Michele says...
Ask for credentials. At the very least, your travel agent should be accredited by the Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors as a Certified Travel Manager (CTM) or Certified Travel Counsellor (CTC). The organization’s website has an agent locator to help you find an agent who is qualified and has expertise on your destination or type of travel (Disney or cruise holidays, for example). Agent referrals from family and friends are good ideas, but almost any agent can book your flight. The true test is how the agent handles a complicated itinerary or a crisis, like a cancelled flight or a lost hotel reservation. The agent or agency you deal with should have help available to you by phone around the clock. Your travel agent’s knowledge and contacts are the prime reason you use an agent in the first place, and they’re invaluable when trouble hits.

A travel writer extraordinaire, Michele Sponagle has visited more than 40 countries around the world. Send her your travel questions here.