Dear Explorers!
I said last week that more of you are traveling. That trend continues. I’m impressed with how creative most of you can be when it comes to travel! I’ve also said that we’re here to give you the tools to make good decisions. With that in mind, I thought it would be good to introduce (or re-introduce) you to Team TravelAnne!
By: Anne Heintz
My husband and I launched this website about three weeks ago as a way for me to communicate with all of you during these crazy times. The response has been great! In fact, our audience is growing much faster than we expected.
That said, some of you have asked whether I am leaving the travel business to become a full-time blogger. Not true fellow explorers! I am still (and always will be) your favorite travel advisor… and plan to keep that title for a long time.
With that in mind, this is probably a good time to update all of you on Team TravelAnne!
I want to reinforce the fact that we work with you the same way we always have. We are still affiliated with Worldwide Travel Associates (WWTA) in DC and by extension Tzell Travel Group in NYC. These partnerships are important because they give us valuable tools that allows us to give you the service you deserve and have come to expect.
Grace, also known as Grace Thomas Clarke, remains a vital part of Team TravelAnne. Grace is ready, willing, and able to assist. Most of you are familiar with her name , if not her sweet disposition and wonderful laugh!
Grace and I have worked together since 1989. She was the receptionist and ticket processor (remember the days of paper tickets?!) at the agency we worked for in Rosslyn a/k/a Arlington. She attended Travel School in her native Trinidad and arrived in the US on Independence Day of '83. It didn’t take long before wanderlust kicked in and she chose a career in Travel... After all her relatives were in the US, UK and Spain!
Not long after, I made the brilliant move to bring Grace on-board. She’s been helping me help all of you ever since.
There are definitely times when Grace has been my “better half!” She is our airline tariff guru first and foremost. Some of you are more than willing to let us issue airline tickets for you as there are endless fares and rules which make one’s eyes glaze over! Trust me, it gets much more complicated than that behind the scenes. She gets the “waivers and favors” from our vendors, which is NOT always an easy thing.
I have always said that many of our clients are like family. Grace understands the importance of that. Loyalty means that much more during these difficult times. We were here during the confusing times last spring. Navigating cancellations and working to get as many refunds from the airlines as possible.
We are here now to help those of you currently traveling and intend to BE HERE for those of you waiting to travel!
As a further and exciting note, I am thrilled to add a new member to Team TravelAnne! My daughter Natalie , through osmosis was bitten by the travel bug at an early age. She has been a patient participant in some of my involved family itineraries. She has willingly gone on-site inspections and documented some of our experiences via photos in a way that I could never dream of doing. She is here to keep me “relevant” and cool in today’s world of social media while learning the “nuts and bolts” from dear old mom.
Last but not least a major league shout-out to my husband and business partner, Les. Among other things, he is the Executive Editor of TravelAnne.com.
His media experience both digitally and as a professional writer have made all of this possible! Without him I would not have the wherewithal to communicate with you on a regular basis!
Here’s to good health, appreciating those nearest and dearest, and lots of meaningful travel in the future!
When you're ready to travel, we're here to help!
**Anne Heintz is an independent travel advisor based in Washington, DC who always has her bag packed. She loves the fact that the journey creates memories and connections for her clients. She is affiliated with Worldwide Travel Associates and Tzell Travel. She is the co-founder & namesake ofTravelAnne.com. Anne can be reached at Anne@TravelAnne.com