Despite economic woes, Alaskans still travel

MAT-SU — In an age of recession and Internet bookings, local travel agents are still busy helping Alaskans travel, and travel they are.

Despite an unemployment rate that is up almost 2 percent from last year, agents say they haven’t seen their numbers fall much this year.

In perhaps a sign of recovery, ABC Travel Time owner Cindy Bettine said many travelers showed initial hesitation, but her phones have been ringing recently. Every year, agents call the repeat customers in the late summer to gauge interest. This year, she said, many said there were going to forgo the annual trip only to call back later in the winter to book their Hawaiian getaway.

“People may be scaling back a little bit, but I think people are basically still traveling,” Bettine said. “We’re Alaskans. Traveling in the winter is sort of like needing snow tires.”

Donna Button, the owner of Travel Services Inc., credits her continued success to being diversified. Her company deals with business as well as leisure travel. She said they, of course, offer the standard Hawaii and cruise ship fare, but they specialize in more international destinations as well.

Button said the rise of the Internet and the impact it has had on the travel industry has actually put her in a better position. There are less travel agents now than there were 10 years ago, she said, giving her an increased share of the market of people who still use their services.

As to what travel agencies are good for in an age of instant discounts and web special fares, both Button and Bettine said agents help travelers navigate what can easily become an information overload as well as offer wholesaler prices.

Because of the recession, there are a lot of great deals out there, Bettine said. But the best deals are on things like hotels where the supplier cannot decrease its offerings to meet the decreased demand.

Airlines, on the other hand, can simply cancel flights to increase the number of passengers on each trip. This means plane tickets, which the vast majority of Alaskan travelers require, have actually increased despite the economic climate, Bettine said. More people are using frequent flyer miles or discounted companion tickets to make a leg of the trip more affordable.

“This is where a travel agent really comes in handy,” Bettine said. “It is next to impossible to go online and book a ticket with mileage, a companion ticket and a regular ticket all for the same flight. If you have the talent of a travel agent who does this 40 hours a week, everyone will get on the same flight.”

Besides the convenience of having a professional make for smooth sailing, Button said travel agents often get travelers discounts not offered anywhere else. All a customer has to do is give one of her agents the dates and destination. The agent will then seek out all available discounts, publicized and not.

“That’s the advantage of going to a travel agent. We compare and see what the best price out there really is,” Button said.

As to what some of the popular deals are, free additional nights, tour vouchers and meal deals are all being offered by hotels to fill their rooms, Button said. Bettine said the all-inclusive type trips to the Caribbean and Mexico are priced great and end up being cheaper than many cruises.

However, both agents agree that flexibility is the key to getting the best deals. Forget about saving money on the trip over spring break, Button said. Consider a week in February instead.

But, again, both agents said, the best way to find the best deal is to visit a local travel agent.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.