My name is Casandra Wagner and I have been in the travel industry for 15 years now. I started out as a leisure agent but moved to doing a split of corporate and leisure travel. I grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan and moved to Edmonton, Alberta when I was 25 years old. I went to McEwan University for their travel program when I was 30 years old and have not looked back since. I have been in the same office for pretty much the entire time except for when I first started off after I graduated. Although our office name has changed; our team has stayed pretty much the same; which makes us a very close team and family.
I met a travel advisor on my first all inclusive trip to the Dominican Republic. The conversation that we had always stuck in my brain and when the company I worked for lost its government contracts, I decided to look into the travel agent program at MacEwan university and I joined the program. Being a travel agent has had many ups and downs, and everything in between. I never thought I could feel so many emotions in one job, but I absolutely have felt all the emotions. Whether it is the travel I have had to experience myself, to happy or upset clients, to having to navigate the challenges of COVID; it certainly has been a ride!
My favourite part of being a travel agent is seeing the excitement in my clients when we are booking their bucket list trips. Also, the fact that not one day is ever the same. Not one single day.
My favourite part of being a travel agent is seeing the excitement in my clients when we are booking their bucket list trips. Also, the fact that not one day is ever the same. Not one single day.
I guess my biggest piece of advice would be to know your worth and don’t be afraid to ask for the sale. Take time for yourself and travel as the best advice you can give to your clients is your first hand experience and knowledge. Use the tools that are given to you, ie: GDS/booking engines and take advantage of any training provided to you.
I think that things have slowed down a bit, especially this winter. However, I am seeing Europe ramp back up again. I am not as busy as I was last year for leisure travel.
I believe my clients use my services because they see my value. They appreciate the advice and time I can save them. I believe I provide excellent service to my clients, and this is the reason I have a number of repeat clientele and a number of referrals. My clients put their trust in me to advise them and choose good options for them.
I would say most of my clients are between 40-80 years old. I don’t have a lot of younger clients myself. I do believe that younger clients are much more tech savvy and tend to book on their own. They have a lot of information at their fingertips, and they follow trends through social media. The younger clients I do book are those whose parents have booked with me for a long time, and they tell them to reach out to me.
I have so many special travel memories, it is so hard to pick one. One of my most recent is travelling with my 77-year-old mother to Cancun and we went to Isla Mujeres. We rented a golf cart and just drove all over the island. We laughed so hard the entire way. It is these memories that I keep close to my heart because one day my mom won’t be able to travel or be around.
Travel is about seeing the world through the eyes of other cultures. I love meeting people from around the world and having amazing conversations. Travelling keeps me happy and keeps me focused on my career. It is what continues to drive my passion for this crazy travel career.
The most expensive booking I made was a family trip to Maui with all the flights in business class, and a three-bedroom oceanfront villa at the Fairmont Maui. The family books every year, they are very loyal customers.
I am a firm believer in charging fees. Your time is incredibly valuable, and it is important that your clients and you know that value. Especially when it comes to researching trips such as FITS; always charge a research fee as you may not always get the sale and your time needs to be compensated. I am still learning this valuable lesson as there are times, I haven’t charged the fee and the client ends up booking on their own. I find when you are upfront with your fees, clients will make their decisions to either book or go elsewhere. When they pay your fee, they will typically book all their travel with you rather than booking outside of you. (i.e. air with you but hotel on their own.)
Thank you for the opportunity. This career isn’t for everyone, but it is the career for me!
