Jean Conrad, owner of Conrad Travel, said that she and her staff have taken
familiarization trips to many of the most popular vacation spots.
At Conrad Travel, travel consultants can take the hassle out of vacation planning by arranging every detail of your trip, from airline tickets to where the best beaches can be found.
Jean Conrad, owner of Conrad Travel, said that she and her staff have taken
familiarization trips to many of the most popular vacation spots.
During their visits to vacation hot spots such as Jamaica, Hawaii, Disney World, Mexico, Las Vegas and the Bahamas, they inspect the hotels there and discover what is available in the way of restaurants, entertainment, and sights to see. The staff has also taken numerous cruises to exotic ports of call.
"There are a lot of practical things to find out before you arrive at your vacation destination," Conrad said.
Conrad Travel began in 1989 when Jean and her husband John decided to start another business that they felt Columbia needed. John Conrad currently owns and operates Conrad Press together with his brother Michael.
"John really developed the idea for our travel agency," Conrad said. "He's always been very involved in business and he just analyzed the community to see what would work here."
Conrad said most people don't take advantage of the services available through a travel agent like Conrad Travel.
"The majority of people are looking for the best price on airline tickets and that's certainly something we do well," Conrad said. "But our services go far beyond that."
Conrad said their service can include airline reservations, cruises, tours, hotel reservations, car rentals and much more.
"People don't understand that it won't cost them more to go through an agent," Conrad said. "But it's true. The airlines help us because they understand that we can help them."
She said their business is about evenly split between leisure travel and business travel.
"We service businesses all over the St. Louis area," Conrad said. "We can arrange major business trips for several employees and print itineraries not just for the travelers but for the people back at the office who need to keep track of their people."
One feature of the service at Conrad Travel for both business and leisure travelers is the travel profile. The staff compiles a file of individual travel preferences for each traveler. Preferences can include airline seating, frequent flyer numbers, special meal requests and specific hotel or car rental preferences. The profile is then referred to each time a person travels to ensure that their trip is planned with their special needs in mind.
Conrad said that during the holiday season they get a lot of calls from mothers all over the country anxious to get their children home safe for Christmas.
"They trust us and know that we're doing a good job," Conrad said. " They ask me if it's a bother and I have to tell them no, that's what we do."
Conrad especially enjoys working with people excited over their plans for a vacation.
"I love seeing the relief on their faces when they realize how little it can cost them," Conrad said. "This is fun for me-helping people out and finding just the right vacation spot you know they're going to love." (From The Columbia Star)