June 4, 2025 • 40 mins
Travel experts Cindy Chambers and Tutti Bonacarso from Pearson's Travel share insider tips on planning dream vacations while maximizing value and avoiding common pitfalls.
• Benefits of using a travel agency include personalized service, passport verification, and having a local contact instead of navigating frustrating 1-800 numbers
• Popular 2025 destinations include Italy, London, Scotland, Croatia, and river cruises in Europe
• Book trips from two months to two years in advance—earlier booking allows for monthly payments and better availability
• Common travel mistakes include overplanning and not allowing enough relaxation time
• Travel myths debunked: solo travel can be safe for women, booking on Tuesdays isn't always cheapest
• Travel insurance is essential for international trips—covers medical emergencies, evacuations, and trip interruptions
• Budget travel tips: consider national parks, use public transportation, and book directly with hotels for special discounts
• Watch for travel scams like "too good to be true" deals and suspicious communications after online searches
To book your next adventure with Pearson's Travel, call 225-926-3752 Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5:30, or stop by their office on Jefferson.
Have an idea for a show or a question for Kim? Send us a text message
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that
focuses on how to use the moneyyou have, make the money you
need and save the money you want.
Now here is your host, ms Kim.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Chapman, welcome to another edition of Money Matters
.
Today, we're going to talkabout one of my absolute
favorite things to do, and thatis travel.
I think that's actually one ofthe motivations I get up and
come to work, and so, whetheryou are dreaming of some luxury
travel around the world, or ifyou're looking for some tips on
how to do it yourself becauseI've had to do both of them
(00:34):
we're going to have some expertshere with us to show us the
best way to book your travel.
So with me here today, fromPearson's Travel, is Ms Cindy
Chambers and Ms Tutti Bonacarso.
Did I say that right?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yes, Thank you, ladies.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Look, I told them.
I said this is my favoritesubject so hopefully we can get
through and not be here for twoor three days.
We can wrap this up in about 45minutes because I love travel,
love to talk about travel.
So tell us a little bit aboutyour experience.
I mean Pearson's is a localtravel agency here.
I know the name.
Most of our listeners probablyknow the name.
We see it passing up the streeton Jefferson all the time.
(01:11):
So how did you get started inthis business and tell us you
know a little bit about yourbackgrounds.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
I actually started at Pearson's Luggage and in 1981,
mr Pearson decided to open atravel agency and I was there.
So I just kind of moved over tothe side and started working in
the agency business.
We hired one person that wasmoving back into Baton Rouge who
had been in the businessforever, and so she was kind of
(01:40):
my teacher Back in those days.
We had to handwrite tickets.
There was no computers to doall the tickets and everything
else for you.
So it's been quite a ride, withall the different things
happening and changes, but it'sbeen wonderful.
It's a fun business, very fun.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
And Tutti just has a nice travel ring to it.
Tell us about your background.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Well, believe it or not, about 40 years ago I went
on my first cruise and I fell inlove with cruising and when I
came back I decided that Iwanted to get into travel and
basically that's how I startedoff and I did a lot of group
travels for church groups andorganizations and I just love it
(02:25):
.
I love planning trips forpeople and making their dreams
come true.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I can agree with you there and I've done it both.
I've done it with the travelagency, I've done the DIY.
But what is going to be thebiggest advantage of using a
travel agent?
Speaker 4 (02:39):
You have us, you have a local person.
We still have a storefront soyou can call and say I need to
come talk to you.
We make sure that yourpassports are correct and have
the six-month time limit on itand we just kind of we're there
to double-check everything foryou.
(02:59):
You know just another face andsomebody that you can contact
locally.
You know just another face andsomebody that you can contact
locally, not a 1-800 number thatstays busy and you have to keep
transferring here and there andhoping you get to talk to
somebody.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Definitely understand the frustrations with that.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Can working with a travel agency actually save you
any money?
Yes and no.
I mean we get all the samerates that everybody else gets.
We belong to a consortiumcalled Virtuoso, and it's a
group of travel agencies, andwhat they do for us is they
might put together somedifferent trips or different
possibilities where you can getonboard credits or an extra tour
(03:45):
or you know.
So there'll be something addedto your package where, if you
just book it on your own, youmight not get that.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
So I know definitely one of the benefits, of course,
pearson's is that you're a local.
Somebody can walk into thatstorefront.
But what should a consumer lookfor if they're trying to pick a
travel agent, whether that youknow, maybe they're outside of
the Baton Rouge area and theycan't come in and visit you,
lovely ladies?
What should they be looking forin terms of selecting a travel
agency?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Okay, Well, first of all, when you start to look for
a travel agency or a travelagent, you should maybe ask your
friends or family for areferral.
You also should go on theirwebsite, see their credentials.
Are they a member of the BetterBusiness Bureau?
Also, do they have what theycall an IATAN license that each
(04:37):
travel agency has to have tooperate as a travel agency?
And just look at the reviews tooperate as a travel agency and
just look at the reviews.
And that's the first thing thatyou should do when you start to
look into a travel agency.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
All right.
So what are the popular placesfor 2025?
Speaker 4 (04:54):
right now, and I know they're going to be different.
You have a family, you have acouples and then you need the
couple.
You know the whole package.
We're still doing a lot withItaly, london, scotland, croatia
is something that has popped up.
I think a lot of people wentand visited, you know, got off a
(05:16):
cruise ship and visited andthen decided they needed to go
back.
Just, we do a lot of theCaribbean.
It all depends upon how manypeople are going and, um, if do
they want to go see history orwhatever greek isles is so very
popular right now?
(05:37):
Um, what else?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
oh, and number one river cruisesises.
Everyone is booking a rivercruise to Europe.
I mean, they also have rivercruises too, down to Mississippi
, but I mean nothing againstMississippi, you know when you
can go to Europe for the sameprice.
So river cruises are very, verypopular, especially for the
(05:59):
senior age group, and people areleaning towards smaller cruise
ships, less passengers.
They want more personal serviceand they're willing to pay that
amount.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
So you mentioned the seniors love the cruises.
What are you seeing formillennials, gen Zs, in terms of
travel.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
It depends upon again , it depends upon again.
They've got tour companies thatdo biking and hiking.
So if they're very, go andrelax.
(06:46):
After you know being soconfined to the workplace and
you know using that brain toomuch, they can just go relax.
But they still love the cruisestoo.
They still love the cruises.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
So a lot of times we overlook things right here in
our backyard.
What are some of the hiddentreasures right here in
Louisiana that somebody may notbe aware of?
That's a great place to book atravel to.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, we were talking about this the other day.
To me, natchitoches, a lot ofpeople.
I mean, there's so much thatNatchitoches has to offer.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Meat pies and Christmas right.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yes, and history.
And it's just Cindy and I bothlove Natchitoches.
Also, Avery Island is a greattrip if you want to do just a
one-day trip.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Get that hot sauce.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
One-day trip.
The other was, you know, andour state parks.
People forget about how niceour state parks are.
Now, since COVID is over with,they have refurbished a lot of
the cabins over the water andit's just a quick trip and you
(07:59):
can camp, you can fish and it'sjust some wonderful
opportunities for, you know,families to take advantage of.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
What are some of the most common mistakes consumers
make when they're booking theirown travel?
Trying to do too much.
Trying to do too much, soexplain that a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
They'll book instead of relaxing time.
They will be booked for toursfrom the time they get up in the
morning until the time they laytheir head back down, and it's
just a lot and it's not relaxing.
You just don't have time to seeeverything.
It's great to stay busy becauseyou might not ever go back to
(08:44):
that place, but again, it'ssupposed to be a vacation, so
don't try and cram so much intoit.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I've been so guilty of that.
There was a time, before I knewbetter, I would travel and I'd
have to have an itinerary Rightand it would be from sunup to
sundown.
I mean we would use every bitof those 24 hours and we'd be
exhausted to sundown.
