(KNSI) – From staffing shortages to air traffic control software breaking down, the holidays were hard on airline passengers. Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled per day in some cases.
Bursch Travel Director of Marketing Gretchen Winters says when you use a travel advisor, it can reduce headaches if you are stuck at an airport.
“Travel advisors have access to, maybe, special phone numbers we can get a hold of at the airline. We have access to, in the case of Southwest, flights would just continue to be canceled, you know the holidays, it was hard to find another flight. We can kind of look at the full picture and see if there’s anything available.”
Winters also suggests travel insurance, which can cover non-refundable costs like vacation rentals, hotels, and other commitments. If you have a medical emergency, the cost of care can be offset with travel insurance as well.
Winters says demand is high for air travel following the pandemic, which is contributing to headaches for passengers.
“A lot of people that were forced to stay home couldn’t travel, they didn’t spend any money. They’re now saying, ‘I deserve this’ and we’re seeing a lot of people really wanting to take those bucket list trips and and go places that they dreamt about going and they’re not going to wait any longer.”
A lot of those destinations are overseas. Winters says Bursch mostly handles outbound traffic from Minnesota to the rest of the world. She says a travel advisor is a good idea anytime but navigating international rules can be especially tricky to do on your own.
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