Monday Minute: Fareconnect.com's Sandi Shemko

The 'Monday Minute' is a weekly feature at PAX dedicated to highlighting the movers, shakers, leaders and rule-breakers in Canada's travel agent community. Wanna be profiled? Wanna nominate someone? Email newsroom@paxglobalmedia.com! 

Name: Sandi Shemko

Company: Fareconnect.com

Where do you live? Trenton, ON 

How long have you been a travel agent? Just completed my first year!

What is your speciality? After a year, I don’t think it’s possible to have a specialty, I know that I have been booking a lot of all-inclusive winter vacation packages, so I would have to say vacation packages ... for now. 

What do you love most about being a travel agent?  

Prior to becoming a travel agent, I was in the Royal Canadian Air Force for 32 years; I am now on the next chapter of my life and I love it. Now I get to wake up and research travel to find the best vacation possible for clients. I now get to send my friends and family around the world with confidence. I recently booked my niece’s travel to Bali, friends to New Zealand and my parents to Las Vegas, knowing they all are getting the smartest deal with me.

What's one travel trend you've noticed as of late?  

Young people backpacking around the world!

Of all the bookings you’ve made, which itinerary and/or travel package are you most proud of?

I would have to say when I sold my first group booking to Cancun. When I started this new career a year ago, my goal was to sell a group; now that I have accomplished this, I am definitely eager to sell more.

What's your number one piece of advice to other travel agents?  

Ensure you are always being kind, professional and thorough when dealing with clients. I have already discovered that the travel agent world is definitely a small one.

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