Do I need a new travel agent? (long)

cjb0arder13 · January 30, 2010

I'm in a bit of a sticky situation. My parents have a travel agent that they've used for lots of family trips in the past (especially cruises...apparently they're her specialty?). She's become a sort of a "family friend"...I've personally never met her, but my parents think she's the greatest. I thought...awesome, I'll use this travel agent because she's done so many great trips for my parents and I thought she'd really take good care of me while planning my DW.

Simply put, I think I was very wrong. I first got in contact with her back in September, when I decided on a DW in Puerto Vallarta. Bear in mind, I've never used a travel agent and I have no idea what's "normal" or not when dealing with them, which is where I need some help.

My wedding is January, 2011. I knew when I first decided back in September that prices wouldn't be out back then for 2011, but my TA assured me that they'd be out in January of this year. She sent me some recommendations for some places, and I started my research.

January rolls around, and I haven't heard from my TA. I'd been in e-mail contact with her in the interim, asking the odd question here and there about the process, and let her know that I'd like prices as soon as they come out so that I can get my STDs sent out to allow guests to save up $. Three weeks ago, I e-mailed her again to ask about prices. She said she would get in touch with her wholesalers, and get back to me early the next week. Well, the next week rolls around...Friday comes...so I e-mail her again and ask if she'd heard back yet. She calls and tells me that she forgot that she was supposed to get back to me, and that the rep at the wholesaler suddenly had to leave town for a family emergency, so my TA passed the details on to this rep's coworker to get a bid. She would have something for me by Monday.

Monday comes and goes...so Thursday I e-mail her again, asking if there was any word yet. She called me and said that she still hasn't heard back, she's waiting on three other wholesalers, and starts this long spiel about which wholesaler is picky about flights, etc etc etc. I really didn't understand a word of what she was saying because she was talking about these companies as if I was familiar with them, which I am very much NOT. Basically, at the end of the conversation she tells me that she'll definitely have prices by the end of next week.

So here is where we are. I feel like she's a bit of a flake, in all honesty, and I'm scared crapless that she's going to flake on some big detail and my wedding is going to be affected. I've told my mom about this, and she admits that the TA is a bit of a "ditz", but she makes it happen in the end.

Am I wrong to be nervous?? How do I get myself out of this awkward situation? I don't want there to be any hurt feelings or friendships ruined, but I also feel like I deserve a great wedding and to feel confident in the person helping me arrange it.

Your thoughts Sorry for the novel...I'm naturally wordy

cjb0arder13 · January 30, 2010

Thank you Maureen. That's a lot of really helpful information. I don't think she's ever really done a DW before, or if she has it's been awhile!

And I kind of had a feeling about prices not being out yet, which is totally fine...I just hate getting the run-around and being told one thing and then not being followed up with. If she just told me in the beginning that prices would probably come out in March, then I would be ok with that...I'd continue my research on my own end and just wait until that time.

Do you think I should send her a check for her time spent thus far, and find someone else to work with?

carolina24 · January 30, 2010

I say dump her and get someone else. I just went through this myself and THANK GOODNESS I did b/c TA Jill is amazing and things are going much better now!! Bottom line...it's your wedding and you want a TA so that you have one (big) less thing to worry about and it sounds like that's not the case with your current TA