Page 54 - Sarita Maybin

Our 10th Anniversary Women of Distinction

Melinda Jarrell

MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE

By Judith A. Habert

Photos Courtesy of Melinda Jarrell

California. Melinda has been in this same destination of which you are
business for the past six years and has inquiring. In the case of Melinda, there
hundreds of satisfied customers who are few locations she has not been too
can attest to the importance of booking “I have had the pleasure of personally
your trip through a travel agent and visiting 66 countries, so when I book
not on your own through a bunch of a trip for a customer it is often some-
unknown websites on the Internet. place that I have visited. This allows
What Melinda offers is the value of the me to talk from personal experience
Internet rates with the knowledge and as to the best location to stay, the best
T IS FINALLY HAPPENING! YOU expertise of a professional travel agent hotels and the best tours to take part in
Iand your husband have decided to to navigate your way through this when visiting the particular country."
go on that dream vacation to Europe unprotected territory of discount this, If Melinda hasn't been to the spot you
that you have been talking about for and cheap that, which you are bom- want to visit, chances are someone she
years. A three-week long adventure barded with the minute you search the has booked a trip for over the past six
to Italy, France, and Greece. Your first word vacation. years has, and she always follows up
thought is I should go online and see My first question for Melinda is with clients upon their return to find
what great deal I can get on all of those probably the same one many of you out about their trip. "I always contact
trendy travel sites that promise ease, have had regarding taking this route customers when they return to find out
convenience, and savings. Five hours when booking your dream vacation, how the trip was, to be sure that the
later you cannot figure how to get a honeymoon or just a weekend getaway. locations and hotels were up to their
connecting flight that won't require “Is it more expensive to use a travel standards and to just find out how their
a 9-hour layover when you finally fix agent than to book the trip myself?” overall experience was. It is just part
that problem you find out that the ho- The answer is a resounding “No.” Trav- of the service I provide. It also lets me
tel you just booked in Greece only has el agents are compensated by the travel know which hotels, tours, restaurants,
one bathroom for every four rooms. companies with whom you book and etc. to suggests to future clients when
So, what happened to the ease, conve- not by the consumer. In many cases they decide to book trips to these same
nience, and savings? not only does it not cost you money, locations.” When was the last time you
The cold hard facts are that when it can actually save you money since received a call from one of those inter-
you rely on the internet alone to book they are up to date on which hotels, net sites to chat about your trip? So, as
your own trip, you are taking a chance cruise ships, airlines or tour compa- you can see booking with a travel agent
that the companies behind the beauti- nies are offering discounted or special does provide an added personal touch
ful websites might not truly exist. That promotions like a free night stay or to your trip.
the rooms you book, may look nothing $100 voucher for free food or room While chatting with Melinda about
like the ones you view on the site, and upgrades. her business and the pride she takes
that your hard earned money may not When it comes to the actual logis- in making sure that every customer is
be going anywhere but into some un- tics of booking your trip, consider this happy with the trip she plans, I shared
scrupulous person’s bank account. very important fact, with a professional with her a negative personal experi-
I had the pleasure of speaking with travel agent you as the customer are ence I had with a vacation and how
Melinda Jarrell, Owner of www.Win- getting a free service guided by the stranded I felt because I had booked it
nerDestination.com an all-inclusive expertise of someone who is a pro- online. "Yes, this is also a major consid-
travel website based out of San Marcos fessional and often has traveled to the eration. What do you do if you get to a

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