A DAY IN THE LIFE OF…a Travel Agent

Linda Hill Miller has owned and managed LAH Travel for 21 years but has been in the travel industry for 37 years. She’s married to Paul, who has three sons, and is granny to two incredible grandsons aged two and six months.

In her (very limited) spare time she enjoys walking, and spending time with her family, including her four-year-old Bichon Frise, Coconut.

AM caught up with Linda at her office in West Kilbride.

When and why did you become a travel agent?
I started back in the late 80s with what was meant to be a summer job in AT Mays in Saltcoats. I loved the industry so much that I stayed, and the rest is history.

What training did you need to do?
Back then there was a City & Guilds qualification in Travel & Tourism which very much focused on travel geography. I had to work hard at that…my geography teacher had taught us more about cloud formations than continents and capital cities!

What do you like best about being a travel agent?
Every day is different. No two days are the same, so the job is very varied. It sounds like a cliché, but I get to make dreams come true and help people make amazing memories. I see my job as a privilege.

Do you dislike anything about your job?
It can be disheartening spending hours researching the perfect holiday for a client for them to take my advice and ideas and book online. It does make me worry too, as not all online providers give the same financial protection as independent retail agents.

How many hours a week do you usually work?
I work around 40-50 hours a week. Over the years I’ve seen changes to the normal working day. My clients enjoy the flexibility we offer so I’m often working well into the evening and on public holidays. I like to make sure my team and I are available when clients want us to be.

What time does your working day usually start?
Most days I’ll be online from about 8am, and I’m often still at my laptop at 9pm.

Can you briefly describe what a typical day involves?
I take time out each morning to plan the day and schedule any appointments before reviewing my admin requirements for the day – things like client online check-in, issuing tickets and checking schedule changes etc. I then move onto prioritising my enquiries. Usually this is done in date order of when clients are travelling but it often depends on what the customer requirement is as it can take a few days to pull together all the information around a honeymoon for example, while a simple Glasgow to London flight can take a few minutes. I also have a huge amount of paperwork to do – paying invoices, payroll and VAT, as well as planning our social media activity – that can be a full-time job in itself!

I like to make time to keep up to date with my training and my supplier network to make sure I have the best deals around for my clients.

One piece of advice for anyone wanting to be a travel agent?
Follow your heart and just do it. It’s hard work but very rewarding.

What would you be if you weren’t a travel agent?
I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else! But if I had to pick something it would have to involve dealing with the public.

Career highlight so far?
The fact that LAH Travel survived the Covid-19 pandemic, when many agents sadly didn’t make it, is something I am extremely proud of. It took hard work, grit and determination but we’ve come back stronger and more resilient than ever.

Which is your favourite from all the places you have travelled?
There are so many incredible places I’ve been fortunate enough to visit, but for me, one standout highlight was spending a week in the Maldives with my husband – it was paradise.

If you had to sum up your job in one word, what would it be?
Satisfying!