Philadelphia here I come!

Truth be told, I was there last week but who could resist such a headline! It was my first time in ‘Philly’, which is even more surprising, given that I have been to the States at least 40 times over the years and the city is the 6th largest in the US. I was attending the annual conference of the ITAA (Irish Travel Agents Association) — their first to be held outside Europe in their

Go West, Young Man!

I love the United States! There, I’ve said it. I may not like its foreign policy and I probably couldn't see myself ever living there but as a travel destination, it’s very hard to beat. My first experience of the US was way back in 1976 when the country was celebrating its bicentennial year and I traveled all the way to Portland, Oregon to visit my American cousins. It was a month-long trip which also

Seattle, here we come!

The announcement by Aer Lingus earlier this week that they will start direct services to Seattle from Ireland next May is big news — at least in the Travel Centres household. Apart from being the home to both online and tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft and the fictional home of the greatest TV comedy series ever made — Frasier — Seattle is also gateway to the Pacific Northwest, one of the least familiar

Timely Advice

    It’s that time of year again when most people’s minds turn to New Year resolutions, the next credit card statement and of course the inevitable where to go on this year’s holiday and, equally importantly — when to book it? Many people still mistakenly think that if you are flexible in when you can take your annual leave and are also a bit of a gambler then it is always worth your while

‘Life is a journey – not a destination’

So claimed Ralf Waldo Emerson, one of America's greatest essayists (b. 1803 —d. 1882). Whilst I have always subscribed to that philosophical thought, it was brought home to me in a very tangible way recently when I travelled from Dublin to Stockholm for a short break. I was travelling with SAS who are the national airline of Sweden, Norway and Denmark and they have recently introduced an innovation in their fare structure which I think

Why you need a travel agent!

Now that we are in the thick of the annual holiday booking season, perhaps it is a good time to remind intending travelers of the huge benefits to using a licensed and bonded travel agent. Aside from the obvious expertise that travel agents possess, it is the financial peace of mind that they offer that actually represents the best reason for using a travel professional. Because airlines are defined as 'principals', they are not required

Don’t forget the small guys!

We live in such a brand-obsessed world nowadays that it's all too easy to restrict our search when we're online to names that we're familiar but in doing so, we are often inadvertently shortchanging ourselves as the best on offer may not necessarily be the most familiar or famous. This applies to all consumer services and products. It also applies to travel! If you were stopped on the street tomorrow by some pollster and asked

The art of getting a quote that is both competitive in price and relevant to your needs starts with gathering all the right information about what you want to do (or think you want to do!).