I mean we would use every bitof those 24 hours and we'd be
exhausted.
(09:11):
And I think after one of mytrips where I booked our flights
at six o'clock in the morningand my family and friends that
were traveling with me, I gotsome really, really shady looks
when we were in the airport atfour or five o'clock in the
morning and I think I learned,and I was even wore out after
that particular trip.
So I've kind of learned toscale back a little bit.
So I agree with you in thatsometimes we try and pack so
much in that.
So let's talk about preparationfor that trip.
(09:32):
Just for starters.
How far in advance doessomebody plan a trip?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
We are planning trips anywhere from two years in
advance to two months in advance.
From two years in advance totwo months in advance.
If you know in advance that youcan go next year at this time,
you can go ahead and startbooking.
You might not be able to bookeverything because rates might
not be out for everything, butmost of the cruise and the
tourist fares are out there andit just gives you a little
(10:01):
opportunity.
That you know.
If you want to pay monthly, youcan, you know, call and say OK,
charge me another five thousanddollars on my trip, or two
hundred dollars, or you know,whatever the budget is.
If you want to go in two months, we have, especially at
Christmas time, we get a lot ofcallins going.
(10:22):
Okay, I want to go somewherefor Christmas, and you know it's
a rush.
But at that point you kind ofhave to take what is left, what
is left, because everythingmight be booked up.
So the further in advance thebetter.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So I know that you know the holidays.
We have Black Friday and thenthere's Cyber Monday and I only
recently, you know became tunedinto Travel Tuesday, in that
they're supposed to have somereally good discounts on Travel
Tuesday.
Is there any other time of theyear that's a sweet spot?
Or is there a sweet spot interms of, ooh, six months out
(11:00):
before your vacation is betterthan booking a year out?
Definitely.
I know about the little 21 dayrule in terms of the airline.
Is there really a sweet spottime that's better than others?
Speaker 4 (11:12):
It really.
No, not really, because ifthere's availability, the cruise
lines might decide to go aheadand offer a discount, or the
tour companies just to fill itup.
But these days everybody istraveling and a lot of the
different categories are alreadyfilled up a year in advance, so
(11:34):
it's possible you might get adiscount or something on it, and
the tour companies, the cruiselines, they all monthly change
whatever their special is.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
And I'd just like to add one of the things that we do
at Pearson's Travel.
When you book a trip with us ifit's with the cruise lines or a
tour company if the rates godown and they apply those lower
rates to your date of travel andyou have not paid your final
payment, we can pass thosesavings on to you as one of our
(12:13):
customers.
The Internet's not going to dothat.
We always monitor our trips forour clients, because we want to
get you the very best rate thatwe can at Pearson's so that
you'll come back and tell others.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
You know it's hard for me to think of why people
don't travel, but there's somany different myths about
travel out there.
For example, I can remembergoing to New York years ago.
All I heard was, oh, newYorkers are so rude and I was
almost a little anxious orapprehensive going because they
had me thinking that thesepeople were just going to, like
you know, kick you to the curb.
And they were the nicest people.
They were as nice as we aredown here in Louisiana with our
(12:49):
Southern hospitality.
So what are some other travelmyths that are out there that
maybe you can debunk at thistime?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Well, one of them is you know, traveling is a solo,
especially for ladies.
It's unsafe, and that's nottrue anymore.
My daughter's listening.
It's unsafe, and that's nottrue anymore, my daughter's
listening.
Well, some of the cruise linesnow have especially like
(13:18):
Norwegian Cruise Line offers aspecial for solo travelers.
Just about on all their shipsthey have certain cabins
designated for solo singletravelers and to get to these
cabins you have to go through acertain like lounge before you
can reach your stateroom.
So by going through this loungeevery time you go in and out,
you get to meet others, and Ihave a client that travels this
way and she she's met morefriends and you know they'll end
(13:42):
up going to dinner together,they end up doing tours together
.
So traveling solo is now, youknow, um way safer than people
think it has been, and I'm sorryto tell you this for your
daughter she's just started.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
She loves to travel, of course, and so she's trying
to plan a trip for herself.
She wants to go to new york andI'm like no, I don't think you
should do that one by yourself.
But you know, once they hit 18,they think they can do whatever
.
So, we might have to edit thatlow.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
You can travel by yourself out.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
So another myth or maybe it's not a myth is that
it's cheaper to book on aTuesday.
What do you say about that?
Because I know I'm alwayslooking on a Tuesday, so am I
wasting my time?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
We talked about that because it started out on
Sundays and then it was Tuesdaysand then Wednesdays and
Thursdays.
So you know you can check itevery day to see if the fare has
dropped.
I mean, most people like to goout of town on Thursday, friday
and Saturday, so if you cantravel on like a Tuesday or a
(14:49):
Wednesday, that's usually lessexpensive.
Definitely for the hotel stay ohyes, yes, but you know I would
just check it for a week or soand see what's going on and if
you get a really inexpensivefare, jump on it.
If not, you know, after you'vechecked it for a week to see
which day is cheaper than thefollowing week, take that day
(15:12):
and see if it's still there andbook it.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
So what you're saying is, I should probably do a
little bit more work on Tuesdaysinstead of watching the Travel
Network because I definitelyhave bought into that one.
I'll look on Tuesdays,especially Southwest.
They always send me a littleemail on Tuesdays and so you
have to kind of watch that.
So one of the places that I'veactually never done is an
all-inclusive resort.
What is the deal on that?
(15:35):
Is it worth the money?
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Well, it does include .
It's kind of like the cruise.
So it includes all your foodand with all inclusive it
includes all your alcohol too.
So if you like to eat and drink, then it's definitely worth it
(15:57):
resort because they said wedon't eat that much, so why
should we have to pay for all ofthat?
And you know we don't drinkeither, so you know we're good
without any of that.
So it depends upon the family.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Most of the time I think it works out better if you
do the all-inclusive.
So I've kind of been on bothends of the spectrum.
I started out traveling on abudget.
Every now and then I like tosplurge and do things a little
bit nicer.
So what are some of the tipsthat you could offer somebody
that wants to travel?
What are those budgeting tipsthat can help them make that
vacation nice for themselves ortheir family?
But they have a shoestringbudget or just a certain dollar
(16:37):
amount that they want to stay in.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Well, normally, if when someone wants to travel on
a budget, they really need toplan their trip like a year in
advance so that way they canmaybe set up a little travel
account, they need to also booktheir accommodations ahead of
time and a lot of time gothrough the hotel directly
(17:02):
because you can get, like, maybea discount if you're a senior
citizen or you know if you knowAARP, you know, or military, and
(17:23):
while you're on your trip,instead of you know having a
driver or taking the train,maybe use a public
transportation to take youaround.
And especially in Europe,instead of going to a restaurant
, there's so many little grocerystores or little that you can
pick up you know cheese andstuff to make sandwiches, or
little city cafes just out onthe sidewalk that you can get a
really nice, affordable lunch.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I heard you say sandwich and I just remember
being a kid and my dad wouldload up the ice chest and make
the sandwiches before we wouldhit the road and I dare to say
Astro World, but then I'd beaging myself for the audience.
I want them to still think I'm25.
What are some other tips orways to find discounts at hotels
and airplane tickets?
(18:00):
What are some good ways forthem to find discounts?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
airplane tickets.
What are some good ways forthem to find discounts?
A lot of people you know ifwe're booking your hotel, we'll
look at different tour companiesor websites like hotelscom or
Kayak, or you know we'rechecking with hotels, but I also
check with the hotels directlybecause a lot of times you can
(18:27):
still get a lower rate becausethere's a promotion that's not
being shown on hotels orbookingcom or Travel Velocity
and Kayak has really great dealson airline prices too.
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
So what would you consider, maybe the most
budget-friendly places?
