Introductions are in order; my name is Scott and I am the founder of Fenix Holidays. From as far back as I can remember my greatest passion has been travel. Those of you who are with me on this know that there is just nothing like exploring the inner workings of a land that is new to you. I have been fortunate not only to have been able to travel extensively around the world but also to have a career that is built around my favorite hobby.
My life's work has been split evenly among jobs in airline operations as well as working as a travel agent and direct sales for a cruise company. I had the great pleasure of working for two start up airlines in the United States; Jetblue and Skybus. As start-ups go one was successful and the other not so much. I learned why never to trust a sales person during my tenure as a Personal Cruise Consultant for Norwegian Cruise Line. I built a great business around planning vacations to Walt Disney World for folks at large discounts. Through this I built my professional mission which is to offer the best value while blowing away guests expectations; nothing is as rewarding as this.
If I were to grade myself as a consumer, I would give myself a b+. Thanks to the internet, anything I am looking to buy I research in detail. I am a dedicated Costco Customer. Recently in searching for a place to live the sales person advised me to "sign on now as prices will only go up". Well, my gut told me otherwise, I waited and I "signed on" after a significant price drop. Why not an "A" grade you ask? In certain circumstances I have wanted an item so much and had fallen prey to buying prematurely. Recession or no recession, there is no need for anything less than insisting on the best value.
I am sure at this point many of you are asking "Where is he going with this"? Through these entries I would like to impart on you all of the in's and out's of buying travel. This will allow you to be your own advocate and get the absolute most for your travel dollar. I will share in excruciating detail what the sales environment at a Cruise Company is like as well as the marketing strategies. We will look at how (and how much) travel agents get paid. We will review all the great resources available on-line for researching your next vacation. If I get to feeling super nostalgic, you may even get a day in the life of the (unglamorous) job of a flight attendant.
As we start this journey think of this as your tool to helping you become the best travel consumer. The dialog is open so please ask lots of questions along the way, I am excited to share every bit of knowledge that I have. Check back soon, the next entry will profile the inner workings of a sales force at a cruise company; why NOT to buy direct!
Thanks for reading!
Scott
