Travel writing — a hidden gem

A friend once asked me if travel writers can get to travel for free.  I wasn’t sure of the answer, so I asked a few friends in media, and searched for some sources on the net.  And I realized how lucrative a business the travel industry could be.  My friend, a Public  Relations colleague from a decade or so ago, has since made a second career out of travel writing — about destinations, services, facilities, and countries, has traveled to and from 6 continents, and is now based in Singapore.  She has written about a river cruise in Vietnam, a cross-country train ride in Europe, backpacking in the Rockies, and many other adventurous experiences, including scouring the backstreets of Budapest for treasures. She freelances now, having decided to retire from the pressures of corporate PR, and preferring to leisurely earn her keep while traveling.

That was a little more than 2 years ago, before I pursued an online business as a travel agent.

One of the resources my friend followed up on was a 150-page ebook with by a real travel writer Mel McIntyre, entitled Travel Writing Secrets.  Mel says:

“Travel writing is a true hidden gem.

Travel to the most exotic locations for free.  Stay at the world’s finest hotels.  Enjoy the best food available.

And on your flight on the way home, knock out a couple of articles – and get paid big money to wit about your experiences.

Travel writing is definitely THE most exciting writing job around.”

And perhaps the next best job to being a travel agent.

Learn more about Travel Writing Secrets

More resources for writers and authors

ONLY from My Dream Travels
Get the full CD Course at 21% discount via PayPal

Reduced-Rate FAM Tours – for Agents only

FAM or FAMiliarization Tours are free, highly-discounted, reduced-rate trips offered by travel destinations,  suppliers, and service providers to the travel professionals that market and promote them.  These tours acquaint the travel agents about existing, new and exceptional features they could highlight in developing travel packages and tours.

FAM tours abound in the travel industry, and are a great opportunity for travel professionals to travel world at the least cost. Consider these sample, currently available FAM Tours.

Three Nights in Vienna, from $177

Trip: Three nights in Vienna through March 31.
Cost: From $177 per person, double.  Includes choiceof accommodations, breakfast daily and a three-day Vienna card offering free public transportation and discounts on city attractions and shopping.
Noteworthy: Trips to the Czech Republic and Hungary are availbale and can be coombined.

Five Nights PERU Vacation, from $1,895

Trip: Visits Lima, Cuzco and Macchu Picchu.
Departure: March 13 from New York to Lima via Taca Airlines.
Length: Five nights
Cost:$1,895 per person, double.  Includes roundtrip air, accommodations, transafers, sightseeing and most meals.

Caribbean & Central America, from $399

Trip: A cruise on the MSC Orchestra visits Cayo Levantado, Domininican Republic; Philiburg, St. Maarten; St. John’s, Antigua; and Nassau.
Departures: March 14 and April 11 from Fort Lauderdale.
Length: Seven nights, cruise only.
Cost: From$399 per person, double. Includes choice of cabin accommodations.  Rate for oceanview cabins is $599, for balcony suites $849.

Worldwide stay in Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel, from$69

Trip: Spend the night at any Fairmont, Raffles or Swissotel property through March 31.
Cost: From $69 at Swissotel properties, from $99 at Fairmont properties, and from $129 at Raffles properties.
Noteworthy: Members of the Fairmont FAMous agent program can book Fairmont rooms starting at $79 and are eligible for a one-level upgrade at time of check-in.

Unfortunately for the non-travel industry traveler, these are only available to travel professionals. However, should  you decide to join the industry as a travel agent for yourself, all these FAM tours, and hundreds more, will be at your fingertips.

Travel agents take holidays breaks but our search site doesn’t

Storefront travel agencies will be closed for the holiday season, yet GTTrends mydreamtravels continues to serve you 24/7  at our travel search site http://mydreamtravels.gttrends.com

Should you need to book any special travel packages in Asia for Dec 24 to Jan 3, please contact us now.

To allow its corporate staff the time off to celebrate the Christmas season and be with their family and friends, the GTTrends Corporate offices have scheduled non-working holidays.

The GTTrends International Headquarters located in California, USA, will be closed on December 24, 25, 26, 2008, and January 1, 2009.

The GTTrends Asia-Pacific Headquarters located n Pasig City, Philippines, will be closed  from December 24, 2008 through January 1, 2009 (which have also been declared official holidays by the Philippine Government).

Both offices will be open until December 23, 2008 for all special travel  arrangements  and transactions, such as Asian package tours, passport and visa applications, group bookings, and other services which are facilitated through direct office.

