If there is one thing that the travel industry can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the unbeatable value of a travel agent. Many travelers question “what’s the difference”, when most trips sell through multiple sources at the same price. Travel advisors have shown their true value ever since many countries started closing borders in March 2020, and hold times with airlines, cruise lines and online travel agencies would exceed 4 hours. Sometimes, phone lines were simply at maximum capacity and the call would not go through. Travelers were either stranded at destination or unable to get hold of someone for assistance on changing their travel plans, or canceling for a refund or future travel credit.

That’s when the value of a travel agent is shown. You can simply get a hold of your travel agent and they will do all the “dirty work” of taking care of your vacation. In recent years, travel agents have been seeing significant growth in demand. Statistics show that more than 50% of travelers use a travel agent, and in the post-COVID-19 world, that number will exceed 70%.

Teodor Mihail

Owner, Unravel World Travel

Unravel World Travel was started by Teodor Mihail in 2013, with a mission to inspire continuous love of travel through unraveling the world as your endless destination. It was formerly called Inspiring World Voyages, and rebranded to its new name on January 4, 2021. Clients are, and have always been, at the heart of the company’s mission, and have trusted the company wholeheartedly under the assurance “travel with confidence”. Even before COVID-19 existed, Unravel World Travel has done much more than a simple ticket. Clients have come back feeling brand new, and complimented the company for the wonderful service which exceeded their expectations.

Here are 5 clients who have been very happy with the service provided by Unravel World Travel:

"Pure Vida" Staying "Pura" Despite A Cancelled Flight

Ms. Necula was enjoying the “pura vida” in Costa Rica in September 2020, after the country opened its borders to international tourists. Direct flights from Toronto hadn’t started, so she had to do a stopover in New York both ways. Teodor reached out to her via WhatsApp (part of his personalized service, in order for clients to get hold of him without paying long-distance charges) with news that her flight from New York to Toronto had been cancelled. With that flight gone, the only option was to do an overnight stop somewhere in USA. Teodor rebooked her with no hassles, and also booked her a hotel near the stopover airport, which had a free shuttle to and from the airport. She was thankful for the hassle-free service of having Teodor take care of everything, while she continued to enjoy the beauty that Costa Rica has to offer.

An Experienced Agent Goes A Long Way

Silvia and her husband always enjoy swapping their winter boots and jackets for flip flops and swimsuits. Their most important thing for them is a resort with a long and beautiful beach, as well as plenty of dining options.

Teodor had been to the Luxury Bahia Principe Runaway Bay in Jamaica, where he had access to all facilities and services of that resort plus the adjacent Grand Bahia Principe resort. This is referred to as “stay at 1, play at 2”. With this experience, he recommended them the Grand Bahia Principe Tulum in the Mayan Riviera, which was also “stay at 1, play at 2”. The experience was true paradise to them, and they were grateful to Teodor for recommending them that property, which came from his personal experience.

Since then, they have gone to the Bahia Principe properties in the Dominican Republic more than once, always using Teodor’s expertise on beach destinations and resorts.

"Complex Projects" Made Possible Through Dedication

Ms. Lenfant operates a study abroad program based in France, for high school students in France to study in Canada, and vice-versa. She has students coming from France to Toronto, visiting the city and Niagara Falls, then departing two days later to the provinces where they will study. Likewise, Canadian students also go to France to study abroad, and all students - Canadian and French - must fly from Canada to France on the same transatlantic flight, connecting via Toronto. In total, she had 260 students plus 10 chaperones.

This was a very complex project, which required dedication and an eye to detail in order for the chaperones and students to all have the same flights. Once a ticket is issued, should someone not be booked on the same flight due to an error, airlines charge big fees for changes. Teodor spent hours making those arrangements, and everything went smoothly for Ms. Lenfant and all her students. From the first phone call, not a single problem occurred.

The process did not end after the tickets were issued. The Canadian students were excited, and some thought “I’m in Europe, why not take this opportunity to explore more?” Ms. Lenfant would contact Teodor saying that a certain student wanted to return from a different country in Europe. The parents of those students would then contact Teodor, saying they wanted to meet their son/daughter in France, and return together with them from those other parts of Europe. Teodor gladly made all those changes, as well as arrangements for the parents.

An Agent Who Remembers His Clientele

Mr. Ionel and his family traveled to Cuba over the Christmas holidays in 2018. They were thankful to Teodor for recommending them a wonderful family-friendly resort where they had a great vacation. They mentioned that they wanted to go again next year, to a different part of Cuba. Teodor kept them in mind, and sometime in June 2019, he received an email from Transat regarding a promotion for winter 2019-2020 vacations. The promotion included a free upgrade to the VIP club at select resorts, as well as Option Plus (extra perks in Economy Class). He contacted Mr. Ionel and informed him about the promotion, and recommended them another wonderful family-friendly resort. After taking advantage of the promotion, they enjoyed a true VIP vacation. Using industry connections, Teodor also arranged for them to have adjoining rooms with their friends who also traveled with them. They have since recommended Teodor to all their friends.

"He Basically Saved Us From Missing The Ship"

Ms. Popa traveled with a few friends on a cruise in the Western Mediterranean. Which cruise line and ship would be right for them? Teodor recommended them a wonderful and upscale ship, with great onboard amenities and a true Italian atmosphere. They visited beautiful ports on their 7-night cruise, and it ended up being a wonderful vacation. They were grateful not only for that. Originally, they told Teodor they wanted to visit Rome. As her review states, Teodor saved them from missing the ship by recommending that they visit Rome before the cruise and not after. He also had to make sure that the return flights to Canada would allow sufficient travel time between Civitavecchia cruise port and Rome Fiumicino International Airport. He also gave them rooms next to each other, as well as seats together on the flights, which is something that can be time-consuming.

Today, Unravel World Travel continues to operate with clients at the heart of its mission – to inspire continuous love of travel by unraveling the world as your endless destination. Teodor is committed to providing his valued clients with a 5-star experience from the very first phone call until their next desire to unravel the world through travel. He has traveled the world for 20 years and counting, and uses his experience, along with industry knowledge and connections, to recommend and create the finest vacations for his valued clients.