Earlier this month I was fortunate to get to interview a seasoned travel agent. Mike Stetson of Custom Travel in Collierville, Tennessee has over 30 years of travel experience and was so full of information and travel stories that I couldn’t write it all down! Below are the highlights of our conversation. I hope you find his insights helpful as you plan your next trip.

Cindy – Thank you so much for agreeing to tell us a little bit about travel. Your agency is called “Custom Travel’ located in Collierville, TN. What is this agency’s area of expertise?

Mike – We are a full service agency. We have 6 employees and between us all we have been to every continent.

Cindy – How long have you been in the travel industry and how many countries have you personally visited?

Mike – I have worked in the industry 30 years and have been to 132 countries myself.

Cindy – What made you want to get into this line of work?

Mike – I grew up an Air Force Brat and traveled a lot growing up. I first started out working in the toy industry and traveled internationally for my job. I moved over into travel, because it seemed like a safe, highly regulated industry with a lot of potential for me.

Cindy – What is your most favorite place you have ever traveled to?

Mike – Any place that I haven’t been is my favorite, because I’ve been so many places over and over. I’ve been to Cancun over 150 times, London over 50 times, Italy over 100. I’ve been on 450 cruises. Now most of these were group tours. But if a place is new to me I like that.

Cindy – What is the best time of year and does location matter?

Mike – As a general rule the best times to travel are between April 20 and May 20 or between Sep. 10 and Oct. 10. The most expensive time to travel is holidays – like July 4 or between December 18 and January 2. Traditionally the worst days to travel are the Wednesday and Sunday before and after Thanksgiving Day.

Cindy – Unfortunately for me as a teacher I can only travel during those expensive holidays! L Can you give my readers any tips or tricks for getting the best airfare?

Mike – Always book your flight far in advance. 330 days out frequent flyer tickets go on sale. So you don’t want to buy then – that’s too early. But 200 – 270 days out is the best time to find good prices on airlines.

Cindy – What documents should I carry?

Mike – Really a passport is all you need. It is recognized everywhere.

Cindy – What are your thoughts on travel insurance? Should people purchase travel insurance?

Mike – It depends. First, you should ask yourself, “Why am I buying it?” Am I accident prone? Do I get sick a lot? Do I have ill parents at home? Things like that. Then look at the cost. Some companies are self-insured. You want to look for one that says you are covered if you cancel for any reason. Otherwise there might be things they don’t cover. There are several good companies to choose from.

Cindy – What about all these fees we see? What is the advantage of using a travel agent vs. booking a trip myself?

Mike – Only the airline has a service fee. The travel agent will quote you the price of airfare plus a $40 service fee. When you look online, you see the price as is with no fee. However, travel agents are trained to know where to look for upgrades and deals. You also don’t have to call the airline when there is a problem. For example, during the recent hurricane Dorian that pounded the Bahamas the airline we had booked people on had a three hour wait on hold if you called them direct. For everyone who booked through us, we were able to redirect all of their flights with no problems. We are on call 24 hours a day.

Cindy – How can you tell if a travel agent is legitimate or is trying to trick you out of your money?

Mike – Always beware of agencies online only. Almost all of the travel scams are online or on the phone. Beware if there is no physical address – if their phone number is from Florida or California but they have no real address. If you do get scammed your credit card will usually protect you, but I always tell people to go with a local agency. There are some good travel agents who work from their homes, but they are still local. Always deal with a local agent unless there is a reason to buy somewhere else.

Cindy – Talk a little about all-inclusive resorts and cruises. What are some benefits and things to look out for?

Mike – With an all-inclusive resort many are located somewhere remote, and you are locked in to just the resort. So it is nice to be able to eat at any restaurant there without worrying about paying. Usually there are different themed restaurants like Mexican, Chinese, Italian, steak, and things like that so you can have variety. And it is all included. Pay attention to which room you choose. There is the island view then garden view then pool view then ocean view then ocean front. The first three are self explanatory, but ocean view usually means something different in other countries then it does here in the U.S. “Ocean view” somewhere else means you can see the ocean even if it is a half mile across the street. In the United States they cannot call it ocean view unless at least 60 % of the ocean is in view. And ocean front in the U.S. means there is no obstacle in between your window or porch and the ocean.

When booking a cruise watch for the cabin you choose. The progression is inside, ocean, balcony, then suite and the price increases with each step. There are inside cabins with no window and exterior with a window but depending on the level your window may be underwater completely. Some people say they never spend any time in their cabin. They just shower and sleep there, so they would rather not spend the money. Some people do not like that claustrophobic feel and want to be able to see out. Sometimes you can upgrade, but just like with airlines getting an upgrade is much more likely if you act nice.

Cindy – What is the craziest or funniest thing a customer has ever asked you?

Mike – I had a guy ask me who was the (expletive) who said it was going to be a 9 ½ hour train ride from here (Memphis) to Little Rock, AR. He expected it to be the same as driving and could not understand that if the route goes to Chicago first it will take 9 ½ hours by train.

Then there was the lady who asked if she could drive to Honolulu!

One of the funniest stories did not happen to me but it was a major airline and the video was on YouTube for a long time. The flight was canceled or delayed or something like that, and this man was irate. He tried to argue with the lady at the desk, and said “Do you know who I am?!” The lady got on the intercom and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, does anyone know this man? He does not know who he is!” That is so funny!

Cindy – That is funny. J What would you say are the top 3 mistakes travelers make?

Mike – #1 – They forget their passport. Without your passport you will not get very far.

#2 – Not knowing the rules or customs in the country they are visiting. America has laws that apply to citizens. So do other countries. Be aware of the rules and laws where you are traveling. And #3 – They don’t tell anyone where they are going. Always leave your itinerary with someone back home.

Cindy – When it comes to spending money on travel, what would you tell people is worth splurging on, and what would you say is not worth spending money for?

Mike – If it is a new destination for you, spend money on tours. You are there to see the country. A hotel is just a hotel. You are only there at night and will be out sight-seeing during the day. So go with a moderate priced hotel, and spend more on going out. If you are in Europe go ahead and go first class on the rail system. You will be so much more comfortable having all that room. Now in Asia it is just the opposite. Go ahead and pick a very nice hotel, because what is a $400 hotel over there would be $700 here. So if you have never stayed in a super luxury hotel, Asia is your chance.

Cindy – Wow, you have so much information and so many stories. Thank you so much for sharing your travel knowledge with my readers!

Mike – It was my pleasure.

For more information contact Mike Stetson at Custom Travel.

Do you have any other travel tips? I would love to hear about your funny travel stories and helpful hints.