However, all travelers may continue to directly access, search & book their flights, hotels, cars, and packages through the GTTrends search engine anytime 24/7m even though offices are closed.

Application for membership as Associate Travel Agents are also available directly at the GTTrends Business website.

Please direct any concerns and questions
mydreamtravels@gttrends.net

Tips to Find Low Fares

Tip #1: Make your reservation early.

Many discount fares require that you make a reservation 7, 14 or 21 days in advance, depending on the fare. The best international fares often require a reservation 30 days in advance. Making a reservation as soon as you know your travel dates increases your chances of finding a great fare.

Tip #2: Flying on a weekday usually costs less.

Flights departing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday usually offer the lowest fares. Fares are sometimes (but not always) higher on Monday and Friday than on other weekdays. Saturday flights occasionally have discount fares, but as a rule it’s more expensive to fly on a weekend than a weekday.

Tip #3: Stay over a Saturday night.

Most low fares require that you stay over at least one Saturday night before your return flight. However,  some fares may only require you to stay a minimum of 3 or 4 days.

Tip #4: Did we mention you should make your reservation early?

Airlines sell only a limited number of seats at the lowest fares. When those seats sell out, the price goes up!

Tip #5: Consider an airport in the surrounding area.

You may enjoy significant savings if you are willing to fly into nearby airports. For example, when traveling to Los Angeles (LAX), you may want to consider flying into the Burbank (BUR), Orange County (SNA) or Ontario (ONT) airports. Similarly, the cost of a trip to San Francisco (SFO) might be reduced by flying into San Jose (SJC) or Oakland (OAK), while travel to Miami (MIA) may be less expensive if you fly into Ft. Lauderdale (FLL).

Tip #6: Try an earlier or later travel date.

To get the lowest roundtrip fare, the same fare must be available on both the departing and return flights you select. If the fare is sold out on either of these, the price you end up with will be much higher. If possible, consider flying on another date.

Tip #7: Book your trip with GTTrends mydreamtravels site!

Not just a website – we work for you 24/7! GTTrends offers multiple ways to search for travel, especially customized for your needs.

Anyone can be a travel agent

That’s true! Anyone can be a travel agent! One’s own travel agent, and also for friends, family and strangers.  All one needs to do these days is to affiliate with an online travel provider or consolidator, and voila, you’re in BUSINESS.

Let’s face it. The world is changing. Practically anyone who can read and write has access to computer and the internet.  Anyone can book his own flight.

Forget what the veterans in the industry are saying — years of education in a tourism-related college course, long on-the job training hours packaging travel, a more than casual familiarity with the terms and standards of the travel industry.

Well, if that is so, then how come there are no less than 20 travel consolidators online that offer travel search and booking to travelers directly, offering hundreds of thousands of direct links to airlines, hotels and resorts, cruise and tour operators, car rental companies, travel insurance providers, and other related industries. Once you search and make a choice, you get details of your actual flight (or hotel room) detailed rate, time details,  seat selection, payment options, and processing.

Arranging your own travel vacation has never been so easy for the ordinary person.  Anyone can now book one’s own travel arrangements for anywhere in the world whether you are a

• stay-at-home mom and homemaker, like me, and my friends
• retired office worker, or one who wishes to retire early (retirement is not in the age, but in the ability to support oneself)
• contractual worker who’s sick and tired of looking for jobs
• new graduate who wishes to get into business immediately
• student who can wishes to spare mom and dad of college expenses
• business person who wants another business
• senior citizen, professional, full-time employee
• travel agent employed with storefront agencies (you can now own your own travel agency, and have a great advantage with your experience)

Organizations too have the opportunity to generate huge operating funds, by setting up their own simple online travel agency operations, catering mainly to their members, clients, students, colleagues, and corporate travel requirements.

• corporations and cooperatives
• foundations, professional associations, and other non-profit organizations
• churches
• trade unions
• storefront travel agencies (imagine having a shop which is open 24/7)

You can always add to this basic list.  Anyone, aged 18 and above, or a registered organization, may actually engage in business (this is not a job) anywhere in the world.

How simple can it be? Just follow these few steps, and you’re off on your way as your own travel agent.

1. Watch the GTTrends free travel movie.
2. Get more details of the GTTrends travel business online.
3. Optionally, and in addition, you can attend a 45-minute presentation at the GTTrends Asia-Pacific Headquarters at the 2503-B West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Building, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Please call Vikky 632 4559230 or 0928 6148600.
4. Proceed to the GTTrends online member application form, and fill in your membership details. Choose the $299 package which provides you with the opportunity to earn from everyone who joins the team through your website.
5. Enter your payment option (debit card/credit card).  If you prefer to pay cash, please print out your application form, and bring it to the GTTrends office.  Please call Vikky at 632 4559230.