Speaker 4 (18:51):
definitely domestic to travel to.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Domestic.
Right now, for domestic, a lotof people are going to Zion
National Park.
The parks are very popular thisyear.
If you're doing the parks onyour own, then they're very,
very affordable, like if you'renot doing an escorted tour.
(19:17):
That's one of the benefits ofgoing to the national parks.
They're very popular this year.
I'm drawing a blank all of asudden, but let's see, also
going to like Florida.
If you're going to Floridainstead of going to Orlando,
(19:39):
maybe go to Augusta or TampaFlorida, you know, instead of
going to, you know, disney World.
You can still get, you know,the beaches and everything like
that.
Let's see.
I'm just driving versus flying.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
Well, we'll save you money.
I know a lot of people don'tlike road trips but you know,
just drive over to Texas.
I've been researching for agroup Fredericksburg and you
know the different things thatare over there and you know
they've got tours that you cando or you can just show up and
(20:17):
you know there's this place thathas, you know, flowers.
It has, you know, flowers, justrows and rows and rows that you
can walk through and you know,just look at where you want to
go and just take off and go, andyou don't have to.
You can stay off the interstateat the first hotel you see, and
(20:37):
you know, kind of look at thearea, make sure it's safe, but
you know just, you don't have tostay in the middle of the
resort or the middle of the townor something like that.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
That's why they can definitely call experts like you
to find those actual placesthat have those little hidden
treasures.
And I imagine between the twoof you, with all the experience,
you've traveled a lot of places.
What are some of the mostunexpected or unique experiences
that either of you haveexperienced in your years of
travel?
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Two years ago I did a trip to Africa and I love
animals, so I was really excitedabout going to see all the
animals.
But when we got there it wasunreal.
It was so unreal.
The first place we went we werein Uganda and we did the
(21:28):
trekking with the gorillas andwe had these young boys and
girls that would carry ourbackpacks and our water and
everything and give us an extrapush up the hill or whatever.
But when we got to where thefamily of gorillas were, we just
sat down and they were justlike you know, right there,
(21:51):
right there in our face, andthey were looking at us and
we're looking at them and theywere just magnificent creatures.
And then you know, to do thesafaris to actually see all
these animals in the wild andstay in the glamping tents
because it definitely wasn'tcamping, you know, it was just
(22:12):
the people were wonderful andthe scenery, the animals it was
more than I even expected it tobe.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
So you mentioned glamping.
Do people use travel agenciesto put together glamping trips?
Yeah, yeah, I've never done one.
I've done the camping, I have ason and so we've done the.
Boy Scouts and we've slept onthe ground, but I think I'd like
to try out glamping just once.
But I want to talk a little bit.
You know I was trying to quietdown travel by yourself.
(22:43):
Travel today definitely haschanged compared to 20, 30, 40
years ago.
Technology, ai there are somany different scams in every
field.
And so travel definitely is notexempt from that.
What are some of the commontravel scams that consumers
should be aware of?
Speaker 3 (23:02):
scams that consumers should be aware of.
Well, if it says, you know, buyone, get one free, basically
it's not true, it's the regularprice and they're just splitting
in half.
So a lot of people don'trealize that when they see that
being advertised, If it'sextremely inexpensive, then whoa
(23:26):
there's you know, the red flags, the bells should be.
Red flags.
So if you, you know, seesomething like that on the
Internet, before you send anymoney you need to check that
hotel, you need to check withthe airlines to make sure you
know you're getting what youthink you're paying for, and
(23:48):
then look at the ratings of thatcompany you know to see, you
know, and the reviews before yougive your money to them.
So just be very careful.
You know, I'm not saying theinternet, everything on the
internet is not.
Internet is not legit, butthere are a lot of scams out
there and you just have to bevery, very careful.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
So, other than the too good to be true, are there
any other red flags that you canthink of that consumers should
be on the watch for?
Speaker 4 (24:18):
If somebody contacts you right after you Google
something, that could be areally big red flag.
I mean, they're getting intoour computers and phones and
everything we Google andeverything we search and all of
a sudden you're getting an emailfrom somebody saying I saw you
looking for this.
You know I can do it cheaper or, you know, be a little weary.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yeah, be definitely a little weary.
So let's talk a little bitabout travel insurance.
Is it something that yourecommend?
Is it worth the money?
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Yes, yes, definitely, definitely, and they've got so
many.
You know the cruise lines andthe tour companies all have
their policies, and now some ofthem.
If you cancel for not a validreason, not a covered reason,
you can still get at least 80percent of your trip back for
future cruise or future tour orsomething like that.
(25:14):
But yeah, you definitely needinsurance If you're going to
Europe.
Your health insurance is notgoing to cover you over there,
so you're going to have to outof insurance is not going to
cover you over there, so you'regoing to have to out-of-pocket.
You know, whatever goes on Withthe insurance, you've got
medical insurance with you.
If, the day before somebody inyour family passes away, it's
(25:40):
terrible to say but it doeshappen that is a covered reason
and you're going to get yourmoney back.
You know it's just yeah, it isexpensive, but it is worth it.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
It's definitely worth it once you find out that you
need it.
So you mentioned something Iheard you say about your
insurance won't cover you whenyou travel abroad.
And I actually think about thatbecause I did travel abroad
somewhere in the midst of COVIDand I remember having to call my
doctor because it was duringthe time that if you tested
positive they would make youstay an extra 10 days and while
(26:14):
I would love to, probablycouldn't afford to.
So I called my doctor to say,hey, I think if you were
medically, if you had to staythere medically, there were some
little conditions.
I had to call my doctor and say, hey, what's going to happen in
all these different cases?
So, maybe something not asextreme as COVID, what are maybe
some other little things likeyou mentioned?
Your insurance may not coveryou there that people don't
(26:35):
necessarily think about beforetraveling, which is something
they may want to look intobefore they book a trip.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Well, one of the things about the insurance is,
if your flight's delayed and ifit's because of bad weather and
you have to spend the night, theairline is not going to put you
up.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Wait, a minute.
You're not going to put me upat the Hilton.
I don't want to sleep in anairport.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
The airlines will only put you in a hotel if it's
due to mechanical problems orit's their fault.
You know they don't have a crew.
So, with that being said, withthis trip cancellation insurance
, you have like an amount it'susually like $150 per person per
day that will cover your hotel,your meals and any other
(27:22):
expense that you have.
So you would just save yourreceipt and then, when you came
back, you would file a claim andget reimbursed.
The most important thing thatit covers is if you're over
there and you have to bemedically evacuated.
That starts around what 50,000.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
So you know it covers for medical evacuation.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Also, if you're on a trip and you receive a phone
call that someone has passedaway and you need to come back
for a death or medical, youwould pay for your airline
ticket to come back.
You would get reimbursed forthe cost of your ticket and for
the portion of your trip youdidn't use.
So I mean, it's like we tellpeople if you buy a new car,
(28:09):
you're not going to drive it out.
You know the dealership withoutinsurance, so why wouldn't you
insure your trip?
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
So if I'm going to call a travel agency, what
information should I haveavailable before I pick up the
phone or contact you via text oremail?
What information should I haveavailable for you?
And then, what should I expectfrom my travel agent?
Speaker 3 (28:33):
First of all, I would say your dates, Because people
will call, and maybe where youwould like to go, Because we'll
get phone calls.
I want to go someplace, I don'tknow where.
I don't have any dates, Well,okay, but we need your dates or
your interests.
If you don't have a destination, you know what are you
(28:58):
interested in, and by using usand kind of giving us this
information and we'll find outyour likes and dislike and we'll
you know, we'll customize atrip for you to your likings.
But we really need, you knowthat to me, those, because we
get those phone calls all thetime.
We just have to have a littlebit of information.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
And the other thing we'll say, okay, well, what type
of budget are you working with?
And a lot, you know.
A lot of times you don't know,because how much does it really
cost to go to Europe?
