Crazy Travel Stories That Prove Why You Should Always Use a Travel Advisor

by Eric Bowman
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Sun May 12, 2024

Life is unpredictable. 

Anything can happen at any moment. 

So when it comes to your travel plans, you need to make sure you’re prepared and covered in the best way possible. 

Working with a travel advisor will accomplish this. There are a myriad of reasons why using a travel advisor for your vacations is so valuable and beneficial to the entire trip experience.  

Here are several stories from experts that prove why consumers should always work with travel advisors for their trips. (They also showcase why travel insurance is so important.)

Travel Advisor Leverages Connections to Save the Trip 

Cari Miles. Owner/ Travel Stylist Miles In Style Travel, a NEST affiliate

When Mrs. Thompson’s passport vanished just days before her son’s destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, panic engulfed her. Despite her frantic attempt to secure an appointment at the passport office, she faced the crushing reality of a week-long wait, meaning she would miss the wedding altogether.

That’s where I, as the destination wedding’s travel advisor, stepped in. With determination in my heart, I refused to let Mrs. Thompson miss such a monumental moment. Despite initial hurdles, my persistence paid off. Leveraging my connections, I secured Mrs. Thompson an appointment for the next morning, ensuring she could be present for her son’s special day. She received her passport that same day. 

This real-life scenario underscores the indispensable value of utilizing a travel advisor. In moments of crisis, our expertise and connections can turn the impossible into reality, ensuring travelers don’t miss out on important events due to unforeseen circumstances. Without my intervention, Mrs. Thompson’s absence from her son’s wedding would have been a heartbreaking reality.

Husband Makes Mistake – Advisor Saves the Day 

Alston Causey, VP of Innovation and Strategy at Travelmation

“A friend of mine told me her husband was surprising her with a babymoon.   She had no clue where they were going until they got to the airport.  When they arrived, her husband said, ‘Babe, we’re going to Costa Rica!’  He was so excited!

But it all changed when the gate agent took their bags and said, ‘Have a great trip to Puerto Rico.’  They were super confused.  Well, it turns out the husband had too many booking sites open on his computer and grabbed a deal in the wrong country.  He saw San in the airport name and assumed it was San Jose in Costa Rica.  Turns out it was San Juan!  My friend never booked a trip without me again!”

Destination Wedding Surprise: Maid of Honor Goes Into Labor – And She Didn’t Know She Was Pregnant! 

Sheba Mathews, Modern Travelworks 

In the vibrant setting of Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort on August of 2021, a wedding was gearing up to be the highlight of the year for all 50 attendees. The guests arrived a few days prior to the wedding to celebrate and reconnect, and everything was going according to plan.

On the morning of the wedding, the maid of honor began to feel nauseous and weak. No matter what she did, nothing made her feel better, and reluctantly she accepted she would not be able to attend the wedding. Her friends left her to rest and recover. The wedding couple celebrated their wedding in the beautiful Dreams’ Garden, the wedding was absolutely beautiful. But as the guests started heading to the cocktail hour, one of the guest’s received a call from the maid of honor’s boyfriend.

The boyfriend explained that the maid of honor’s health situation had deteriorated, and she was taken away in an ambulance. On the way to the hospital, in that ambulance traveling from Playa Mujeres to Cancun, she gave birth to a little baby boy. Completely unbeknownst to her, she was 5 months pregnant. 

This was the first time our agency experienced anything like this, so I began scrambling to get all the necessary things to help her. First, I contacted the insurance company to check the protocol on this type of situation. Afterward, I got the contact information for the US Embassy stationed in Cancun, Mexico, and then I got in contact with the airline to change her flight because no one knew how long she would be in the hospital.

The staff at Dreams Playa Mujeres was absolutely phenomenal. They came up with baby essentials, provided it to the maid of honor while she was in destination, and they even helped house her at a discounted rate during her time of recovery. In the end, they spent three weeks in Cancun and traveled back to the United States with a healthy baby boy.

And if you think that was crazy, this was the second time she went into labor not knowing she was pregnant! 

Advisor Comes Through After Honeymoon Flight Canceled 

Cari Miles, Owner/ Travel Stylist Miles In Style Travel, a NEST affiliate

Jane and Mark’s honeymoon dreams took an unexpected turn when their flight to St. Lucia was abruptly canceled, leaving them stranded on the eve of their romantic escape. With no alternative offered by the airline except a delayed departure two days later, panic ensued. Compounding their distress was the fact that flights to St. Lucia, their coveted destination, were notoriously hard to come by.

Fortunately, I, as their travel advisor, intervened, securing seats on an alternate flight for the following morning. Their journey resumed, but upon reaching St. Lucia, they discovered they weren’t alone in their ordeal. Others who hadn’t enlisted the help of a travel advisor found themselves similarly stranded, missing out on precious vacation days.

Jane and Mark’s experience serves as a reminder of the value of a travel advisor’s expertise. Their seamless transition to a new flight highlights the importance of having a knowledgeable advocate to navigate unexpected travel disruptions, ensuring a smoother journey and maximum enjoyment of their honeymoon.