Welcome to your new business.  You can now start promoting your two websites — the search engine and marketing promotions website to everyone you know.

Make sure though to study your new Travel Agent Training Manual, and take and pass your travel agent accreditation exam.  Email me for any other questions.

GTTrends Weekly Business Presentation

Be your own travel agent!

Maximize your travel savings
through discounts and commissions.

Generate huge $ income just  by
sharing your business with others.

Attend the

Business Presentation on the

GTTrends Travel Business

GT Trends Asia Pacific Headquarters
2503-B West Tower Philippine Stock Exchange Building
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1605
Philippines

Monday to Friday at 3:00 pm / 6 pm

Saturday 1-2 pm

Note: Doors will close 5 minutes after scheduled start time.

To reserve your slot and seat, please contact

Vikky Cabrera 0928-6148600 or 02-4559230
mydreamtravels@gttrends.net
vikkycab@skydsl.com.ph

For a preview of the business prior to the more detailed presentation.
please view the free movie
http://mydreamtravels.gttrends. tv

How not to be charged for excess luggage

Even travel agents learn new things every time they travel.  In the travel industry, the best way to learn is to actually travel, and share the experience with others.

Recently, a girl friend and I travelled to LA on United Airlines.  She flew in from New York, and I flew in from Minneapolis.  We both had a stop at Denver.  As we got to talking about flight experiences, we discovered that I was charged $15 for my 17 kg. checked-in bag, while she was not charged a cent for her 21 kg bag.

Feeling sorry for myself, I soon learned that a lot has to do with what you tell the guy at the check-in counter.  I had assumed that I would be charged $15 because I was traveling within the US.  I was still too cool and calm following my 3-day spiritual retreat to request certain concessions as a travel agent, that I did not even think to ask if I could get an exception to the pocket-hurting charge.

My girl friend, on the other hand, was bubbly when she checked in for her flight, and started to make small talk with the guy at the counter.  She asked how he was doing, and smilingly told him that she had a most lovely and memorable stay in NYC.  She also mentioned that she was also starting to miss her children back in the Philippines, but that she would also be joining them soon.  “Oh, so you’re on your way back to the Philippines.” He noted her passport, and after a short while gave back her documents with her boarding pass.  “Have a safe flight back home, mam.”  She thanked him with a smile.

So what’s the lesson here? We can only surmise that that guy at the check-in counter thought my friend was taking a connecting flight to LAX, where she would take her flight back home to the Philippines, which in a way made her NYC-LAX flight part of her international flight. She was acually scheduled to fly out from San Francisco 2 weeks later. On the other hand, since I didn’t volunteer any clues or information, my counter guy assumed I was traveling local for a long while, which of course I was for the next week at least.

Now, this story by no means suggests that you provide should false information about your flight plans. No, no, no, that’s not how things work. Nor does it assure that my friend’s tactics will work 100% for you.  But,  being friendly especially to a counter guy who isn’t is he’s still gonna have a job the next day, can be a key to getting a few more travel savings. All things said, we are still human beings subject to emotions and moods.

Businesses can save on travel

While business can easily do business by telephone and email, many successful businesses know that nothing can replace the personal touch.  Thus the continued stress on the training and coaching of front line personnel. Surely management will need to continue to meet clients and suppliers beyond the office walls, and sometimes beyond regional, provincial, state and country boundaries.

But travel too has become so expensive!  Well, yes that’s true. But not for the incisive, forward-looking businessman, who thinks out-of-the-box.

If you or your company were offered the opportunity to regularly save from 10-90% on your business travel, would you actually look up and take notice?

Good news.  You and your company can actually

• search and book travel –land, air and sea– directly, saving on travel agent commissions and overrides
• claim the travel agent commissions on your own and your business’ various travels requirements, as well as those of your stakeholders.  (Stakeholders can easily help the company gain higher profitability by patronizing its own savings and fund-generation efforts for their own needs).
• set up a low-cost, self-liquidating, web-based side business to cater to all the travel requirements of your business, your stakeholders, and other businesses.

If you think this proposition is a possible scenario for you or your business, please feel free to contact Vikky at mydreamtravels.gttrends.net or vikkycab@skydsl.com.ph