But they'll say, unlimited, I'mgood, ok, whatever.
And then so you put them in thenice four or five-star hotels
(29:44):
and it's kind of like they freakout because it's so expensive.
So you, you know, you canalways say three, three and a
half star hotel is good for me.
I don't need first class.
On the airline tickets.
You know, just as muchinformation as you can give us
is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
I definitely like to do a little research before I
travel to a destination.
Thank goodness for the Internet.
I remember years ago there willbe the books I think it was at
Forbes, so are there anyparticular resources that you
recommend for travelers to look?
I actually now go on YouTube,which I absolutely love because
they'll definitely be a littlebit more up to date in terms of
(30:19):
what's happening in thatparticular region.
What would you recommend atraveler do their research in
terms of looking up a possibledestination?
Speaker 4 (30:28):
You can just Google the country or Google the
particular city that you want togo to and see what is out there
.
You can also go on to, just toget ideas, some of the tour
companies and they'll have likean itinerary.
No, you don't want to go with atour company, you want to do it
(30:48):
more on your own.
You don't want to get up at 6o'clock every morning and have
your bags out.
But they have an itinerary withpretty much the most popular
places that everybody wants tovisit, so you can kind of look
at theirs and go.
Well, you know I'm really notinterested in going to that
museum, but I like this one downhere and just to see the
(31:08):
different offerings that theyhave.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
So is there such a thing as a trip being too small
to call a travel agency?
Maybe I just want to book anice getaway weekend to New
Orleans.
Is that something that youwould say you don't even need a
travel agency for?
Or can I find value in callinga travel agency for maybe a
weekend getaway?
Speaker 4 (31:28):
Yeah, I mean, we book hotel rooms in New Orleans all
the time and sometimes, you know, depending upon where you want
to stay, using our consortiumthat we belong to, you might get
a free dinner or you might geta spa credit.
Or, you know, depending uponwhere you're staying or what you
(31:49):
want to do, you know, dependingupon where you're staying or
what you want to do, you know alot of those managers from those
hotels come up and visit andyou know we're running low on
this time of the month orwhatever and help us out.
But yeah, I mean, you knowwe're here to help, even if it's
just a little weekend getaway.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
And I'm going to take a stab and make an assumption
Is Disney one of the mostrequested travel destinations?
No, no.
So tell me, enlighten me.
What is the most requestedtravel destination?
Speaker 4 (32:21):
I think right now it's Europe and river cruising
or cruising the national parks.
I mean we do some Disney, butDisney for us has gotten to be
something that everybody prettymuch books on their own, because
they've been there 10 timesalready and they know what they
want to do, and so yeah, Wouldyou recommend somebody doing
(32:46):
Disney with a travel agent forthe first time, because I
imagine it can be overwhelmingbecause there's so many
different parks.
Disney is so overwhelmingbecause you have the meal
packages, you have all thedifferent parks, you have all
the different hotels and youknow which one does this and
which one can I get on the tramand ride in.
And so, yeah, if you've neverbeen, I would definitely use a
(33:10):
travel agent.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
And I think I've got one other question, because I
told you we could be here.
So, of course, hotels youmentioned three-star, four-star,
five-star.
Is there really a bigdifference in between the star
ratings?
How much value should we put inthose ratings when we're
looking at reviews or justlooking at the hotel rating?
Am I going to get a lot more ifI pay the money for a five star
than if I get a three star?
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Again, it kind of depends.
If it's a five star and they'repart of our consortium, then
yeah, we can get you somedifferent little upgrades and
some specials and everything.
But I mean there's a lot oftimes the three and a half star
hotels are as good as some ofthe four star hotels.
(33:56):
So I don't.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
And you're.
You really you don't want to gobelow a three and a half star
hotel because their ratings ontheir hotels are different than
ours.
You know Hotels are differentthan ours.
You know, as far as you know,the way we rate our hotels.
But you can.
You know most hotels in Europethat we sell, I would have to
(34:22):
say, are four stores and they'recentrally located and a lot of
times you can get when you havea travel agent working on your
trip.
We can a lot of times find afive-store hotel at a
three-store price for you.
I don't know that sounds good.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Now I know there's a lot that you do do, so I do have
to ask now, with there's somany changes especially
Southwest just mentioned thatthey're going to stop giving you
free luggage those two bags forfree Can you show me how to
pack now in just a carry-on?
Can I call my travel agent andfigure out how to make that
happen?
Come on, we're trying to getyou some definite business the
(35:00):
right answer.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Call Cindy Me personally.
No, I can't do it.
I've tried and it just doesn'twork for me because I want to
take too much.
But I do have customers that doit.
I mean, all the hotels willhave, or most of them have, the
laundromats, or you can send itout to the dry cleaners.
Same thing with the cruiseships.
So you know, if you want tobring one pair of black pants
(35:25):
and one pair of navy blue pantsand not 10 pair of shoes, then
then it can.
It can definitely be done.
It can definitely be done.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Are there any travel essentials that you think every
person should travel with?
You should never go on a tripwithout.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
I personally love the air tags because it helps you
can see where your luggage is,you know if it gets delayed
where it's delayed at andsomeone was talking this morning
about putting one on theirhusband so he could find them in
the airport, you know.
So that's gotten to be very,very popular with travelers.
(36:04):
You know, especially becausethere's so many delays with your
flights and with your luggage,at least you'll have a little
advantage to know where it's atif it's on its way to meet you.
That's what I would have to sayfor me.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, you know, back when wehad the luggage store, we sold
so many different items forsecurity, like the money belts,
the ones that go around yourneck, or the bags now that have
the wires in them that you knowsomebody can't walk up and cut
(36:37):
and take from you.
So security security stuff.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
So, since it was Pearson's luggage before, any
tips you can share with us onpicking out luggage?
Speaker 4 (36:51):
I have Briggs and Riley and I love it.
You know everybody's differentwhen it comes to picking out the
luggage.
I like the expandable casesbecause I can go with it being
smushed down and small and thenon the way back make it larger,
(37:14):
you know, to bring all mygoodies back.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
So I've been doing it wrong.
I take mine larger when I goand then I just bring extra bags
with me just in case I do itand I use the soft side and I've
been wanting to transition tothe hard.
But it's like I like thoselittle extra pockets.
It just feels like it's a bonustravel section and I'm just not
quite ready to give that up.
So any final thoughts or anyfinal tips, advice you want to
(37:38):
give to our travelers before wewrap up?
Speaker 3 (37:57):
agent to give us a call and you know we're here to
make you know.
To us, booking a trip is likemaking your dreams come true, so
we want to do that.
We enjoy what we do.
We will do everything possibleto get you the most for your
money and we're always there Ifyou have a problem.
We have people calling you knowat two and three o'clock in the
morning.
They're stuck in the airport.
Even though we can't help you,we're there to at least comfort
(38:20):
you or do our best let you vent.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
And how can they reach you, ladies?
How can they reach pearson's?
Speaker 4 (38:26):
well cell phone numbers if it's two o'clock in
the morning, if it's two o'clockin the morning we'll give you
2d cell number um, but ouroffice number is 225-926-3752.
We're there monday throughfriday, 8 30 to 5 30 um.
Somebody's in the office, umwe're answering the phones.
So, yeah, come by say hi orgive us a call.
(38:48):
We'd love to help you well,ladies, thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
So thank you so much.
We're going to turn the micsoff and see if we can book my
next trip while I have you here,but thank you so much.
So, no matter where you want totravel, you've got some tips
here for DIY.
You definitely have someinformation on if you need to be
able to use a travel agent, sowe'll just leave you with happy
travels.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
It's time for blueprint building blocks small
changes that lead to bigfinancial wins.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Let's stack up for success.
Do your research.
Whether you book on your own oruse a consultant, always
compare prices and read reviewsto get the best bang for your
buck.
