This year marks my 38th year working in the travel industry – and with DP&L Travel too. Looking back over this time, I’ve seen firsthand how the way we manage and book travel has evolved. There have been many changes in all aspects of life. Hairstyles and fashion: from big hair and shoulder pads to today’s more casual look. Make-up, from bold to natural. Music has changed along with technology – from vinyl to cassette to CDs. Film and television have gone from videos to DVDs, and now we simply download. The list goes on. The working role in a travel management office has certainly changed for the better, with technology assisting us in achieving faster and more reliable processes.
After leaving school, I started working with DP&L on a YTS programme, gaining practical experience in the office alongside college, with a few family trips added in too. I started on a weekly wage of £17.50! All the usual ‘junior’ duties came with the role, including stamping the never-ending pile of brochures delivered daily. This highlights how much the industry has moved from physical materials to digital resources, as we no longer stock brochures in the same way.
I began my career in the leisure side of the business, moved into a mix of both leisure and corporate, and now solely specialise in the Corporate Division. I personally prefer corporate, as it’s a fast-paced working environment that offers many challenges. Every day is different, depending on the requests that come in. We must always stay up to date with the ever-evolving changes in the industry, whether it’s new products, services, fares, travel restrictions, or new booking and reporting systems.
In the 1980s, travel agents played a major role in planning holidays and business trips, with brochures and travel guides being the main sources of information. Word-of-mouth recommendations also played a big part. Today, the internet is widely used to source information, constantly updating with new details and reviews. Over the years, travellers have gained the ability to make their own reservations, but many have come to realise that having an agent take care of everything makes life much easier. We provide support during travel disruptions – reservations, tickets, delays, cancellations, refunds, and visa issues. These are situations where having a professional by your side can save time, stress, and even money. We’ve assisted in many such situations throughout the years: strikes, the Icelandic volcano eruption, and the Heathrow fire, to name but a few.
Back in the day, the office had one computer terminal to share among colleagues for booking holidays, rail, and air tickets. It ran on a dial-up connection, which was very temperamental and frustrating at times with slow connections and dropped calls. Many bookings were made over the phone, often involving long hold times just trying to get through. Booking forms were completed and posted to operators to confirm reservations – another time-consuming process. Brochure sale opening days were always an event! In the office early to try and get through to tour operators, armed with lists of enquiries and often staying late to complete bookings.
That’s a stark contrast to today’s online systems. Now, each staff member has their own laptop, often with additional screens. Most client contact is done by email, improving efficiency and speed and allowing bookings to be processed faster.
Ah, the legendary ABC flight guides, rail timetables, and fare manuals, all printed in the tiniest font and packed with incredible detail, lay on every desk. They were the ‘bibles’ of our industry, and rulers were indispensable for navigating the many columns and rows. With maps and a lot of concentration, itineraries were worked out from these manuals. Fares were calculated manually in much the same way – a long and complex process. Tickets were handwritten and had to be legible, with plenty of information squeezed into tiny boxes. They were validated with machines that made you feel like you worked in a bank or post office, and your fingers were often stained red from the carbon paper. Paper tickets were required for travel, and there were plenty of last-minute mercy missions to hand-deliver them to clients.
Technology progressed and helped streamline many aspects of booking and ticketing, improving efficiency, though physical tickets were still issued and often delivered by a driver. Today, air and rail itineraries can be quoted and planned at a much faster pace, with systems providing schedules and connections to offer a quick and comprehensive quoting service. Automated fare calculations now take various routes and pricing levels into account, helping to reduce costs. Tickets are issued electronically and emailed to passengers – no more missing or damaged tickets, and no need for delivery.
The accounting and administrative processes have also evolved, shifting from manual to digital. We once had handwritten booking files stored in envelopes and filing cabinets. Invoices were typed on typewriters and posted to clients, making error correction difficult and the process slow. These days, all files are stored electronically, and reservations interface with a back-office system that automatically generates invoices, which are then emailed. This saves time, money, and storage space.
We’ve also seen airlines come and go over the years – NorthWest Airlines, Pan Am, and BMI, to name a few. In addition to major scheduled airlines, we now have low-cost carriers helping to reduce travel expenses. These carriers paved the way for fare bundles, and now most airlines offer basic fares with optional add-ons like luggage and seat selection. This gives clients more control over costs.
All in all, everything has changed for the better. Technology has given us a more streamlined process, allowing us to manage time more efficiently and offer a quicker, more cost-effective service. Digital systems have helped minimise human error, and the days of handwriting, typing, and postage are now distant memories.
That said, I believe the personal connection with clients is still essential. We must strike the right balance. A human conversation goes a long way in forming and building strong relationships. I do miss the regular chats with clients—it’s always good to put a voice to a name.