22 Bizarre Requests Made to Travel Agents, as Told by ASTA

In celebration of National Plan for Vacation Day, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has decided to shine the spotlight on the dedicated travel agents within its organization and in the industry. To do so, ASTA has released a list of real requests made by real travelers to agents within the ASTA agent membership titled “22 Bizarre Requests Made to Travel Agents.” The list further proves that even with access to the internet’s wealth of information it’s clear that some travelers can benefit from the valuable advice of a trusted, human agent.

The following are 22 bizarre requests made of an ASTA professional travel agent, in no particular order: 

  1. Can I fish off of the cruise ship? 
  2. Do they speak English in Britain? 
  3. Can I bring a 12 pack of Tab on the plane? (Agent responds: First of all, where did you find Tab? And no you can’t bring it on the plane). 
  4. Are there toll roads on the way to Hawaii
  5. Can you make sure I don’t get a window seat on the plane because I just had my hair done? 
  6. Can you set it up so that the whales jump in the background at the same time I’m proposing to my girlfriend? 
  7. I was looking online at the picture of our room. I hate the curtains. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep in that room with those curtains. Can you cancel the whole trip? 
  8. Don’t tell my fiancé this is where I took my first wife for our honeymoon. 
  9. I’d love a train trip to Africa…No, I mean I want a train trip from New York to Cape Town
  10. Guest in the aft of the ship… “Which elevator takes you to the front of the ship?” 
  11. I had a grandmother and granddaughter who wanted to visit China. When informed that they needed visas, the grandmother responded, "No we don’t.  I went to China with my church group last year and I was able to use my American Express card all over the country." 
  12. Can you please book the honeymoon suite for us and another couple? 
  13. I want to take a cruise to Las Vegas
  14. Does the crew actually sleep onboard the cruise ship? 
  15. Can we drive our rental car in Hawaii out of state? We want to go to Alaska. After all, they are the 49th and 50th states on the map…so there must be a bridge, right? 
  16. I would like to go somewhere where there are NOT a lot of men. 
  17. I’d like to get married in the Caribbean on an island where the marriage is not legal in the U.S.
  18. Will there be shadows on my face at 4 p.m. when the pictures are taken? 
  19. Will you watch my pet while I’m away? 
  20. How can I get to Europe without going by air or sea? 
  21. I’d like to visit Scotland and Denmark on the same trip. (Agent then tells client he does not have time in his schedule to travel the distance). But they’re only an inch apart on the map! 
  22. Can you ask the airline to block the seat next to me so I can stretch out? 

Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA, commented on the list saying, “Consumers have a wealth of information available to them via the Internet. ASTA travel agents help consumers make sense of the innumerable internet 'deals', and know which local suppliers are worthy of trust. This list is proof that some consumers need a little extra help when they plan vacations, and that's where we come in.”

Travelers can find a professional ASTA travel agent, sorted by location or specialty, at www.travelsense.org