The Internet: Friend Or Foe?

Three years ago, I wrote a column -- "Fire Your Travel Agent" -- that suggested there are times when you don't need the services of a professional travel agent. It raised the ire of my fellow travel agents, but I think a lot of the advice remains solid. Well, maybe not all of it. Back in '04 (seems so long ago), I recommended that if you were "'Net-savvy," you might be able to navigate the world of travel on your own and snag some great last-minute deals. Today, I'm not so sure.

My colleague Christopher Elliott writes a nationally syndicated ombudsman column. Over the years, I have noticed that Chris has spent more and more time solving the mistakes of travelers who decided to go it alone and book their travel on the Internet. Don't believe me? Check out the heroics in his last seven columns solving problems for travelers who booked online with British Airways ... Travelocity ... Expedia ... United Airlines ... Orbitz ... Days Inn ... you get the picture.

I can't remember the last time I read a column that began, "Boy, did my travel agent really screw this up." Why is that?

a) Are today's travel consumers that dumb?
b) Are the Web sites that inadequate?
c) Are the dinosaur travel agents that good?

Answer: Probably a combination of all of the above.

As fate would have it, I am too old to have ridden the first Internet wave, and I missed that first dot.com craze, too. I was stuck in more traditional business pursuits. But I do remember from a programming class the famous acronym GIGO -- Garbage In, Garbage Out. Remember the 1,200-baud modems? Can you imagine them today? No, of course not. Today we live in an instant world, and sometimes we are just too quick with the click. Here's what happens:

• "Oops, I meant to put in 2008 not 2007!"
• "Dang, I meant to type in Mar(ch), not May."
• "What do you mean they need my real name? Everybody calls me 'Butch.'"

Well, if you made your booking online, the computer has only given you what you requested. Nothing more, nothing less. Now someone needs to straighten it out for you -- and there are many who will, for a fee. In these cases, the consumers really are "that dumb."

OK, so you're booked for that trip of a lifetime. You saved a bundle (you think) by piecing it all together yourself: a flight to Paris on US Airways, a quick connection to MyAir, and on to beautiful Venice! One small glitch: US Airways flies into Charles de Gaulle airport and MyAir flies out of Orly, so the 45-minute connection you planned is nowhere near time enough. Moreover, since the two carriers do not "talk" to one another, your luggage will likely enjoy a few extra days in Paris while you're wearing your airplane clothes up and down the canals of Venice.

Dumb consumer? Not really. This is specialized knowledge that the average consumer is unlikely to have. I chalk it up to dumb Internet.

The Internet is just not sophisticated enough. All it knows is that you are going to de Gaulle and then -- in a completely different book, chapter and verse -- that you are going to Venice. The Internet will provide the puzzle pieces, but it cannot put them together. Before you click, make sure you know who you are dealing with and how to resolve any issues, because there are some Web sites out there that can leave you completely stranded.

Here is a prime example of a site that leaves you nowhere. There is no identification or contact info for the agent -- just the main company name, and the "HELP" link takes you to a listing of vendors' phone numbers. When I travel, I like to get a little more service from my agent -- online or offline -- than an abbreviated Yellow Pages.

Which takes us to the "dinosaurs."

Are travel agents really that good? Probably.

Travel agents know which carriers fly into which airports. They would suspect that your real name is not "Butch." They know what question to ask when they find lots of rooms available at the resort you've requested. (The question is not "How much?" but "Why?") Travel is their business and experience counts. Yes, travel agents make mistakes, too. The difference is that we usually correct them.

The problem with the Internet is that it is going to give you what you ask for -- nothing more and nothing less. If travel were simply a commodity, this might make a good model. But travel is not a commodity; it is an experience - a business experience, a vacation experience, a family experience. And when you are traveling, a good experience is what it is all about!

It is no surprise that I am an advocate for travel agents. But I also think that the Internet has a place. If you are doing a routine trip (flight, car, hotel) without a connection, the Internet is probably the way to go. But if you have to connect, fly through some historically bad airports, are planning a special trip, or would just rather someone else deal with the hassles, the dinosaur may be your best bet.

After all, when things go wrong (and they will at some point in time), there is a lot more satisfaction in yelling at your agent than in slamming your mouse down on the desk.

6 Family Travel Headaches--Solved!

When I got into the travel business back in the '90s, I had no idea where it would take me, but over the years, I've come to specialize in a couple of niche markets: family travel and single-parent travel (in that order, thanks to a divorce in 2000). I have done many television and radio interviews on these topic over the years, and the same six questions keep popping up. So if you are getting a headache trying to figure out how to finagle your family travel, start here. I might just have your aspirin.

1. HELP! My husband wants a romantic second honeymoon, but we're taking along our toddler. Where can we go and what can we do?