Plan ahead.
The best travel deals go tothose who book early.
You can set travel alerts andtrack prices.
You want to be budget savvy.
Use those points, discounts andoff-peak travel dates to
(39:40):
stretch your dollar.
And, of course, you want tostay safe.
Be aware of travel scams andalways book through reputable
sites or consultants.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
That's a wrap on today's Blueprint Building
Blocks.
Stay on track with yourfinancial journey.
Subscribe to the Money Matterspodcast and visit
neighborsfcuorg slash financialwellness for more tools to help
you build a strong financialfuture.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that
focuses on how to use the moneyyou have, make the money you
need and save the money you want.
Now here is your host, ms Kim.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Chapman, welcome to another edition of Money Matters
.
Today, we're going to talkabout one of my absolute
favorite things to do, and thatis travel.
I think that's actually one ofthe motivations I get up and
come to work, and so, whetheryou are dreaming of some luxury
travel around the world, or ifyou're looking for some tips on
how to do it yourself becauseI've had to do both of them
(00:34):
we're going to have some expertshere with us to show us the
best way to book your travel.
So with me here today, fromPearson's Travel, is Ms Cindy
Chambers and Ms Tutti Bonacarso.
Did I say that right?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yes, Thank you, ladies.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Look, I told them.
I said this is my favoritesubject so hopefully we can get
through and not be here for twoor three days.
We can wrap this up in about 45minutes because I love travel,
love to talk about travel.
So tell us a little bit aboutyour experience.
I mean Pearson's is a localtravel agency here.
I know the name.
Most of our listeners probablyknow the name.
We see it passing up the streeton Jefferson all the time.
(01:11):
So how did you get started inthis business and tell us you
know a little bit about yourbackgrounds.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
I actually started at Pearson's Luggage and in 1981,
mr Pearson decided to open atravel agency and I was there.
So I just kind of moved over tothe side and started working in
the agency business.
We hired one person that wasmoving back into Baton Rouge who
had been in the businessforever, and so she was kind of
(01:40):
my teacher Back in those days.
We had to handwrite tickets.
There was no computers to doall the tickets and everything
else for you.
So it's been quite a ride, withall the different things
happening and changes, but it'sbeen wonderful.
It's a fun business, very fun.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
And Tutti just has a nice travel ring to it.
Tell us about your background.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Well, believe it or not, about 40 years ago I went
on my first cruise and I fell inlove with cruising and when I
came back I decided that Iwanted to get into travel and
basically that's how I startedoff and I did a lot of group
travels for church groups andorganizations and I just love it
(02:25):
.
I love planning trips forpeople and making their dreams
come true.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I can agree with you there and I've done it both.
I've done it with the travelagency, I've done the DIY.
But what is going to be thebiggest advantage of using a
travel agent?
Speaker 4 (02:39):
You have us, you have a local person.
We still have a storefront soyou can call and say I need to
come talk to you.
We make sure that yourpassports are correct and have
the six-month time limit on itand we just kind of we're there
to double-check everything foryou.
(02:59):
You know just another face andsomebody that you can contact
locally.
You know just another face andsomebody that you can contact
locally, not a 1-800 number thatstays busy and you have to keep
transferring here and there andhoping you get to talk to
somebody.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Definitely understand the frustrations with that.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Can working with a travel agency actually save you
any money?
Yes and no.
I mean we get all the samerates that everybody else gets.
We belong to a consortiumcalled Virtuoso, and it's a
group of travel agencies, andwhat they do for us is they
might put together somedifferent trips or different
possibilities where you can getonboard credits or an extra tour
(03:45):
or you know.
So there'll be something addedto your package where, if you
just book it on your own, youmight not get that.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
So I know definitely one of the benefits, of course,
pearson's is that you're a local.
Somebody can walk into thatstorefront.
But what should a consumer lookfor if they're trying to pick a
travel agent, whether that youknow, maybe they're outside of
the Baton Rouge area and theycan't come in and visit you,
lovely ladies?
What should they be looking forin terms of selecting a travel
agency?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Okay, Well, first of all, when you start to look for
a travel agency or a travelagent, you should maybe ask your
friends or family for areferral.
You also should go on theirwebsite, see their credentials.
Are they a member of the BetterBusiness Bureau?
Also, do they have what theycall an IATAN license that each
(04:37):
travel agency has to have tooperate as a travel agency?
And just look at the reviews tooperate as a travel agency and
just look at the reviews.
And that's the first thing thatyou should do when you start to
look into a travel agency.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
All right.
So what are the popular placesfor 2025?
Speaker 4 (04:54):
right now, and I know they're going to be different.
You have a family, you have acouples and then you need the
couple.
You know the whole package.
We're still doing a lot withItaly, london, scotland, croatia
is something that has popped up.
I think a lot of people wentand visited, you know, got off a
(05:16):
cruise ship and visited andthen decided they needed to go
back.
Just, we do a lot of theCaribbean.
It all depends upon how manypeople are going and, um, if do
they want to go see history orwhatever greek isles is so very
popular right now?
(05:37):
Um, what else?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
oh, and number one river cruisesises.
Everyone is booking a rivercruise to Europe.
I mean, they also have rivercruises too, down to Mississippi
, but I mean nothing againstMississippi, you know when you
can go to Europe for the sameprice.
So river cruises are very, verypopular, especially for the
(05:59):
senior age group, and people areleaning towards smaller cruise
ships, less passengers.
They want more personal serviceand they're willing to pay that
amount.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
So you mentioned the seniors love the cruises.
What are you seeing formillennials, gen Zs, in terms of
travel.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
It depends upon again , it depends upon again.
They've got tour companies thatdo biking and hiking.
So if they're very, go andrelax.
(06:46):
After you know being soconfined to the workplace and
you know using that brain toomuch, they can just go relax.
But they still love the cruisestoo.
They still love the cruises.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
So a lot of times we overlook things right here in
our backyard.
What are some of the hiddentreasures right here in
Louisiana that somebody may notbe aware of?
That's a great place to book atravel to.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, we were talking about this the other day.
To me, natchitoches, a lot ofpeople.
I mean, there's so much thatNatchitoches has to offer.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Meat pies and Christmas right.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yes, and history.
And it's just Cindy and I bothlove Natchitoches.
Also, Avery Island is a greattrip if you want to do just a
one-day trip.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Get that hot sauce.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
One-day trip.
The other was, you know, andour state parks.
People forget about how niceour state parks are.
Now, since COVID is over with,they have refurbished a lot of
the cabins over the water andit's just a quick trip and you
(07:59):
can camp, you can fish and it'sjust some wonderful
opportunities for, you know,families to take advantage of.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
What are some of the most common mistakes consumers
make when they're booking theirown travel?
Trying to do too much.
Trying to do too much, soexplain that a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
They'll book instead of relaxing time.
They will be booked for toursfrom the time they get up in the
morning until the time they laytheir head back down, and it's
just a lot and it's not relaxing.
You just don't have time to seeeverything.
It's great to stay busy becauseyou might not ever go back to
(08:44):
that place, but again, it'ssupposed to be a vacation, so
don't try and cram so much intoit.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I've been so guilty of that.
There was a time, before I knewbetter, I would travel and I'd
have to have an itinerary Rightand it would be from sunup to
sundown.
I mean we would use every bitof those 24 hours and we'd be
exhausted to sundown.
I mean we would use every bitof those 24 hours and we'd be
exhausted.
(09:11):
And I think after one of mytrips where I booked our flights
at six o'clock in the morningand my family and friends that
were traveling with me, I gotsome really, really shady looks
when we were in the airport atfour or five o'clock in the
morning and I think I learned,and I was even wore out after
that particular trip.
So I've kind of learned toscale back a little bit.
So I agree with you in thatsometimes we try and pack so
much in that.
So let's talk about preparationfor that trip.
(09:32):
Just for starters.
