Australia 2000 Travel

Australia 2000 Travel

3 Big Advantages of Using a Travel Agent

Australia Travel Agency – Australia 2000 Travel (248) 647-4530

If you are in need of an experienced and trusted Australia Travel Agency, please contact Australia 2000 at (248) 647-4530 for more info or to start scheduling your trip! Click here to learn more about our Australia vacations or Follow Us on Facebook!

Australia Travel Agency
Photo Credit to Dan & Erica Nye

Sadly, the internet right now is one big cautionary tale about the dangers of booking travel online to get a “deal.” If you with book with a Verified Travel Advisor, we can find good value, but with suppliers that won’t leave you in a lurch, and someone to call if you need an advocate before during and after your travel.

Sure, you can book your vacation on your own terms since we have so many options nowadays with the internet. You can compare multiple websites for flights, hotels, Airbnb, and fun activities that are location specific to your destination.

With everyday life madness, just the thought of planning of trip can sound like a lot of work and may discourage you from actually booking a vacation with your friends or family.

Do you really understand why you should book your vacation with a travel agent?

Here are three quick things that you may not have thought about when it comes to booking travel arrangements and why hiring a travel agent will be beneficial for you.

Reason #1. Travel Agents will read all of the FINE little print for your flight and hotel reservations

Travel Agents know when you are supposed to check-in for your flight so you can get the best seat possible without any extra fees, be at the airport with enough time to get through security, check-in and checkout times of the hotel, and other small print fees that you might miss out on.

A travel agent will give you all the important details that you must know, so you know when and where you have to be. All you have to do is focus on getting there on time.

Reason #2. Travel Agents know what to do if you miss your flight or connecting flight

Sometimes there are things that you can’t just control such as weather delays or traffic that can cause you to miss a flight. Don’t get stuck at the airport or worse pay MORE to change your flight to help you get where you need to be. Travel agents can help rearrange flights if this happens to you, so you don’t miss any more time of your precious vacation time.

Reason #3. Travel Agents will buy trip protection for your trip

If you aren’t able to make it for whatever reason since you are booking months in advance, a travel agent will make sure that you get a full refund. This is the beauty of trip protection because again you can’t control life and things happen. Plans change and that’s okay. A travel agent will help you get your money back.

Those are the things that a true travel agent professional handle for the traveler. Professional travel agents do all the heavy lifting. We help take the stress away by planning, organizing, comparing prices for flights and hotel accommodations, and booking your trip for you. All you have to worry about is getting to your final destination to enjoy yourself!

For a top rated Australia Travel Agency, please contact Australia 2000 at (248) 647-4530 for more details or to begin scheduling your trip!

source: labellevietravel.com

7 Reasons You Should Use a Travel Agent

Australia Travel Agent – Australia 2000 Travel (248) 647-4530

If you are in need of an experienced and trusted Australia Travel Agent, please contact Karen at Australia 2000 Travel at (248) 647-4530 for more information or to begin scheduling your trip! Click here to learn more about our Australia trips or Follow Us on Facebook!

Australia Travel Agent

In this article we’ll explain several travel agent benefits, as well as why to use a travel agent instead of booking online.

1. Travel is their expertise

The #1 benefit of using a travel agent when it comes to booking your family travel is because travel is their expertise.

Much like you would hire an electrician to handle a wiring issue, or a financial planner to help manage your money, you should turn to a travel professional when you’re in need of assistance with your travels.

Travel agents are trained to know, understand, and adapt to all different forms of travel.

They research information on their client’s travel plans and relay important details including travel advisories, recent news, weather conditions, and required documents for your destination.

-We discuss your travel desires and craft the perfect vacation just for you!

-Likewise, we listen, suggest, adjust, and understand.

-We also give you valuable tips before you leave on your vacation that you may not have thought of on your own!

2. Destination knowledge

Travel agents uncover new destinations and are constantly on the lookout for the best trips and travel recommendations. Likewise, they are the best resources to contact when looking to book unique places to stay in the USA and beyond!

Not only do travel agents travel the world to serve as a resource for their clients, but they have an abundance of other travel-related resources to answer your questions quickly and correctly.

