So many questions...

You want to go on vacation but don't want to go through the hassle of research. You reach out to a travel agent to do all the heavy lifting for you. All you want to do is have everything in a neat tidy package so you don't have to worry about a thing. But first....

So many questions. Why do they need my whole middle name? Why do they care how old my kids are? I'm travelling in the summer, why do they need dates? Do they really need all this information? I didn't sign up to take the SATs again!

In short, yes. I'll explain why a travel agent needs to know these things. We'll start with your name.

We really don't care that your mother gave you the middle name of a revered ancestor that you hate. If Egbert or Hubert or Francis shows up on your official travel documents, then it must go on our forms. These are the names that we send on to the airlines, hotels, and other purveyors. If your name on tickets or reservations does NOT match your travel documents, you may be stopped by customs or airline staff especially and a lot of things can happen. You might not be able to proceed into the country you came to visit. Worse, you might not be allowed onto a plane to come home whether you are within the US or overseas. We need the EXACT name that is on your travel documents such as a passport or government issued identification.

Next, the ages of you and your children. There are discounts that we as travel agents can get for children under a certain age or adults over a certain age. There are also restrictions with some destinations as to youth being unchaperoned aka Spring Break. There are also specific packages for "experienced" adults (I refuse to call anyone in their 60s older or seniors). Nothing against younger adults, but those packages are not for you. Also, children can fly alone domestically between the ages of 15-17 as a regular passenger, but anyone flying internationally must be 18 years of age to travel as a regular passenger. They could be 16 and have more stamps in their passport than the US Post Office, but they must travel as an unaccompanied minor when crossing a border. That entails fees determined by the airline. We travel agents can help you navigate this path, but you need to be honest with us.

On a tangent, in 1989, my younger sister and I travelled to Florida to visit relatives. Our parents were putting us on the plane, and my aunt was going to be at the gate to get us when we got off the plane. Yes, this was back when non-travelling passengers could just walk right up to the gates in an airport. I was only 11 years old at the time. My sister was 9. The entire time I was told to say that I was 12 if asked so that we could travel without extra fees. Today, you cannot get away with such things because of human trafficking and other things going on. Even infants have to have legal travel documents to travel, especially across international borders.

Back to the main plot, why are we so concerned about dates regarding travel? Well, summer is from June through September for us Northern Hemisphere dwellers. Prices vary greatly depending on what time of year you travel. June and July is much more expensive than late August and September. Even in the simplest market economy, prices fluctuate with demand. Those first months are when the kids are out of school and demand for family vacations are high, along with destination weddings, family reunions, and other large gatherings. Later in the summer, demand winds down so the prices go down. You want a great vacation somewhere warm with just you and your spouse? Go in April or early May.

There's also a concern that you as a traveller must consider that we travel agents have NO control over: Mother Nature. Those travelling to or through the Caribbean, Gulf Coasts of the US and Mexico, or the Southeastern US need to be acutely aware of hurricane season predictions. Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June 1st through November 30th with fewer storms at the very beginning and the very end. In 2024, there is a strong La Nina weather pattern prediction for late fall. This will cause there to be more tropical storm activity in the Caribbean, Southern Florida, and the Yucatan in Mexico. There will be less activity on the Pacific coast of Mexico like Puerta Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Acapulco. That does NOT mean a very strong storm won't rip across the Gulf and hit Texas or Louisiana. We've seen storms do weird things like Sandy hitting New Jersey and New York City. Always be aware of the weather when you are travelling and take care to learn any emergency procedures at your destination location. Check noaa.gov for information on the most accurate predictions for your location ahead of your travel.

In conclusion, travel agents need to know a lot about you to ensure that there are no legal hiccups with your travel and give you that smooth and stress-free vacation that you are looking for.

Until we meet again...