How far in advance doessomebody plan a trip?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
We are planning trips anywhere from two years in
advance to two months in advance.
From two years in advance totwo months in advance.
If you know in advance that youcan go next year at this time,
you can go ahead and startbooking.
You might not be able to bookeverything because rates might
not be out for everything, butmost of the cruise and the
tourist fares are out there andit just gives you a little
(10:01):
opportunity.
That you know.
If you want to pay monthly, youcan, you know, call and say OK,
charge me another five thousanddollars on my trip, or two
hundred dollars, or you know,whatever the budget is.
If you want to go in two months, we have, especially at
Christmas time, we get a lot ofcallins going.
(10:22):
Okay, I want to go somewherefor Christmas, and you know it's
a rush.
But at that point you kind ofhave to take what is left, what
is left, because everythingmight be booked up.
So the further in advance thebetter.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So I know that you know the holidays.
We have Black Friday and thenthere's Cyber Monday and I only
recently, you know became tunedinto Travel Tuesday, in that
they're supposed to have somereally good discounts on Travel
Tuesday.
Is there any other time of theyear that's a sweet spot?
Or is there a sweet spot interms of, ooh, six months out
(11:00):
before your vacation is betterthan booking a year out?
Definitely.
I know about the little 21 dayrule in terms of the airline.
Is there really a sweet spottime that's better than others?
Speaker 4 (11:12):
It really.
No, not really, because ifthere's availability, the cruise
lines might decide to go aheadand offer a discount, or the
tour companies just to fill itup.
But these days everybody istraveling and a lot of the
different categories are alreadyfilled up a year in advance, so
(11:34):
it's possible you might get adiscount or something on it, and
the tour companies, the cruiselines, they all monthly change
whatever their special is.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
And I'd just like to add one of the things that we do
at Pearson's Travel.
When you book a trip with us ifit's with the cruise lines or a
tour company if the rates godown and they apply those lower
rates to your date of travel andyou have not paid your final
payment, we can pass thosesavings on to you as one of our
(12:13):
customers.
The Internet's not going to dothat.
We always monitor our trips forour clients, because we want to
get you the very best rate thatwe can at Pearson's so that
you'll come back and tell others.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
You know it's hard for me to think of why people
don't travel, but there's somany different myths about
travel out there.
For example, I can remembergoing to New York years ago.
All I heard was, oh, newYorkers are so rude and I was
almost a little anxious orapprehensive going because they
had me thinking that thesepeople were just going to, like
you know, kick you to the curb.
And they were the nicest people.
They were as nice as we aredown here in Louisiana with our
(12:49):
Southern hospitality.
So what are some other travelmyths that are out there that
maybe you can debunk at thistime?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Well, one of them is you know, traveling is a solo,
especially for ladies.
It's unsafe, and that's nottrue anymore.
My daughter's listening.
It's unsafe, and that's nottrue anymore, my daughter's
listening.
Well, some of the cruise linesnow have especially like
(13:18):
Norwegian Cruise Line offers aspecial for solo travelers.
Just about on all their shipsthey have certain cabins
designated for solo singletravelers and to get to these
cabins you have to go through acertain like lounge before you
can reach your stateroom.
So by going through this loungeevery time you go in and out,
you get to meet others, and Ihave a client that travels this
way and she she's met morefriends and you know they'll end
(13:42):
up going to dinner together,they end up doing tours together
.
So traveling solo is now, youknow, um way safer than people
think it has been, and I'm sorryto tell you this for your
daughter she's just started.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
She loves to travel, of course, and so she's trying
to plan a trip for herself.
She wants to go to new york andI'm like no, I don't think you
should do that one by yourself.
But you know, once they hit 18,they think they can do whatever
.
So, we might have to edit thatlow.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
You can travel by yourself out.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
So another myth or maybe it's not a myth is that
it's cheaper to book on aTuesday.
What do you say about that?
Because I know I'm alwayslooking on a Tuesday, so am I
wasting my time?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
We talked about that because it started out on
Sundays and then it was Tuesdaysand then Wednesdays and
Thursdays.
So you know you can check itevery day to see if the fare has
dropped.
I mean, most people like to goout of town on Thursday, friday
and Saturday, so if you cantravel on like a Tuesday or a
(14:49):
Wednesday, that's usually lessexpensive.
Definitely for the hotel stay ohyes, yes, but you know I would
just check it for a week or soand see what's going on and if
you get a really inexpensivefare, jump on it.
If not, you know, after you'vechecked it for a week to see
which day is cheaper than thefollowing week, take that day
(15:12):
and see if it's still there andbook it.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
So what you're saying is, I should probably do a
little bit more work on Tuesdaysinstead of watching the Travel
Network because I definitelyhave bought into that one.
I'll look on Tuesdays,especially Southwest.
They always send me a littleemail on Tuesdays and so you
have to kind of watch that.
So one of the places that I'veactually never done is an
all-inclusive resort.
What is the deal on that?
(15:35):
Is it worth the money?
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Well, it does include .
It's kind of like the cruise.
So it includes all your foodand with all inclusive it
includes all your alcohol too.
So if you like to eat and drink, then it's definitely worth it
(15:57):
resort because they said wedon't eat that much, so why
should we have to pay for all ofthat?
And you know we don't drinkeither, so you know we're good
without any of that.
So it depends upon the family.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Most of the time I think it works out better if you
do the all-inclusive.
So I've kind of been on bothends of the spectrum.
I started out traveling on abudget.
Every now and then I like tosplurge and do things a little
bit nicer.
So what are some of the tipsthat you could offer somebody
that wants to travel?
What are those budgeting tipsthat can help them make that
vacation nice for themselves ortheir family?
But they have a shoestringbudget or just a certain dollar
(16:37):
amount that they want to stay in.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Well, normally, if when someone wants to travel on
a budget, they really need toplan their trip like a year in
advance so that way they canmaybe set up a little travel
account, they need to also booktheir accommodations ahead of
time and a lot of time gothrough the hotel directly
(17:02):
because you can get, like, maybea discount if you're a senior
citizen or you know if you knowAARP, you know, or military, and
(17:23):
while you're on your trip,instead of you know having a
driver or taking the train,maybe use a public
transportation to take youaround.
And especially in Europe,instead of going to a restaurant
, there's so many little grocerystores or little that you can
pick up you know cheese andstuff to make sandwiches, or
little city cafes just out onthe sidewalk that you can get a
really nice, affordable lunch.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
I heard you say sandwich and I just remember
being a kid and my dad wouldload up the ice chest and make
the sandwiches before we wouldhit the road and I dare to say
Astro World, but then I'd beaging myself for the audience.
I want them to still think I'm25.
What are some other tips orways to find discounts at hotels
and airplane tickets?
(18:00):
What are some good ways forthem to find discounts?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
airplane tickets.
What are some good ways forthem to find discounts?
A lot of people you know ifwe're booking your hotel, we'll
look at different tour companiesor websites like hotelscom or
Kayak, or you know we'rechecking with hotels, but I also
check with the hotels directlybecause a lot of times you can
(18:27):
still get a lower rate becausethere's a promotion that's not
being shown on hotels orbookingcom or Travel Velocity
and Kayak has really great dealson airline prices too.
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
So what would you consider, maybe the most
budget-friendly places?
Speaker 4 (18:51):
definitely domestic to travel to.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Domestic.
Right now, for domestic, a lotof people are going to Zion
National Park.
The parks are very popular thisyear.
If you're doing the parks onyour own, then they're very,
very affordable, like if you'renot doing an escorted tour.
(19:17):
That's one of the benefits ofgoing to the national parks.
They're very popular this year.
I'm drawing a blank all of asudden, but let's see, also
going to like Florida.
If you're going to Floridainstead of going to Orlando,
(19:39):
maybe go to Augusta or TampaFlorida, you know, instead of
going to, you know, disney World.
