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Is it usually cheaper to go through a
travel agent?
Rachel Orian
Answers: I travel a lot with my dog, a
small breed that I can take with me in the cabin of the airplane. I need
to make sure that there is availability for dogs on all the airplanes
that I am taking during my trip – usually – I change planes 3 times –
and the shortest travel time is 23 hours. So, the travel agent would
need to deal with the different airlines, to check permission for the
dog to fly in the cabin, and availability for all 3 flights each
direction. The travel agent will need to make sure that I sit near the
window, so other passengers who sit near me will not be bothered by the
dog’s presence.
The travel agent
would need to know the type of documentations required to fly a dog (to
“export” and “import”) from country to country; what are the
requirements by the European market; what are the requirements by the US
laws. If one document is missing – the dog cannot fly. A travel agent
would need to be knowledgeable about these details and the importance of
them.
I am also eating kosher – the travel agent
would have to make sure to request a kosher meal.
There are
different flights to my destination, the shortest
flight takes about 23 hours, and the longest about 37 hours. The
travel agent will need to make sure that I am taking the best flight for
the best price.
I have tried to
book my flights with a travel agent. My experience, unfortunately, is
not positive. A travel agent can book you a kosher meal. And that’s it.
And even with that, there are errors made by travel agents, and you need
to call 24 hours in advance – if you want to make sure – and to verify
the kosher meal.
Travel agents
don’t know enough about flying with small pets, and they are not
interested enough in this subject. Unless I am dealing with a dog-lover
travel agent, I will not get even the understanding for the issue of
flying a small dog in the cabin.
On the top of it –
a travel agent will go back and forth with me so many times, until we
figure out together what would be the best flight for me.
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So here
is what I do: I know which airlines are ready to fly my
small breed dog in the cabin. I call them while my computer
screen is open to show me all of their flights. I choose a
flight with the assistance of the airline’s agent. The airline’s
agent makes sure that I have availability for a dog on my all
three flights to my destination and back home; the same airline
representative order my kosher meal and arrange my sit
assignment to be near the window – they understand the
importance of where I would sit, since they have arranged for me
already to fly with my dog. They have in front of them the
documentations that I need in order to fly a dog, and if they
don’t and I ask them – they would be able to find that out for
me.
I pay the
airline’s agent service charge. The ticket is being emailed to
me while I speak with the airline’s agent. The process is long,
and I need to sit on the phone with the airline agent for ages.
But at least it is getting done, in about an hour – hour and a
half, in a sufficient way, most of the times without errors – so
me and my dog are arriving to our destination without problems. |
Rachel
Orian
www.kosherdelight.com
rachel@kosherdelight.com
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וטרינרים,
מאלפי כלבים, בעלי חיים, פנסיונים לכלבים וחתולים, מספרות לכלבים, מגדלי
כלבים, פורומים לחיות, חיות מחמד, תוכים למכירה, אקווריום, דגים, אימוץ
חיות, אימוץ כלבים וחתולים, בוקסר, גולדן רטריוור, טרייר, יורקשייר,
לברדור, מלטז, מעורב, פאג, סמוייד, פודל, פקינז, קולי, קוקר ספנייל, טיפול
בכלבים, טיפול בחתולים, בית ספר למאלפים, כלביה, אילוף, כלבי שירות, חינוך
גורים, סירוס חיות, עיקור כלבות,
מרכזים וטרינריים, מרפאה וטרינרית, עמותת תנו לחיות לחיות,
רפואה וטרינרית, מרפאות חיות, רופא חיות, בית חולים וטרינרי, וטרינר ראש
העין, וטרינר נס ציונה, וטרינר בית דגן, וטרינר קרית אונו, וטרינר פרדס
חנה, מחלות כלבים
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