Their recommendations cater to various travel purposes, whether it be family, group, or multi-generational leisure or business-related travel.

We travel so we can see destinations, resorts, and excursions first hand in order to help our clients make informed decisions on what they can expect.

3. Convenience

Travel agents offer the convenience of having every aspect of your vacation or trip pulled together in one comprehensive plan.

This includes researching and suggesting destinations, as well as arranging for flights, accommodations, airport transportation, and excursions.

By doing so, all of the guesswork is taken out of these selections and your final details will be available in one hub of information provided to you by your travel agent.

We know your time is valuable, so we seek out all of the answers to your questions so that you don’t have to waste your precious time researching.

4. Cost savings

Many people might be hesitant to work with a travel agent because they think it will cost them extra money.

They may also assume that they’ll spend more money working with a travel agent than when booking vacations on their own.

The fact is that travelers do not pay more for vacations when working with a travel agent and instead, often save more money than they would if booking online.

Not only do travel agents have access to exclusive deals, but they keep track of current vacation promotions, can advise you on the best time to book, as well as calculate the value of what you will receive.

-We have relationships with tour operators and resorts that can gain our clients better travel perks.

-Likewise, we can actually save you money as we are privy to discounts you may not know about.

5. Relationship

The relationship you’ll form with your travel agent, as well as their relationships with other agents, are two of the benefits of using a travel agent.

Through getting to know you, a travel agent will honor your personal vacation requests and hand-pick its details to tailor to your needs.

The relationships that travel agents have with properties and other travel professionals will get you into incredible experiences and save you from unknowns.

Often times, room preferences, dietary needs, and other special requests can be seamlessly accommodated by the benefits of using a travel agent and their connections.

-Travel agents are not a search engine or an anonymous voice from a call center.

-Instead, we are professionals who happen to love travel and who truly care. We want you to have an experience, not just a trip!

6. Travel assistance

One of the best benefits of using a travel agent is the travel assistance that you will get in working with an actual person, versus the Internet.

The personalized attention that we received was an essential component to the success and overall enjoyment of the trip.

Quite simply, when working with a travel agent, they take care of everything.

From the moment you set foot in the destination to the moment you touch the ground back home, dedicated travel assistance is an undeniable benefit of using a travel agent.

-The Internet doesn’t call you back, but we do!

-During times of crisis (hurricanes, Covid-19, etc.), you make one call, text or email and we handle the rest.

-We are there for you 24/7 while traveling.

7. Decreased stress

Another one of the top benefits of using a travel agent is that they always have your back!

Travel agents exist to assist their clients in making travel as smooth and as stress-free as possible. In the rare case that something on a trip doesn’t go as planned, travel agents are there to resolve the problem, so that you can continue to relax and enjoy.

Not only that, but self-directed internet searches provide overwhelming amounts of information.

To make a trip extra special it’s best to have someone who knows how to connect all that information and turn it into an itinerary that is seamless and stress-free.

For a top rated Australia Travel Agent, call Karen at Australia 2000 Travel at (248) 647-4530 for additional info or to setup your dream Australia vacation!

source: travelwithaplan.com

Luxury Australia Travel Agency – Custom Itineraries

At Australia 2000 Travel and Australia/New Zealand Down Under Travel we customize luxury South Pacific Tours exclusively.

A touch of Aussie magic is weaved into every Bespoke Luxury Journey, hand-crafted and pre-booked for the discerning traveler wishing to explore Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands from a unique perspective.

Established in 1992, by fifth generation Australian, Karen Hardy Hodgson whose mission is to help travelers discover the South Pacific through a local’s eyes, to replace the passive environment of large tour buses with the vibrancy of experiential, immersive travel, to create individual itineraries based upon each traveler’s interests and desires, to take the traveler off the beaten track on stress-free journeys crafted to create life-long memories of wonder.

Our lofty ideals have been achieved by making yearly visits to the countries we so love.  There to develop cherished, personal relationships with the locals, stay in quirky city hotels, remote bed-and -breakfast inns, luxury lodges and bush camps. To handpick the specialist guide whose local artisan friends open galleries for private inspection, the indigenous person privileged to lead individuals to sacred Aboriginal sites, Fijian villages, Maori meeting-houses, the general manager who upgrades rooms based on availability. We create a unique a custom South Pacific Tours experience.