You can still get, you know,the beaches and everything like
that.
Let's see.
I'm just driving versus flying.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
Well, we'll save you money.
I know a lot of people don'tlike road trips but you know,
just drive over to Texas.
I've been researching for agroup Fredericksburg and you
know the different things thatare over there and you know
they've got tours that you cando or you can just show up and
(20:17):
you know there's this place thathas, you know, flowers.
It has, you know, flowers, justrows and rows and rows that you
can walk through and you know,just look at where you want to
go and just take off and go, andyou don't have to.
You can stay off the interstateat the first hotel you see, and
(20:37):
you know, kind of look at thearea, make sure it's safe, but
you know just, you don't have tostay in the middle of the
resort or the middle of the townor something like that.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
That's why they can definitely call experts like you
to find those actual placesthat have those little hidden
treasures.
And I imagine between the twoof you, with all the experience,
you've traveled a lot of places.
What are some of the mostunexpected or unique experiences
that either of you haveexperienced in your years of
travel?
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Two years ago I did a trip to Africa and I love
animals, so I was really excitedabout going to see all the
animals.
But when we got there it wasunreal.
It was so unreal.
The first place we went we werein Uganda and we did the
(21:28):
trekking with the gorillas andwe had these young boys and
girls that would carry ourbackpacks and our water and
everything and give us an extrapush up the hill or whatever.
But when we got to where thefamily of gorillas were, we just
sat down and they were justlike you know, right there,
(21:51):
right there in our face, andthey were looking at us and
we're looking at them and theywere just magnificent creatures.
And then you know, to do thesafaris to actually see all
these animals in the wild andstay in the glamping tents
because it definitely wasn'tcamping, you know, it was just
(22:12):
the people were wonderful andthe scenery, the animals it was
more than I even expected it tobe.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
So you mentioned glamping.
Do people use travel agenciesto put together glamping trips?
Yeah, yeah, I've never done one.
I've done the camping, I have ason and so we've done the.
Boy Scouts and we've slept onthe ground, but I think I'd like
to try out glamping just once.
But I want to talk a little bit.
You know I was trying to quietdown travel by yourself.
(22:43):
Travel today definitely haschanged compared to 20, 30, 40
years ago.
Technology, ai there are somany different scams in every
field.
And so travel definitely is notexempt from that.
What are some of the commontravel scams that consumers
should be aware of?
Speaker 3 (23:02):
scams that consumers should be aware of.
Well, if it says, you know, buyone, get one free, basically
it's not true, it's the regularprice and they're just splitting
in half.
So a lot of people don'trealize that when they see that
being advertised, If it'sextremely inexpensive, then whoa
(23:26):
there's you know, the red flags, the bells should be.
Red flags.
So if you, you know, seesomething like that on the
Internet, before you send anymoney you need to check that
hotel, you need to check withthe airlines to make sure you
know you're getting what youthink you're paying for, and
(23:48):
then look at the ratings of thatcompany you know to see, you
know, and the reviews before yougive your money to them.
So just be very careful.
You know, I'm not saying theinternet, everything on the
internet is not.
Internet is not legit, butthere are a lot of scams out
there and you just have to bevery, very careful.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
So, other than the too good to be true, are there
any other red flags that you canthink of that consumers should
be on the watch for?
Speaker 4 (24:18):
If somebody contacts you right after you Google
something, that could be areally big red flag.
I mean, they're getting intoour computers and phones and
everything we Google andeverything we search and all of
a sudden you're getting an emailfrom somebody saying I saw you
looking for this.
You know I can do it cheaper or, you know, be a little weary.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yeah, be definitely a little weary.
So let's talk a little bitabout travel insurance.
Is it something that yourecommend?
Is it worth the money?
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Yes, yes, definitely, definitely, and they've got so
many.
You know the cruise lines andthe tour companies all have
their policies, and now some ofthem.
If you cancel for not a validreason, not a covered reason,
you can still get at least 80percent of your trip back for
future cruise or future tour orsomething like that.
(25:14):
But yeah, you definitely needinsurance If you're going to
Europe.
Your health insurance is notgoing to cover you over there,
so you're going to have to outof insurance is not going to
cover you over there, so you'regoing to have to out-of-pocket.
You know, whatever goes on Withthe insurance, you've got
medical insurance with you.
If, the day before somebody inyour family passes away, it's
(25:40):
terrible to say but it doeshappen that is a covered reason
and you're going to get yourmoney back.
You know it's just yeah, it isexpensive, but it is worth it.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
It's definitely worth it once you find out that you
need it.
So you mentioned something Iheard you say about your
insurance won't cover you whenyou travel abroad.
And I actually think about thatbecause I did travel abroad
somewhere in the midst of COVIDand I remember having to call my
doctor because it was duringthe time that if you tested
positive they would make youstay an extra 10 days and while
(26:14):
I would love to, probablycouldn't afford to.
So I called my doctor to say,hey, I think if you were
medically, if you had to staythere medically, there were some
little conditions.
I had to call my doctor and say, hey, what's going to happen in
all these different cases?
So, maybe something not asextreme as COVID, what are maybe
some other little things likeyou mentioned?
Your insurance may not coveryou there that people don't
(26:35):
necessarily think about beforetraveling, which is something
they may want to look intobefore they book a trip.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Well, one of the things about the insurance is,
if your flight's delayed and ifit's because of bad weather and
you have to spend the night, theairline is not going to put you
up.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Wait, a minute.
You're not going to put me upat the Hilton.
I don't want to sleep in anairport.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
The airlines will only put you in a hotel if it's
due to mechanical problems orit's their fault.
You know they don't have a crew.
So, with that being said, withthis trip cancellation insurance
, you have like an amount it'susually like $150 per person per
day that will cover your hotel,your meals and any other
(27:22):
expense that you have.
So you would just save yourreceipt and then, when you came
back, you would file a claim andget reimbursed.
The most important thing thatit covers is if you're over
there and you have to bemedically evacuated.
That starts around what 50,000.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
So you know it covers for medical evacuation.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Also, if you're on a trip and you receive a phone
call that someone has passedaway and you need to come back
for a death or medical, youwould pay for your airline
ticket to come back.
You would get reimbursed forthe cost of your ticket and for
the portion of your trip youdidn't use.
So I mean, it's like we tellpeople if you buy a new car,
(28:09):
you're not going to drive it out.
You know the dealership withoutinsurance, so why wouldn't you
insure your trip?
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
So if I'm going to call a travel agency, what
information should I haveavailable before I pick up the
phone or contact you via text oremail?
What information should I haveavailable for you?
And then, what should I expectfrom my travel agent?
Speaker 3 (28:33):
First of all, I would say your dates, Because people
will call, and maybe where youwould like to go, Because we'll
get phone calls.
I want to go someplace, I don'tknow where.
I don't have any dates, Well,okay, but we need your dates or
your interests.
If you don't have a destination, you know what are you
(28:58):
interested in, and by using usand kind of giving us this
information and we'll find outyour likes and dislike and we'll
you know, we'll customize atrip for you to your likings.
But we really need, you knowthat to me, those, because we
get those phone calls all thetime.
We just have to have a littlebit of information.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
And the other thing we'll say, okay, well, what type
of budget are you working with?
And a lot, you know.
A lot of times you don't know,because how much does it really
cost to go to Europe?
But they'll say, unlimited, I'mgood, ok, whatever.
And then so you put them in thenice four or five-star hotels
(29:44):
and it's kind of like they freakout because it's so expensive.
So you, you know, you canalways say three, three and a
half star hotel is good for me.
I don't need first class.
On the airline tickets.
You know, just as muchinformation as you can give us
is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
I definitely like to do a little research before I
travel to a destination.
Thank goodness for the Internet.
I remember years ago there willbe the books I think it was at
Forbes, so are there anyparticular resources that you
recommend for travelers to look?
