Harvey

When choosing a travel agent, experience shows in how they handle the exceptions. A seasoned operator knows the difference between airlines' stated policies and what actually happens at check-in — which carriers enforce baggage fees strictly and which have flexibility, which routes experience chronic delays, which airports have visa-on-arrival arrangements that work reliably. They've navigated visa applications for clients who got rejections and know which embassies in the region process quickly and which ones flag applications for additional scrutiny. They understand currency fluctuations and can advise whether locking in a flight price now makes sense, or whether waiting another week might shift fares. They have relationships with accommodation providers and can recover bookings when confirmation details go wrong. They know which travel insurance policies actually cover medical emergencies in specific countries, and which ones have exclusion clauses that matter. This depth comes from handling hundreds of bookings, learning what goes wrong, and building systems to prevent it.