Monday, May 12, 2008

By BEN van der MEER
bvandermeer@modbee.com

last updated: April 22, 2008 08:06:20 AM

Between airline upheaval, rising prices and the Internet, travel agents might feel as if they need vacations of their own these days.

But going the extra mile for travelers -- and finding some niche markets -- is keeping vacation planners going in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

The skills of longtime agents were put to the test in the past few weeks, when three airlines filed for bankruptcy and others canceled hundreds of flights because of emergency safety inspections.

"We had quite a few people stranded," said Joy Swick, manager at Storer Travel in Modesto. "But we were able to reaccommodate many of them."

Swick and other agents said an experience like that drives many consumers back to travel agencies after dabbling in Internet travel services.

Sites such as Expedia or Travelocity have grown in popularity over the past decade. But woe to the traveler who uses those sites to book a trip and then runs into problems, agents said.

Marla Guerrero, co-owner of The Tan Line & Cruise Center in Modesto, said she had friends who booked a Hawaii flight online that was canceled later.

"They were able to get most of their money back, but they had to fill out a bunch of forms," she said.

Other agents said clients have discovered that when it comes to planning a trip and fixing a problem, working with a human being trumps a Web site.

Travel agents with extensive experience may have an easier time finding bargains or unraveling a mess, they said.

"There are a lot of people out there who don't want to use the Internet," Guerrero said. "They want me to pick up the phone and answer questions."

Agents said they're more likely to preach the benefits of buying travel insurance for eventualities such as canceled flights.

Guerrero said the cost of travel insurance is a percentage of the overall package price and can cover everything from a medical emergency to lost luggage.

Eva Ferguson, owner of Adventure Travel in Turlock, said travelers should know what their insurance covers before they leave. Not all travel insurance policies cover vacation plans booked with companies that go bankrupt, she said, as in the case of Aloha and ATA airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection.

"If you try to do it yourself through the Internet, you have to fix any problems on your own," Ferguson said. "You take that chance when you book it yourself."

Traveler Candi Shuman said that's why she uses Web sites and travel agents to book vacations, depending on the situation.

If the vacation is definite, she'll go online. But if the particulars might need to be changed, she'll go with an agency, said Shuman, of Modesto.

"I go online because you can get a cheaper deal, usually," Shuman said. "The problem is that you don't get as much in a refund as if you went with an agent, if you have to cancel for some reason."

The popularity of the Internet has affected the brick-and- mortar travel agencies in other ways, too.

Elenore Miller, co-owner of Riverbank Travel Agency, recalled that at one time, she ran two offices and had seven employees.

Since the rise of Internet travel sites, Miller said, she's scaled down to one office, and she and her daughter, now a co-owner, are the only employees.

To adjust, agents said they've found other methods to attract business.

Guerrero said her business gives customers free tanning sessions when they book a cruise trip, so that customers aren't pale when they hit the ship's pool.

"It's a little bonus we give them," she said.

Business travel is a frequent source of clients for Storer Travel, Swick said.

That's because expense account managers at businesses prefer to get an itemized list from an office such as hers.

Miller and Guerrero said that for some aspects of travel, such as booking just a plane flight, they wouldn't try to compete with Web sites. Miller said she uses the Internet herself for such plans.

The growing popularity of Internet travel sites is affected by a more recent development, agents said. A deep economic downturn, particularly in the valley, is making consumers ever more cost-conscious, even with travel.

"The question is always, 'What's the best price you can give me?' " Guerrero said. "Really, budget shopping is hard because fuel surcharges are being added everywhere."

The dollar's weakness, especially against the euro, is curtailing trips to Europe, agents said.

More people are taking shorter vacations to Hawaii or Mexico, or weighing a trip by car versus by plane, Miller said.

Valley-based travel agents said cruises have become more popular because they're a comparative bargain.

"All the food and entertainment is free," Miller said. "Sometimes you can pay $300, $400 for a four-night cruise with food and Las Vegas-style entertainment, and you can't even do that for a weekend in San Francisco."

Bee staff writer Ben van der Meer can be reached at bvandermeer@modbee.com or 578-2331.