I actually now go on YouTube,which I absolutely love because
they'll definitely be a littlebit more up to date in terms of
(30:19):
what's happening in thatparticular region.
What would you recommend atraveler do their research in
terms of looking up a possibledestination?
Speaker 4 (30:28):
You can just Google the country or Google the
particular city that you want togo to and see what is out there
.
You can also go on to, just toget ideas, some of the tour
companies and they'll have likean itinerary.
No, you don't want to go with atour company, you want to do it
(30:48):
more on your own.
You don't want to get up at 6o'clock every morning and have
your bags out.
But they have an itinerary withpretty much the most popular
places that everybody wants tovisit, so you can kind of look
at theirs and go.
Well, you know I'm really notinterested in going to that
museum, but I like this one downhere and just to see the
(31:08):
different offerings that theyhave.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
So is there such a thing as a trip being too small
to call a travel agency?
Maybe I just want to book anice getaway weekend to New
Orleans.
Is that something that youwould say you don't even need a
travel agency for?
Or can I find value in callinga travel agency for maybe a
weekend getaway?
Speaker 4 (31:28):
Yeah, I mean, we book hotel rooms in New Orleans all
the time and sometimes, you know, depending upon where you want
to stay, using our consortiumthat we belong to, you might get
a free dinner or you might geta spa credit.
Or, you know, depending uponwhere you're staying or what you
(31:49):
want to do, you know, dependingupon where you're staying or
what you want to do, you know alot of those managers from those
hotels come up and visit andyou know we're running low on
this time of the month orwhatever and help us out.
But yeah, I mean, you knowwe're here to help, even if it's
just a little weekend getaway.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
And I'm going to take a stab and make an assumption
Is Disney one of the mostrequested travel destinations?
No, no.
So tell me, enlighten me.
What is the most requestedtravel destination?
Speaker 4 (32:21):
I think right now it's Europe and river cruising
or cruising the national parks.
I mean we do some Disney, butDisney for us has gotten to be
something that everybody prettymuch books on their own, because
they've been there 10 timesalready and they know what they
want to do, and so yeah, Wouldyou recommend somebody doing
(32:46):
Disney with a travel agent forthe first time, because I
imagine it can be overwhelmingbecause there's so many
different parks.
Disney is so overwhelmingbecause you have the meal
packages, you have all thedifferent parks, you have all
the different hotels and youknow which one does this and
which one can I get on the tramand ride in.
And so, yeah, if you've neverbeen, I would definitely use a
(33:10):
travel agent.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
And I think I've got one other question, because I
told you we could be here.
So, of course, hotels youmentioned three-star, four-star,
five-star.
Is there really a bigdifference in between the star
ratings?
How much value should we put inthose ratings when we're
looking at reviews or justlooking at the hotel rating?
Am I going to get a lot more ifI pay the money for a five star
than if I get a three star?
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Again, it kind of depends.
If it's a five star and they'repart of our consortium, then
yeah, we can get you somedifferent little upgrades and
some specials and everything.
But I mean there's a lot oftimes the three and a half star
hotels are as good as some ofthe four star hotels.
(33:56):
So I don't.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
And you're.
You really you don't want to gobelow a three and a half star
hotel because their ratings ontheir hotels are different than
ours.
You know Hotels are differentthan ours.
You know, as far as you know,the way we rate our hotels.
But you can.
You know most hotels in Europethat we sell, I would have to
(34:22):
say, are four stores and they'recentrally located and a lot of
times you can get when you havea travel agent working on your
trip.
We can a lot of times find afive-store hotel at a
three-store price for you.
I don't know that sounds good.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Now I know there's a lot that you do do, so I do have
to ask now, with there's somany changes especially
Southwest just mentioned thatthey're going to stop giving you
free luggage those two bags forfree Can you show me how to
pack now in just a carry-on?
Can I call my travel agent andfigure out how to make that
happen?
Come on, we're trying to getyou some definite business the
(35:00):
right answer.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Call Cindy Me personally.
No, I can't do it.
I've tried and it just doesn'twork for me because I want to
take too much.
But I do have customers that doit.
I mean, all the hotels willhave, or most of them have, the
laundromats, or you can send itout to the dry cleaners.
Same thing with the cruiseships.
So you know, if you want tobring one pair of black pants
(35:25):
and one pair of navy blue pantsand not 10 pair of shoes, then
then it can.
It can definitely be done.
It can definitely be done.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Are there any travel essentials that you think every
person should travel with?
You should never go on a tripwithout.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
I personally love the air tags because it helps you
can see where your luggage is,you know if it gets delayed
where it's delayed at andsomeone was talking this morning
about putting one on theirhusband so he could find them in
the airport, you know.
So that's gotten to be very,very popular with travelers.
(36:04):
You know, especially becausethere's so many delays with your
flights and with your luggage,at least you'll have a little
advantage to know where it's atif it's on its way to meet you.
That's what I would have to sayfor me.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, you know, back when wehad the luggage store, we sold
so many different items forsecurity, like the money belts,
the ones that go around yourneck, or the bags now that have
the wires in them that you knowsomebody can't walk up and cut
(36:37):
and take from you.
So security security stuff.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
So, since it was Pearson's luggage before, any
tips you can share with us onpicking out luggage?
Speaker 4 (36:51):
I have Briggs and Riley and I love it.
You know everybody's differentwhen it comes to picking out the
luggage.
I like the expandable casesbecause I can go with it being
smushed down and small and thenon the way back make it larger,
(37:14):
you know, to bring all mygoodies back.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
So I've been doing it wrong.
I take mine larger when I goand then I just bring extra bags
with me just in case I do itand I use the soft side and I've
been wanting to transition tothe hard.
But it's like I like thoselittle extra pockets.
It just feels like it's a bonustravel section and I'm just not
quite ready to give that up.
So any final thoughts or anyfinal tips, advice you want to
(37:38):
give to our travelers before wewrap up?
Speaker 3 (37:57):
agent to give us a call and you know we're here to
make you know.
To us, booking a trip is likemaking your dreams come true, so
we want to do that.
We enjoy what we do.
We will do everything possibleto get you the most for your
money and we're always there Ifyou have a problem.
We have people calling you knowat two and three o'clock in the
morning.
They're stuck in the airport.
Even though we can't help you,we're there to at least comfort
(38:20):
you or do our best let you vent.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
And how can they reach you, ladies?
How can they reach pearson's?
Speaker 4 (38:26):
well cell phone numbers if it's two o'clock in
the morning, if it's two o'clockin the morning we'll give you
2d cell number um, but ouroffice number is 225-926-3752.
We're there monday throughfriday, 8 30 to 5 30 um.
Somebody's in the office, umwe're answering the phones.
So, yeah, come by say hi orgive us a call.
(38:48):
We'd love to help you well,ladies, thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
So thank you so much.
We're going to turn the micsoff and see if we can book my
next trip while I have you here,but thank you so much.
So, no matter where you want totravel, you've got some tips
here for DIY.
You definitely have someinformation on if you need to be
able to use a travel agent, sowe'll just leave you with happy
travels.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
It's time for blueprint building blocks small
changes that lead to bigfinancial wins.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Let's stack up for success.
Do your research.
Whether you book on your own oruse a consultant, always
compare prices and read reviewsto get the best bang for your
buck.
Plan ahead.
The best travel deals go tothose who book early.
You can set travel alerts andtrack prices.
You want to be budget savvy.
Use those points, discounts andoff-peak travel dates to
(39:40):
stretch your dollar.
And, of course, you want tostay safe.
Be aware of travel scams andalways book through reputable
sites or consultants.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
That's a wrap on today's Blueprint Building
Blocks.
Stay on track with yourfinancial journey.
Subscribe to the Money Matterspodcast and visit
neighborsfcuorg slash financialwellness for more tools to help
you build a strong financialfuture.
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