Multi-cultural cuisines, gourmet and obscure restaurants, intimate wine tastings at award-winning wineries, the wares at local markets, Sydney New Years Eve firework spectacular, camel-rides at sunset, the optical illusion of the Golden Staircase to the Moon, seaplane and mustering helicopter flights, quad bike rides, tandem parachute jumps, Fijian cava ceremonies, weddings in vineyards, romantic honeymoons, swims with whale sharks and humpback whales, rides on Harley Davidsons, one-on-one surfing lessons, cooking lessons, escorted multi-day walks, glamping, spa treatments, chauffeur-driven limousine transfers, behind the scenes tours, private garden tours, unique wildlife, remote luxury tropical islands, glaciers and fjords fill our Pandoras Box.

Thank you from Karen Peterson

Once my husband and I decided we would take a long awaited trip to Australia and New Zealand, we cracked open the guide books and began the arduous task of deciding where to visit, where to stay, what to see, how do we get there and all of the other logistical nightmares that come with planning a month long trip to a foreign country.

Feeling completely overwhelmed by our options and all the possibilities, we started to contact various travel agencies.  Of course, the large, well- known companies came to mind, but when we spoke with them, we felt as though they wanted to pigeonhole us into the established tours they offered, not a customized itinerary.  We felt disappointment at every turn.

Then a friend, who we had not seen in some time, told us about Karen Hodgson and Australia 2000 Travel.  That changed everything!

Karen, an Aussie living in Detroit, has received numerous awards during her 20+ year tenure as a travel specialist.  After our first conversation, I knew Karen was the agent for us.

She asked all the right questions, listened attentively during our calls, made sure she was meeting all our needs, regardless of how much effort and work she and her team would have to do to make this dream trip a reality.

Karen’s extensive knowledge of these two countries, her creativity (“how about taking a guided tour on a Harley” a highlight of the trip), her recommendations, connections in each town, attention to every detail were unsurpassed. We had a contact in each country who was there to welcome us and intervene if needed. Karen was also available and often emailed just to make sure the trip unfolded as we had imagined it would.

Looking back on our trip, in these troubling, unprecedented times, I am thrilled to say our vacation exceeded our expectations and we are grateful to be able to call to mind all the wonderful experiences we had. It is the perfect escape from the Corona Virus epidemic.

Our thanks to Karen and her team for a lifetime of precious memories. Our only regret???? Not having the pleasure of meeting this extraordinary woman in person. On our bucket list!

Karen Peterson

Thank you from Karen and Scott Lewis

Hi Karen and Hillary,

We want you to know about our wonderful adventure to New Zealand that you planned for us.

First and foremost our trip was flawless. Upon meeting Karen on our first encounter she listened to our requests regarding what we wanted to experience in New Zealand. She executed the most perfect trip for us, putting together an adventure (a lot of hiking, biking and kayaking) that met all our expectations, including eating with a family in New Zealand! The guides were top notch and very knowledgeable.

It was the most wonderfully planned and organized vacation. Kudos to Australia 2000!

Karen and Scott Lewis

 

A Ruined Woman

Photo Credits to Lyanna & Todd Leibert

After returning home from our wonderful trip to New Zealand, people ask me  “How was your trip?” The answer I have given is “I am a ruined woman.” I cannot imagine any future trip that I could take that could be as breathtaking as the New Zealand trip. This being my first real international trip, I needed someone to hold my hand. I could not have picked more helpful and secure hands than Karen’s Australia 2000 Travel. The itinerary was comprehensive and detailed. The people with whom Australia 2000 Travel collaborate were highly professional, giving my husband and I the utmost confidence from day one. When a plane was late taking off, their people had an alternative plan seamlessly in place so there was no disruption to our itinerary. Even when the Christchurch tragedy transpired the day preceding our flight to Christchurch, Australia 2000 Travel and their associates were reassuringly on top of how our travel plans would proceed. We simply needed to relax and wait for their directives. They handled it all. Upon reflection I realize that my greatest dilemma was whether to order an expresso or Americano. International traveling and tragedy should equate to stress, but if you are in the hands of Australia 2000 Travel expect reassurance and pampering while the professionals work it all out for you.

