Joining Avanti over four years ago as an in-travel specialist and now supervising Operations from our Barcelona office, Margherita is a staple to the Avanti team, continuously improving our customer service levels while overlooking our knowledgeable Operations Department. On a daily basis, she supervises the team as they confirm new bookings, run quality checks to ensure itineraries are in tip-top shape prior to departure, and assist with in-travel issues. Her mentorship is especially relevant to Avanti due to her extensive background with international DMCs – including one of Avanti’s partners, Sireon Tours. Because of her behind-the-scenes work in this field, Margherita has a unique insider’s glimpse at how to efficiently communicate with our suppliers and solve unexpected issues in real time. As an avid traveler herself, Margherita holds excellent insights into the industry – discover her insider tips below!
What Excites You About Working with Avanti: "I love the travel industry! It's always so much fun learning about different places and products, and I get really excited about the world. At Avanti, we have such a huge selection of destinations and experiences, and it's a great feeling to help Travel Advisors create completely unique vacations for their customers. In my current role, I'm on the problem-solving side of things, and I love making Advisors happy by ensuring that their clients' vacations go smoothly and they have an unforgettable trip."
What is the Role of Avanti's Operations Team: “Our department confirms services, runs quality checks, issues travel documents, offers in-travel and post-travel assistance. We are split into different specialties – some of us are specialists who focus solely on rail ticketing, and others are professionals in documentation, which makes us skilled at what we do. We have a team in Portland, Oregon but I am based in our Barcelona, Spain office. Barcelona plays an important role because we are located in the European time zone, so we can address trip issues in real time. Our goal is to handle in-travel concerns before the Travel Advisor even wakes up in the morning! We want them to arrive to work with an email saying, ‘We received notice of a travel issue, and it has already been solved.'"
What New Things Are Happening in Operations for 2024: "This year we have been implementing more trainings – we pride ourselves on having some of the most knowledgeable staff in the industry. Additionally, we have been increasing our staff members over the past two years, and we were recently able to implement weekend coverage to ensure that we always have staff available for emergency issues. We are always taking feedback from our Travel Advisor partners on how to improve our quality of customer care, and we are proud to keep hitting the mark."
What is Something People Might Not Know About Avanti: "Even though the Barcelona office has been open for about 5 years, many don’t know that we operate here in European time! We also opened a Reservations Office in Manchester this year, which expanded our reservation hours to 3:00am Pacific Time (6:00am Eastern). But our customer care extends beyond these hours – though the phone lines open at 3am, we are already in the office before then, handling emails from TAs and suppliers that came in overnight, as well as in-travel issues as they happen."."
What Are Some of Your Most Memorable Travel Experiences: "I have been on two EDU trips with Avanti. I went to Japan in 2023 and that was a dream come true for me! We visited onsens and went to the Japanese Alps – so beautiful! Last year I led an Avanti EDU trip to Italy and it was amazing to guide colleagues through the country who have never been there before! Traveling with our partners and Advisors is always special as well, getting to know them in a new way. On personal trips, I have been all over Europe, the USA, Mexico, Morocco, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. I think my favorite is always the unusual and lesser known destinations. Uzbekistan is by far my favorite!
What Are Some of Your Recommendations: "For Europe, I highly recommend Iceland! It's great in every season. The nature is unbelievable. I went in the summer and would love to go back in the winter to see the Northern Lights. Travelers should absolutely drive the Ring Road! You go all the way around the country and see all the waterfalls, fjords, glaciers, and lagoons. You can do this in about 7-10 days. It's such a convenient trip from the USA and very much worth it."
Thank you, Margherita, for sharing your insights, and for all that you do for Avanti!