Travel agents worth their weight in gold!!!

[MikenJulie]

Booked American Airline tickets in January, used Avion points through RBC Royal Rewards program. TA did the booking for me for a fee of course, saves me the 1 1/2 hours doing it, worth the $$ IMO. Free seat selection, isle and middle in the first 10 rows there and back, Vancouver with a few hours to kill in Dallas, onto Cancun. Got a message yesterday from RBC, intinerary change. Phoned them back, not particularly pleased with the changes. Leaving Vancouver slightly sooner, which is fine, but a longer stay in Dallas, arriving in Cancun at 8:20pm instead of 7:20. Return flight also slightly later out of Cancun but with a noticably longer stay in Dallas. No seat selection near the front, close to back of plane, and on the return I was told no guarantee we'd even sit together?!? Nice! I was on my cell running to the next town, and lost the call just after being told there was no other options, take it or lose the points.

Not a deal breaker but a bit odd IMO, commerical account for years, Platinum preffered with VIP membership, means squat I guess. I had these booked early in the year, no priority for booking dates. I phone my trusty travel agent when the range comes back, filled him in, said he'd look into it. The short version, he got all my points back (he's authorized on the Visa to book/change travels), got me on Continental arriving at 6:10PM, and a later flight on the return so we could spend a bit more time in Playa. No complaining, no cost penalty. By the time I got into Prince George he had everything taken care of.

I also checked on line today on AA's web site, there was far more open seats than they told me all over the plane where we could do a isle/middle together, not sure what that was about.........

Who could do this when you book on line, I'm glad I have someone to back me when things get goofy. I raise a glass to you travel agents, keep up the service on line companies cannot provide.