Lyanna Leibert

Thank you from Christine Riggle

Bula Karen and Hillary,

To say that Faith and I loved Savasi Island is an understatement. Words can’t describe how wonderful it was. The entire staff were so friendly they felt like family and it was very hard to say goodbye. We were enormously lucky to have the yoga instructor all to ourselves the first week. Very quickly she became one of our favorite people and we looked forward to spending time with her everyday. The Cora Villa was awesome. Although very close to the main building and another villa it was very private. The infinity pool was beyond words. When we weren’t in the pool, we were swimming at one of beaches. We enjoyed every minute and wouldn’t hesitate to return.

Vinaka vakalevu for finding Savasi. It exceeded our expectations and we left happy, relaxed and a little sad for having to leave.

Christine

The Face of Australia 2000 Travel ~ Karen Hardy Hodgson. Featured this month as Hour Detroit Magazine?s Faces of Detroit 2019

Australia 2000 Travel weaves a touch of Aussie magic into every Bespoke Luxury Journey, handcrafted for the discerning traveler seeking to explore Australia, New Zealand, and remote South Pacific islands from a unique perspective.

Australia 2000 Travel was established in 1992 by fifth-generation Australian Karen Hardy Hodgson, whose mission is to help travelers discover the South Pacific through a local’s eyes; experience the vibrancy of immersive travel during stress-free journeys tailored to include each person’s specific interests and desires; and take travelers beyond the beaten path, where lifelong memories of wonder are created.

Australia 2000 Travel stands alone with recognition by Tourism Australia as Michigan’s only Premier Aussie Specialist, by Tourism New Zealand as one of Fewer Than Ten North American 100% Pure New Zealand Life-Time Gold Specialists, by elite Luxperience as one of the Top Two-Hundred-Fifty Travel Designers in the World, and by Hour Detroit as Detroit’s Best Travel Agency.

https://www.hourdetroit.com/faces-of-detroit/australia-2000-travel-karen-hardy-hodgson/

 

What is the Meaning of Luxury Travel?

Luxury travel commences when the discerning traveler meets a passionate, knowledgeable travel designer who specializes in handcrafting bespoke, luxury journeys to a specific part of the world, based upon each traveler’s interests and desires.

At Australia 2000 Travel we focus on luxury travel to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific Islands, notably Fiji.

In visiting those countries annually I meet the locals, select boutique accommodations, choose the quintessential vibrant, private tour guide, move beyond the cities, seek the usual from a unique perspective.

As a travel designer I ask travelers, ‘”what” makes your eyes sparkle and your heart sing? And so begins the magic of creating individual, one-of-a-kind, stress-free, immersive travel experiences. Experiences that could include waking in a luxury tent at sunrise to see water buffalo walking by glistening in the sun after an early morning swim, dining in a local’s home, private wine tastings with the local vintner, visiting sacred indigenous sites, helicopter flights over Lord of The Rings country, firework displays at New Year, private garden, gallery and museum tours, diving on a glorious Fijian island.

I’m considered one of the top 250 travel designers in the world and recognized by Tourism Australia and Tourism New Zealand for my expertise. We take care of every single detail. All travelers need do is show up and be prepared for a good time.  Past clients often say I helped them create the best trip of their lives. Now that’s luxury travel.

Vinaka vinaka, Nga Mihi, Cheers

Karen Hardy Hodgson

President

Australia 2000 Travel

Creating Bespoke Luxury Journeys to Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific Islands

 

 

 

 

Recognition, Awards & Achievements

We’re honored that during the past six months Australia 2000 Travel has been recognized by Tourism Australia as Michigan’s only Premier Aussie Specialist, by Tourism New Zealand as one of Fewer Than Ten North American 100% Pure New Zealand Life-Time Gold Specialists, again by elite Luxperience, as one of the Top Two-Hundred-Fifty Travel Designers in the World and by readers of HOUR Detroit, USA’s leading monthly city magazine as The Best Travel Agency in Detroit. 

Contact Us

Phone: +1-248-647-4530
Email: cgoodman@downunderendeavours.com