Why is Travel Technology not making it easier for the traveller?

When I was younger (not so many years ago) we were told that new technology (and robots) would allow us all much more leisure time – unfortunately this is not the case as more and more people seem to be working even longer hours. Within travel it should have been that the Internet would open lots of amazing opportunities for travellers to plan and book their trips with ease – which unfortunately is just not the case.

When we look at planning a trip there is now an information overload with lots of incorrect data. Review sites are unreliable with not only malicious reviews but businesses attempting to manipulate reviews to suit their own needs. Advice sites on social media where people chat about destinations are full of inaccuracies especially when it comes to basic travel advice such as passport, visa and health requirements. With Brexit this basic travel advice will become even more complex as we will have very different entry requirements compared to the rest of the EU as well as for travel to the EU.

As for booking a trip, first it is vital to find a website that can be trusted as online travel fraud is costing consumers millions of pounds every year in the UK alone. But even if you do find the correct one to book with, the process of making a booking is becoming so complicated. Once upon a time if you booked a flight, this included a seat, luggage and a meal or a snack. As every airline offered the same it was easy to compare one airline with another. Now with unbundled airfares all these components are priced separately, and each airline charges a different amount for these – so it is very difficult to obtain a direct comparison. In addition, there has been a huge increase in ‘hand-luggage’ only airfares. These new (principally transatlantic) airfares do not allow customers to purchase a bag and force them to pay perhaps hundreds of pounds to the next available fare if they require a suitcase. I can see a lot of problems this Summer at airports where people have purchased these fares.

Finally, more so than ever before there is a huge need for customers to be protected – more important now than ever before as travel becomes ever more complex. Protection should be complete. The reason I chose to be a Travel Counsellor was first and foremost the complete financial protection that I could offer all my clients. In addition, we have a 24/7 Duty Office so clients can be helped at anytime and anywhere in the world. Travel insurance is essential for every traveller and finally travel advice should be professional and backed up by training and experience – you would not ask an unqualified stranger for personal financial advice, yet many plan holidays and trips using complete strangers for travel advice. I always use this quote when people mention what they have seen online - "Don't believe everything you read on the internet." ~Abraham Lincoln

So the moral of this blog is - to obtain a better all-round travel experience use a professional, like me!