Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Toney.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to becoming a professional travel agent was a natural extension of a long-standing passion. For years, I was the travel planner among my friends, always taking the lead in researching, organizing, and booking memorable trips.
The pivotal moment came when someone noticed and innocently asked if I was a travel agent. My initial reply was a casual “No, I just book for fun.” However, that simple question sparked a powerful realization: I could get paid to do something I already loved!
This moment of clarity transformed my hobby into side hustle. I took the leap in December 2018 and officially became a travel agent, turning my passion for planning and organizing trips into a rewarding business.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It is never a smooth road. There are challenges when you are in charge of booking vacations for strangers. there are so many vendors and matching the right one with your client can be very challenging. You have to make sure every detail fits in their budget. I noticed along the way that people will reach out knowing they are not going to book with me and use the quotes given to them to book the vacation on their own. It is a lot of time to find the specific vacation with all the amenities requested and for someone to do that is just wrong. But I would say the biggest struggle was definitely the pandemic, it really hit the travel industry hard but I am glad business has picked up since then.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At the heart of Thrifty Getaways is a travel agent who is not just passionate about travel, but lives it. My brand is defined by deep, firsthand expertise and a commitment to exceptional client education, all while focusing on their unique vacation budget and needs.
While I specialize in all types of travel, my true passion lies in cruising. On average before the pandemic, I would take five to six cruises a year and I have sailed on five major cruise lines. This allows me to provide crucial, insider information about what to expect on each cruise line, ensuring my clients choose the perfect sailing experience.
My commitment to client education is what truly sets me apart. I provide in-depth pre-trip education. I take the time to ensure my clients are the most knowledgeable travelers before they leave. I offer flexible consultation methods, including Zoom calls and face-to-face meetings, to thoroughly review travel plans, answer questions, and satisfy any curiosity they may have about the trip.
Beyond cruising, my personal travel has taken me to 29 countries, making me highly qualified to plan complex and rewarding international journeys. I take immense pride in helping clients see how other people live by sending them overseas, demonstrating my broad capability across all travel types.
Thrifty Getaways promises more than just bookings; it offers a curated, knowledgeable, and budget-conscious travel partnership. By sharing my firsthand knowledge of the most popular resorts and cruises, my mission is simple: to make sure my client’s vacation is truly memorable.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think taking risks in the context of travel is an emotional and personal challenge. It is the conscious decision to leave the familiar language behind, try a dish that pushes your culinary boundaries, navigate a public transit system that feels overwhelming and enduring the discomfort of being the foreigner. This kind of risk is not a threat; it is an opportunity for growth and transformation.
My personal experience of traveling and using travel to see how other people live makes me a champion of this good kind of risk. When I traveled to Cuba, I was so nervous but the moment I chose to immerse myself in the culture and the people, that nervousness was replaced by genuine joy and connection
When clients express nervousness about stepping outside their comfort zone—whether it’s on a cruise line they’ve never tried, or an international trip where English is scarce—I understand that this anxiety is the threshold to true reward and This is where my personalized service truly shines. My role as a travel agent is not to eliminate all risk, but to expertly mitigate all unnecessary danger so that my clients are free to embrace the good risk.
Pricing:
- Pricing in the travel industry varies by location and the dates of travel so specific pricing is hard to provide. I can say that traveling in the off season will save a ton of money.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://travelagentconnection.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriftygetaways
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thriftygetaways
Image Credits
I took all the pictures!
