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Mystery shopper: An Icelandic honeymoon

Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Wanted: A couple are planning their honeymoon for November and they want to visit Iceland for two weeks.
Budget: £5,000

Trailfinders
265 Union Street
75%

I was acknowledged straight away and asked a range of questions to establish the activities we wanted to do. I was given two brochures – G Adventures and Exodus Travel. The agent focused on Exodus’s Grand Tour of Iceland but said she would need to work on a tailored package if she could not secure that tour for my dates. She also mentioned a northern lights tour. No costs, dates or flight information were given, but the agent said she would work on options and follow up. The agent seemed knowledgeable and made references to friends’ experiences. We also discussed airport parking and insurance. I did not receive a follow-up call.

Barrhead Travel
Union Square Shopping Centre
55%

There seemed to be a lot of agents, but it took a while for me to be acknowledged. I was given a Travelsphere brochure with an eight-day Icelandic Fairytale Tour and the polite agent advised a stay in Reykjavik could be added. The agent said they were a bit unsure of how to create the package, and did not really discuss excursions. It may have helped them to speak to colleagues. The agent did not take my details for a follow-up.

Ramsay World Travel
16 Crown Street
TIME OUT

It took 20 minutes to be acknowledged. The agent was polite but unenthusiastic – they seemed more focused on queuing customers. It felt rushed but the agent took my details and said someone would call later in the week. The agent asked my budget and highlighted that the northern lights and Blue Lagoon were popular. I received follow-up emails with more information and it was clear the agent was trying to find something suitable.



Winning agent – Becky Mitchell, travel consultant

I’ve only worked at Trailfinders since April 4. I love this job! I love speaking to people and putting together an itinerary that results in their dream holiday is the best thing.



Verdict

This was a disappointing week. One of the agents didn’t take my details to follow-up, while one didn’t have time to discuss my enquiry thoroughly. The winning agent asked lots of questions but did not provide a quote.



Elite resorts caribbean

Top-scoring agent each month will win use of a Mercedes SLK for 10 days.

The winning agent must be at least 25, for insurance reasons. Any agent who is under 25 will win a week’s all-inclusive holiday at an Elite Islands Resorts property. The prize is non-transferable and the car must be driven only by the winning agent.

The winner must not have any serious driving convictions. The winners will be informed by Travel Weekly.

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