Travel Technology and the Case for Using a Travel Agent

By Lisa Sands

Imagine starting your vacation by breezing through airport security without taking off your shoes or belt or removing your bag of liquids from your carry-on. You check your wristband, and a map guides you to your departure gate, where the chip in your passport is detected to confirm your identity and your seat so that you can board the flight.

On arrival at your destination, your driverless vehicle awaits to bring you to your hotel—no need to worry about your luggage because it’s linked to you and will be delivered wherever you go. At your resort, you are greeted by name by a robot that transmits your room number to your wristband. As you approach your hotel room door, it unlocks—no key required. Inside, the room is already adjusted to your temperature preference, and your playlist, synched with the resort’s network, begins to play.

While not all of this automation is available just yet, it’s not as far off as you might think. In an effort to remove pain points, improve inefficiencies and gain insight into customer behavior, leading travel industry brands such as Disney, Royal Caribbean, Universal Orlando and Princess Cruises are investing in wearable technology. This high-tech focus will ultimately allow travel providers to focus employee efforts on providing personalized service to guests. After all, positive interactions with those who provide our vacation experiences are one of the elements that make the difference between a good vacation and a great one.

That’s why using a travel agent is more important than ever. While the Internet offers seemingly endless access to pricing, reviews and ratings for virtually every known hotel, cruise ship and destination, working with a travel agent who understands your unique expectations from a vacation and has firsthand knowledge of where you want to go and what you want to experience can save you hassle, time and money. It wasn’t long ago that travel agents managed massive books of flight schedules, maps and hotel listings that they would sift through to plan the perfect vacation itinerary for their clients. Their expertise mattered then, and it matters even more now that the Internet has put that deluge of data into the hands of travelers.

Why not use a travel agent you can trust for your next vacation? As a AAA member, you’ll receive benefits such as priority cruise-ship boarding, free pre-night stays with select escorted tours, complimentary dining at specialty restaurants, VIP access to venues around the world, and much more. And just like at home, AAA is there for you no matter where you travel with 24-hour emergency assistance worldwide. Technology may be changing the way we travel, but having a travel agent on your side will always be important in planning a great vacation.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2019 edition of AAA World