Passport Rescue 

Kendall Milner, Travel Advisor at Jetset World Travel

“My clients were traveling by train from Milan to Follonica, Italy when I was informed by their hotel on Lake Maggiore that one of them had accidentally left her passport in the room. The situation was critical as they needed to catch a ferry the next morning to attend a wedding on the Isle of Elba, and entry would be denied without the passport. It would have been a disaster!

I couldn’t just let fate take its course. I quickly got in touch with the hotel to form a plan. Together, we pulled off a nearly impossible mission – a driver set off on a 5-hour journey in the dead of night to deliver the passport safely. 

As the hours passed, I finally received a text at 4:30 AM – the passport was delivered and in her hands. Crisis averted!

This whole ordeal just proves that when travel plans go haywire, having a resourceful travel advisor by your side can make all the difference.”

Heart Attack in Cancun 

Katie Ehlers, Classic Travel Connection 

“So the month before COVID, I had the parents of one of my destination wedding brides in Cancun to check out the resort and meet with the weddings department. They were relatively young, let’s say in their mid 50’s. On day 2 while there, the husband had a major heart attack (He had no underlying issues health-wise) and had to be rushed to the Cancun hospital, where he had 2 open heart surgeries before being stable enough to be airlifted home by med evacuation.

I was able to assist these clients and the extremely terrified mother through the entire process. From assisting in getting the funds to the hospital before surgery to having the resort staff go as far as to drive the wife back and forth to the hospital, to helping arrange the evacuation to get him back to his home hospital. I am happy to say that he is healthy and well, and that is a blessing!”

Medical Emergency, Rescued by Travel Advisor 

Tammy Levent, ELITE Travel 

“In the wake of Dodge Melknonian’s perilous ordeal aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise, the importance of having a dependable travel agent became glaringly apparent. As I learned of Dodge’s distressing situation thousands of miles away, I embarked on a tumultuous journey of my own to ensure his safety and well-being. The challenges were immense, from coordinating with authorities to secure Dodge’s transfer to a safe hospital in Istanbul to orchestrating crucial resources for him and his wife during their harrowing time in Turkey.

Every step of the way, I faced daunting hurdles, navigating bureaucratic red tape and logistical complexities to provide Dodge with the desperately needed assistance. It was a race against time as I tirelessly worked to mobilize support networks, rallying our ground tour operator in Turkey to donate blood and gather essential resources for the stranded couple. Despite the distance and the myriad obstacles, my determination to save Dodge’s life remained unwavering.”

Ignoring Advice 

Katie Lynn Reynolds, Travelmation

“A client traveling to Walt Disney World did not read my air arrival tips and details, even after I asked many times if she needed help. She booked their air to Sanford, on Allegiant. With this, comes very specific arrival and departure dates. Their flight was pushed a full two days due to weather. This in turn, cut their vacation dates (due to departure dates) and created a hassle on transportation. She did not realize that Mears does not operate out of Sanford, and did not know we needed to reserve in advance.

It was a lesson in canceling air, losing air cost, transportation costs, and booking different flights – a large waste of money when trying to save a smidge by using a budget airline. Travel advisors understand the airport and airline differences, and make recommendations for a reason!”

Advisor Pivots After Client Suffers Injury Before Trip 

Lindsay Kowalski of LK Travel Group, Founder and Designer 

“Two weeks before her trip to Slovenia, a client reached out to me in distress. She was sobbing, recounting how she had torn her hamstring while walking her dog, leading to an immediate need for surgery and a subsequent half-body cast. The trip wasn’t just any vacation; it was for her son’s wedding. Determined not to let her condition dampen the joyous occasion, she expressed her desire to go, pending clearance from her doctor – a decision that wouldn’t be made until the day before her departure.

This is where my role as a travel advisor truly came into play. Despite the uncertainty looming over her travel plans, we sprang into action, meticulously arranging every detail in anticipation of her potential journey. Flights were switched to lay-flat seats for comfort, accommodations were carefully selected to ensure accessibility with elevators instead of stairs, and walking tours were replaced with vehicle-friendly alternatives. Every aspect was tailored to accommodate her needs and ensure a seamless experience.

Then came the pivotal moment. At 3:00 pm the day before her scheduled departure, the call came – she had been cleared to travel. With little time to spare, we immediately sprung into action, waking at 3:00 am (to accommodate the time difference in Europe) to finalize arrangements and confirm every detail for her travels.

The moment that encapsulated the essence of our efforts came in the form of a simple text message – a picture of her embracing her son at his wedding ceremony, with the breathtaking backdrop of Lake Bled in the background.

The client’s determination and our behind-the-scenes work ensured that she was there to partake in a milestone moment with her entire family. This experience reaffirmed the importance of having a dedicated travel advisor by your side, ready to navigate challenges and turn dreams into reality, no matter the circumstances.”

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