The best solution is to find a trusted baby sitter or family member to watch your child while you reignite those embers of matrimony. A private two- or three-night getaway can certainly do wonders to restore romance. But if you must take Junior along, look for a destination that has a children's program. Not just a baby-sitting service, but a carefully designed, specially staffed children's program. The Camp Hyatt program (minimum age: 3) is an outstanding example. Their staff is trained in early childhood development and child care. In addition to getting a special kid-friendly menu, you can also learn to hula dance in Hawaii, search for Native American arrowheads in Texas or watch the dolphins in Florida. Another option is to take a cruise. Most cruise lines accept youngsters as young as 2, and their programs are organized into activity groups by age. In either case, you are just a beeper away from your child, and the program usually provides the beeper. In my experience, once the kids are in the program, it's hard to persuade them to leave.

2. We want a big family vacation, but we're on a budget. What should we do?

There are plenty of ways to save money on a family vacation. One is to travel in the off-season. For example, ski resorts are a lot of fun for families in the summer months, especially if you can get hold of some mountain bikes. Or look into a serviced campground; by "serviced" I mean cabins and electricity -- certainly not the "roughing-it" camping of Cub Scout days. My family has had a lot of fun at some of the Yogi Bear Campgrounds, which offer TV and phone service in the cabin. Another tip, wherever you go, is to cook your own meals (usually, it is the restaurant meals that kill the family travel budget). Finally, be sure to use any reward points you've accumulated with your airline or credit card company. They can really add up to savings.

3. I always wind up overpacking -- and yet I still forget things. Any advice?

Don't sweat it. It's like the weather: There's not much you can really do about a forgotten item, now is there? But I sympathize. I used to be a victim of my own disorganization, and I was always forgetting something critical (usually sunscreen, which for some reason costs three times as much once you reach your sunny destination). I got tired of all those trips to the gift shop, so I developed a simple and fun packing checklist. Now when we pack (and I make my kids pack themselves), I give the list to my son and put him in charge of keeping his dad and sisters on track. If you want a copy, you can download the list from my agency's Web site.

4. Our flight is nearly six hours long and we have two kids with us! What can we do to make the long trip less stressful?

With the state of air travel today, you will be lucky if the flight takes off at all, much less on time. My advice is to expect the unexpected and come to the airport prepared. Most important: Buy the kids their own seats. (Yes, it's tempting to save money by having that little one ride in your lap, but believe me, it's almost always a bad idea.) Make sure the kids have plenty to drink; good hydration will help them cope with the cabin pressurization. Set the expectations for behavior before you leave for the airport, and for heaven's sake, have plenty for them to do.

Are they old enough to own or borrow an iPod? Do they know how to use one? We downloaded a full-length movie to my son's video iPod for our last trip; a $4 headphone splitter from Radio Shack allowed his sister to listen, too, and they were both entertained for more than two hours. Battery-operated Game Boys and P2Ps are also fantastic time passers. Sudoku, word-find games, crossword puzzles, crayons and coloring books are all outstanding investments for a long trip (also plain old books, if the kids are already reading). If it is an especially long flight, ask your travel professional about the onboard entertainment; there might be a built-in gaming console at the kids' seats. (This was the case on the Cathay Pacific flight I took with my son to China a few years back, and it was a godsend.)

5. Is there a way to make everyone happy on a vacation - two adults, a teenage son, an 8-year-old daughter and our 2-year-old?

Families with a big age range have to work hard in advance of the trip. Make sure everyone is involved in the planning and make no assumptions. (For example, do not assume Gramps is too old for Disney -- he may be looking for a good excuse to be a kid again.) Look for a destination that has something for everyone, and be on the lookout for special children's programming so the grownups can have some time to themselves. Most important, don't push the idea that everyone has to spend every waking moment together. "Downtime" and "apart time" are underrated, in my opinion, and I build them into all my family vacations. For example, I took a cruise in August with my kids and their "Grammy." Most of the time, the kids were with me or they hung out with their new friends, but we ate all our dinners with Grammy, and we did a couple of shore excursions together. That way the kids avoided "Grammy overload," and Grammy was able to have a good time without having to be institutionalized when she got off the ship.

6. What are some resources for family deals, trips, advice, etc.?
My best advice is to work with a travel agent who is really interested in family travel. The Internet has many great resources, too, but take the consumer reviews with a grain of salt; after all, no two families are alike in their needs and expectations. For hotels and resorts, I like to check out Trip Advisor. For anything cruise-related, I use Cruise Critic, a wonderful forum-based Web site. Single Parent Travel is indispensable for that constituency, and Tripso has a lot of tell-it-like-it-is information on the travel industry as a whole. If you are headed to the mall, check out Borders or Barnes & Noble for some of the better guidebooks including Frommer's, Rick Steves and Zagat.

My most memorable trips have been family trips, though I'm pretty sure not one of them went off without a hitch. The above tips might help you out a bit, but the best advice, I have saved for last--just roll with the punches and enjoy the ride.