The Tech Tools Travel Advisors Are Using Right Now
By Joe Pike, Special Contributor to CJI
A travel adivsor’s time has arguably never been as valuable as it has been since the pandemic.
First, the pandemic halted travel and now it’s done the opposite: create a demand to vacation so high there’s not enough time in the day for an agent to accommodate all client requests.
With that in mind, some top notch travel agents recently shared some of their favorite forms of technology that has helped shaved off hours of work.
Here’s what they had to say:
Michelle Gordon of Jetset World Travel
[I recommend] AXUS and it’s a bonus if your supplier partner uses it too and you can build out the itinerary together. Other favorites include ITA Matrix for researching flights, SION for accounting/chasing commission, TravelJoy for organizing client information, Sherpa for all travel requirements for a trip.
Lindsay Kowalski, founder and advisor of LK Travel, an affiliate of Jetset World Travel
I use TravelJoy to store all of my client information and keep my trips organized, it helps me keep track of birthdays and passport expiration dates also.
Travefy (an itinerary builder) allows me to create detailed proposals with my own branding, and then final itineraries that updates in real time for clients on their app.
Gmail and My Drive allow me to organize my files but also connect with other advisors at my Host Agency through our shared group and drive.
Nikki Miller, founder of Travel With Nikki
I’m loving TravelJoy. It is making the back end side of things so simple. The automations available are great! I feel so organized in my trips now and the stress of who is traveling when, and what final payments are coming up is almost non-existent now.
I’ve been loving working with VidYard. I’ll use it to do screen captures to explain proposals to travelers, answer their questions on resort/ship layouts, and walk them through tech required for their trip.
This is really been beneficial when explaining online check in to a guest, or showing them how to work within their My Disney Experience account. It is also great in sharing workflows with fellow advisors and most importantly, my Virtual Assistant. I don’t have to spend the time typing out detailed instructions. I just record my screen and narrate what I need done, or how I need something completed.
I use TextBlaze often as well. There are so many sentences/phrases that I use frequently with traveler communication. I’m able to put in a simple ”/” and the keyword I set and it will autofill what I’m saying. So easy when sharing my calendar link, explaining how I work, and directing travelers to my website to learn more.
Lee Friedman, founder and advisor of Mango Tree Travel, an affiliate of Jetset World Travel
My favorite tool for Caribbean travel is FlightConnections.com. The website allows you to select your departure airport and immediately see all possible direct flights, includes which airlines fly and which days of the week.
This is incredibly helpful for proposing the right Caribbean island to travelers who want direct flights, especially given that some flights only run on certain days of the week, and for finding good connections through airports other than Miami.
Lena Brown of Largay Travel
I use AXUS to build my clients trips. It keeps their vacations organized and easily accessed on their phones. I love that I am notified when they are to check into their flights or when their flight is leaving. It is a great tool for me to keep up will all my clients vacations.
My clients love it because they have all their confirmations, addresses and phone number to their destinations all in one place. I think it is a great bragging rights tool to share with their friends.
They can scroll through and show them where they are going and what they are going to experience. I find it is a good referral tool for me getting new clients. They see what I can do for their friends and want me to plan their next vacation.
