Travel Tips
How to work with a Travel Agent
By Mike Snyder
When God calls a team to join us in Belize the potentially daunting task of getting there (and back!) usually comes up quickly. Perhaps the single largest expenditure of your mission will be airfare, so it is critical to secure the best seats at the best price and as soon as you are able!
As we’ve sent thousands to the mission field the last ten years, I’ve put together a brief list to help you get started in the process.
Flex and Obey
As in all missions, one of the first rules of travel is “Flex and obey, for there’s no other way” (sing it to the tune of the old hymn “Trust and Obey” as a team exercise sometime!).
As you prepare to secure group airfare (for 10 or more passengers), it is in your best interest to start as early as possible. We are able to hold group space up to 11 months in advance for most airlines.
Since each aircraft only has a small percentage of its inventory delegated to the best discounted group airfare, the faster you grab it, the better chance you have to maximize your time and your mission dollars.
Check midweek flights, and check two or three days on either side of your desired dates just to make sure better fares aren’t available by “flexing” just a little. Thirst is great about accommodating teams in this way, as you may have already noticed!
Find an Agency You Trust!
Why? Typically, travel agencies specializing in missionary airfare and group bookings have:
- Access to top accounts, giving you the best chance to secure the schedule you desire.
- Experience in negotiating directly with the airlines, including pitting one airline against the other for your business. Most general reservation lines have a set price, and you take it or leave it. Not so with the right agency.
- After-hours access to the airlines so that, if something goes wrong – a missed connection, weather delay, or canceled flights – you have an advocate to call 24/7. Why stand in line for hours or even days hoping to get help from the airline when you can call your agent and have them cover you?
Guess High
For air travel purposes it is best to guess high when estimating the size of your group. (Note that Thirst Missions wants you to estimate your numbers conservatively as for them it is better to add numbers to your team than to be subtracting. So if you think you might have 25 tell Thirst Missions 20 and let them be pleasantly surprised if your number goes up. Then tell your travel agent 30 so he or she can reserve enough seats for a robust turnout.)
Most group contracts allow you to reduce the number of your team (down to a minimum of 10) up to 90 days or so prior to travel. Typically, it is much easier to reduce from say, 20 passengers down to 17 passengers than it is to go to the airlines after the fact, and ask for an additional three or four seats. My recommendation? Dream big! As the Lord provides the specific number He wants to join you, you can then reduce the numbers to the most accurate tally.
Since most group bookings allow you to place a small deposit down to hold the space, and hold that price until approximately 30 – 60 days prior to travel (instead of purchasing them immediately), the advantages are obvious.
Most of the time if you were to go online to compare the fares on the date you actually purchase the tickets, you will find that have saved hundreds of dollars per person. And since names are not due until time of ticketing (30 – 60 days prior to travel), you will have time to recruit your team even while holding space for them!
Match the Passport
As you prepare to ticket your group double and triple check that the names, gender, and birthdates you have provided for your travelers match what is on their passports.
To use a passport for international travel the passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your return to the US or Canada. This has not been a big issue in the past, but due to heightened security concerns, we are seeing an increased number of passengers being denied boarding due to a “soon to be expired” passport.
Benefits of Travel Insurance
I also encourage people to seriously consider purchasing emergency medical evacuation and/or cancellation insurance for your team. For as little as two dollars per day for $100,000 coverage you can know that if you are sick or need to return for a family emergency your costs would be covered.
By tackling the airfare portion of your journey as early as possible, our hope is that you will have ample time to prepare your heart and the hearts of those the Lord is entrusting to you on this mission He has called you to.
If you’d like more information on missions in Belize, click here to email us!
Mike Snyder is the president and founder of MKI Group Travel, a travel agency with extensive missions experience. In fact MKI stands for Maximum Kingdom Impact! You can find MKI online at http://www.mkigrouptravel.com/.
