At Capitol Travel It's A Matter Of Service

It was during that cold snap in late January when the temperature barely made it to positive digits.

Capitol Travel Service Principal Kristin Chambers said a man walked in the front door of their agency in Monona and stood there with a frozen stare. "He looked at our travel consultants sitting at their desks and said, ‘Please send me somewhere warm.'"

Kristin says this was one example of the attitudes of most people who have been calling, e-mailing and stopping by Capitol Travel looking to escape Wisconsin's snow and cold this year.

When Kristin's father and Capitol Travel's President Larry Chambers started the business in 1975, travel agencies were considered the place to go for every business and vacation travel need.

Today the Internet has brought people a travel planning alternative with Web sites like Orbitz and Travelocity granting anyone with Internet access the ability to book their own trips. The belief being that cutting the travel agency out of the equation will save you money.

But Kristin says this belief is false and that the traveling public is coming to the reality that they have to pay more and put up with more when booking online. A 2007 study by Topaz International, a travel auditing and consulting firm, found that business travel itineraries booked by a designated corporate travel agency averaged $75 less than the same itinerary booked on a public Internet site. "We have saved some of our corporate clients as much as $153 per ticket," says Kristin.

Larry calls it keeping it local. "We have served this community for 33 years. Our customers are our friends and neighbors. When they experience flight delays, cancellations or other problems, we're there to help. So we not only beat the Internet on price but we deliver personalized service they can't touch."

Kristen says it all comes down to service. "You never know with travel - you've got weather problems, you've got mechanical problems, you've got crew problems. If you get stuck and you booked online, who are you going to call? Where are you going to get help?"

She says the difference is if they book with Capitol Travel, a consultant can get them rebooked with one phone call. "They don't have to wait in that big line. They don't have to argue with the gate agent."

While the Internet harbors competition for Capitol Travel, it is also one of their best tools for serving clients. The Capitol Travel Service Web site at www.captvl.com/ has a number of travel tools, including a flight tracker, destination information and a booking engine.

Kristin says that a lot of people like to look at the booking engine as a research tool to see different flight options and get general prices. "The neat thing about that is if you wanted to book your trip at 11 p.m. on our Web site, you could book it but it wouldn't actually be ticketed until it came to one of our agents who could review it to make sure you did get the lowest price or the best connections. So there's a quality control aspect there that is not present online."

Much of Capitol Travel's success is attributed to the experience of its travel consultant team, with an average 17 years in the travel business. Kristin says that half the battle in their business is knowing how to beat the system and realizing sometimes what the computer spits back isn't always the best option. "Our agents have all traveled quite a bit and they know that some airports are notoriously horrible for getting from point A to point B. Say you're flying to Spain through Paris and you know that an hour and a half in Charles de Gaulle (International Airport) is not going to be enough time, but it's a legal connection. The airlines will allow you to book it but you're never going to make your next flight." This is the type of situation that Kristin says an experienced agent would be aware of and take care of for the client.

The consultant team also has the inside scoop on many of the spring and summer hot spots. Kristin says Hawaii is a perennial favorite. "You can't go wrong. You've got friendly people and it's so warm and beautiful."

She says that Italy has become a popular summer destination. "Summertime always brings up Europe, but in the last two to three years there has been much more of an interest in Italy in particular. There is such a range of things to do, whether it's renting a villa or taking cooking classes or visiting Rome. There's so much history."

For family trips, the all-inclusive resorts are a popular option. Places like Jamaica, Punta Cana and many other locations in Mexico have a number of wonderful family resorts. "They have activities oriented toward kids that can free up the parents to have some time on their own," says Kristin, adding that a lot of these places are not traditional destinations for the young spring break crowds.

For couples looking to get away to someplace warm, without spending too much money, Kristin suggests the Caribbean. "There's a lot to see, there's a lot to do. At a lot of the resorts, the super-inclusive concept has come in and you get a lot of bang for your buck."

With the falling value of the U.S. dollar, money has become a bigger issue when traveling abroad. Kristin says using credit cards can sometimes give you an exchange advantage.

One of the best ways she says to save on your trip is to book as far in advance as possible. "I like the three month guideline. Options are much better too, and what you can save if you book early as opposed to two or three weeks out is just incredible. It's so much better than trying to get it all at the bitter end."

Capitol Travel Service, Inc. 

4929 Monona Drive

Madison, WI 53716

Phone

(608) 221-4791

(800) 222-4791

Email

travel@captvl.com

Web site

http://www.captvl.com/ 

Hours

Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon (October through April)