Over 13 years ago, Sarah launched her Avanti career by joining us as one of our beloved and valuable Travel Consultants. Over the years, she gained a level of knowledge and expertise that lead to leadership roles within the department, ultimately resulting in her promotion as the Director of Reservations in 2022. Now, she oversees the department, supports our TCs, ensures ongoing education, innovates and improves customer relations, and helps things go smoothly on the regular. As we all are, Sarah is very passionate about travel, having gone on 7 Avanti Educational Trips and nearly a dozen others across Europe, Asia, Central America, and New Zealand. Learn more about Sarah, the Reservations Department, and her travel tips with the full interview below!
What Excites You About Working with Avanti: "The people! We have such amazing staff at Avanti Destinations, and every department has a shared passion for travel, which makes for easy conversation starters and a natural ability to get to know one another. It is great to work in a company where people say hello as you walk through the office! Also, over the years I have built a lot of relationships with Travel Advisors, and that is one of the biggest parts of the Reservations Department. We love building good communication, and once that relationship between Travel Consultants and our customers has been established, booking vacations is a breeze because you know exactly how your business partner thinks and operates."
What You Want Travel Advisors to Know About the Reservations Department: "Our department is ever growing and changing and we dedicate a lot of time to ongoing education. Our staff are some of the most educated in the industry. In addition to weeks-long onboarding and annual hands-on Educational Trips, we have three weekly trainings that help our staff hone in their skills on destinations, online systems, and customer communications. Our number one objective is to provide our Travel Advisor partners with unparalleled products and services. Remember: we are here to serve you and grow together! When you connect with us, keep in mind that we are a team aiming for the same goal of creating incredible, seamless vacations for your clients."
Tell Us About Some of the Newest Features in Reservations: "We have some of the best rail ticketing services in the industry, and we now have a 'Rail Price Guarantee.' When travelers pay their rail tickets in full, Avanti guarantees the set price given at the time of payment, even if the prices increase later. We guarantee that your clients will get connected destination to destination at this set price. If booked far in advance, travel times can fluctuate by about 15 minutes or so, but we always guarantee that passengers will get to their destinations with a reasonable schedule at the set price."
Something That People Might Not Know About Avanti: "It's been said before, but our online proposals are an extremely useful tool that I think our Travel Advisors should utilize more. If Travel Agents are calling in to get quotes over the phone, our Reservations staff need passenger names in order to generate a proposal. But with our online tool, TAs can create a quick quote based on the destination information, without having to enter full traveler names. This is a quick and easy way to generate an itinerary and send it to a client, helping them make a decision and entice them to move forward with a booking. When ready, our Reservations Team is available to help with the details!"
Most Memorable Avanti Travel Experience: "I've been to London, Norway, China, Scotland, Croatia, Portugal, and Switzerland with Avanti. And it's always hard to pick a favorite because every country brings its own incredible features! This past autumn I went to Switzerland, which has been a life-long dream of mine (I've been obsessed with Switzerland since grade school!) It was so amazing to experience with our group, and I already can't wait to go back. Norway was also beautiful. We visited the fjords and saw so much nature, went kayaking, and met goats! I would also say that our excursion in Croatia was one of the most memorable because the people were so amazing. Not only were the leaders of the tours and staff along the way incredible, but connecting with the Travel Advisors on that trip was particularly meaningful. We are all still in contact today."
Top Recommendation for Travelers: "Everyone should go to New Zealand! I went there on vacation with some family, and we explored the north. This is one of the most relaxing destinations because the landscapes are so beautiful and calming. People are extremely friendly and the local cultures bring richness to your travels. We visited Māori villages and Rotorua was especially incredible. We also explored a lot of the most famed spots such as Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings, and the glowworm caves, Waiotomo. One of the most memorable spots was 'hot tub beach' where you dig in the sand with a shovel and it fills with water from underneath - then you sit in it like a little hot tub! I am already excited to go back and explore the south. My biggest recommendation for New Zealand is to plan for 10 nights minimum because there is just so much to see and do! We were there for 8 nights, but a bit longer would have been nice. Now that Avanti offers New Zealand, I highly recommend it for your clients."
Upcoming in 2024: "We will be releasing a new mobile documents app that will make your planning all the easier! You will be able to access itineraries and other important travel information through a QR code. We will be releasing more information about this soon!"
"Thank you to all of our Travel Advisors for your business! Avanti wouldn’t be who we are without you, and your partnerships means the world to all of us at Avanti.
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your insights, and for all that you do for Avanti!