2: 39:24

But I've had many clients that will call us while they're in line, okay, and they'll say, hey, what do you see on the computer? What do you see? What's the next availability. So we have something that a lot of airlines don't mention anymore. It's called wait list, and so you may hear about it at the gate. People are on a wait list, yes, and they're calling them Okay, so we can get you on a wait list before you even get up to the counter. So there's some advantages. I've actually picked up a few new clients that way, because someone was on the phone with me and the guy behind him said, hey, who are you talking to?

Speaker 1: 40:01

And it was like my travel agent and I was like, hey, I need to talk to her and they were able to just go through and have a good selling point. So let's talk a little bit about individual travel. If I'm traveling by myself and obviously I may want to use a travel agent just for that reason, can you connect me to a group so that I'm not going out on a safari by myself?

Speaker 2: 40:20

Absolutely we can. We love doing that kind of thing. So we do have some solo travelers that are looking. Some of them want to be by themselves, but some want to join other people with like-minded interest, and so we have a couple of companies that specialize in that and their adventures all over the world, and we're finding actually more ladies are wanting to travel, but maybe either they don't have a spouse or partner or their spouse or partner just doesn't, is not interested in travel, and so that's one of our fastest growing niches right now is ladies traveling solo.

Speaker 1: 40:57

So what do you do when you have a family or, better yet, a couple, and one person likes to fly and the other one doesn't?

Speaker 2: 41:04

That's good, okay. So my best answer to that is when we have couples that travel on a yearly basis, they let the wife pick one year and then the husband picked the next year, so they do have to compromise with each other.

Speaker 1: 41:18

Or just give them a bus ticket and say leave a week ahead of time. So, as we get ready to wrap up, what are what would be your top recommendations? Obviously, I want to kind of stay away from like the Disney's of the world, but for a family vacation, where would you recommend families look for this summer? A couple this summer, or even that individual? What are going to be your best values right now?

Speaker 2: 41:41

Okay, so for families, my recommendation is anything that gets kids out of the video zone.

Speaker 1: 41:49

Yes.

Speaker 2: 41:49

Okay. So that would mostly be like places out west Colorado, california, the national parks, that kind of thing. As far as couples go, the all-inclusive resorts are a lot of fun. They do have those, mostly in the Caribbean and Mexico, but there are a few all-inclusive opportunities here in the States that when I say all-inclusive they include the meals and the activities and all that sort of thing. And then, as far as individuals go, I would say you know, get on one of these guided-type tours we do these all over the world and you can be part of a group, maybe actually make friends. We've had people do that. They make friends with other people on the group and then they end up traveling with them and I've had clients that are. They come back and they say, oh, our friend's from Virginia, now we're going with them on this same tour and everything's taking care of you from point A to point Z and you don't have to worry about a thing, you just need to know what time to show up, and I find this pretty common.

Speaker 1: 42:53

Somebody will live in a state and a city and always travel away, which is a great thing. But what would you recommend right here in our own backyard in Louisiana for a little vacation spot?

Speaker 2: 43:06

Can I go a little bit farther out in Louisiana? Okay, one of my very favorite places to go it's just a few hours away is Fairhope in Alabama, okay. Okay, and this is a great little town. They call it like the happiest town in the US, okay, and it just feels like you kind of go back in time. They got the main street, got the restaurants, cafes, it's right on Mobile Bay. So you've got the water, you've got like the pier area, and if you want to splurge a little bit, you go down the street a little ways and there's a hotel called the Grand Okay, and it's very special. They've got a beautiful spa, they've got golf, they've got pools, they've got bicycles, fishing I mean everything you could imagine right there and bicycles, fishing I mean everything you could imagine right there and just a great little three or four day vacation.

Speaker 1: 44:01

Sounds lovely. So how can our listeners find you if they're ready to book that vacation and get everything together, get that itinerary fixed up?

Speaker 2: 44:08

How can they reach you. So we have an office here in Baton Rouge, plus we have a new office in New Roads, and so we do take appointments. They can reach us through our main line, which is 225-751-5600. Or they can reach us by contacting us through the website. It is mymyhouseoftravelcom and there's a contact form on there, and we'll get back with you right away.

Speaker 1: 44:35

And is this your busiest time of the year, the summer?

Speaker 2: 44:37

From about January to about July is our busiest time of year.

Speaker 1: 44:41

And then crickets after that, huh.

Speaker 2: 44:43

Yeah, and then we're getting ready for the next year. Get ready for the next year.

Speaker 1: 44:46

Well, amy, thank you so much for stopping by and talking about travel. I've got some ideas in my head. We'll have to talk after we turn the mics off. All right, thank you for having me. All right, thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 45:12

Versatile clothing items that can be mixed and matched to create different outfits. Roll your clothes. Did you know? Rolling your clothes, instead of folding them, can save space and minimize your wrinkles? And then wear your bulky items on the plane. If you're traveling with bulky items like jackets or boots, wear them on the plane instead of packing them in your bag. This frees up space in your carry-on for other essential items. Limit those shoes. You know they take up the most space in our luggage. And finally, one of my favorites use packing cubes. Packing cubes can help you stay organized and maximize space in your carry-on. They also make it easier to find items quickly without having to unpack your entire bag. Finally, check out neighborsfcuorg forward slash financial education to learn more on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want.