Hello my name is Alison and I would like to welcome you to my personal page.
My passion is travel and I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and visit most continents, during my long career, within the industry.
I have an extensive knowledge of most destinations in particular Asia, Europe, Far East, Australasia, but I have also travelled to specialised destinations such as Angels Falls in Venezuela, China and Japan. I have even been a guest on local radio to share my expertise.
The fact that I am independent helps to ensure that I get the best holiday for you as I’m not tied to selling one tour operator. However, as Travel Counsellors has amazing buying power, I can make sure I offer you fantastic value for money as well as personal care. You can ensure you’ll get special care from me, and all the suppliers I use.
Every penny you spend with me is safe and protected by either ATOL or our unique trust which offers the best financial protection in the industry.
I’ll do everything for you so all you have to do is get excited about your holiday. Added to this is the fact that I’m always on hand to offer help and assistance and I’m not tied to normal office opening hours.
All my customers came from personal recommendations and the best part of being a Travel Counsellor is when my customers return home may say ‘Our holiday was amazing, thank you!’
I look forward to speaking with you and making your holiday dreams become a reality and becoming your Travel Counsellor.
Alison
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My Blog
I absolutely live and breathe travel and I love to write about my
experiences! Please take a look through my posts - you might find your own
holiday inspiration.
I organized some flights and hotel accommodation in Las Vegas for several girls who were attending the Arbonne Conference in April.
On Sunday morning 19th April I received a text from one of the girls in Vegas whom I had only booked accommodation for. She told me she had booked her return flight for the day after and wondered if I could help her rebook one for that day, which I was more than happy to do.
Within a short time I had rebooked her but as her original flight to Gatwick was full, I managed to get the last seat to Manchester and book an additional flight to Heathrow for her.
It was a pleasure to help her and being a Travel Counsellor means we can give such a personal service whilst eating my Sunday cooked breakfast!
After being with Travel Counsellors for 6 years and in the industry for more than I can remember, this has got to be the most extraordinary story of service I have ever experienced and has even left me speechless!
I have some customers currently in St. Kitts on a Caribbean cruise with Star Clipper. On Wednesday I received a text at lunchtime to say she had a trapped nerve and asked if I could find her a tens machine to alleviate the pain.
She already had a nurse with her but didn't seem to respond to her request for a tens machine and did not get any prompt response from the insurance company either. I contacted Head Office for any hotel or ground handlers we may have on St. Kitts who could possibly assist us. They immediately contacted our suppliers in St. Kitts and awaited their response.
Within 3 hours a staff member from the ground handlers office had a battery operated machine including a spare!
By this time the ship had gone to another part of the island. I arranged with my customer's partner to meet the staff member at the beach club which was close to where the ship was moored.
My client had her tens machine on the boat within 4 hours of the initial request, I am speechless!
Huge thanks go to all the team at Head Office and ground handler staff in St. Kitts who went to extraordinary lengths for Travel Counsellors and their customers!
The whole ship toasted Travel Counsellors…cheers!
Just wanted to share this story to show that here at Travel Counsellors we are ready to offer exceptional customer service even when your flight has arrived back in the UK.
My customers had flown back from Vancouver into Heathrow at lunchtime on New Year's Day to connect with a flight to Leeds Bradford. Due to the Air Canada flight arriving late, they missed the connection to Leeds Bradford which was the last flight.
She called me and I assumed she was back home and advised me she was in Heathrow and over a period she had to wait for the airline to re book her to Manchester. I was trying to reissue a ticket by contacting our out of hours service but due to the airline's admin system it wasn't possible. I also called the car park to advise them of their revised arrival time.
We finally managed to get her re booked on a flight to Manchester and I drove to Manchester airport to pick them up and then take them to Leeds Bradford to collect their car and arrived at 11pm.
My customers had been travelling for over 24 hours and wanted to help to get them home and it was a pleasure to help them!
My customer stories
Sent by Michelle Arjonilla-Jessop
Liversedge 18/04/2024
Alison is a true professional. She goes above and beyond what is expected of her, and has never let me down and I have been booking my flights from her for a few years now.
I highly recommend Alison, she is an exceptional travel agent.
Sent by Anis Daud
Dewsbury 14/07/2021
When i first started looking at holidays for my honeymoon, i didn't know what to do. So i went to a handful of travel agents in my local area and online trying to book the perfect honeymoon. I found them to abit too pricey, they couldn't find the destinations that i wanted to go within my budget. For this reason, they started showing me other destinations. I felt frustrated and lost hope. However, i was recommended by a family friend to speak to Alison from travel counsellors and word's can't even describe how amazing this experience has made me felt. Alison heard where i want to go and we also discussed everything with detail. She was there for me through out the whole process, updating me with every tiny detail about my honeymoon. I've never felt so comfortable as Alison has made this a lifetime of an experience. I would definitely recommend Alison from travel counsellors as she is the only one, who i know that really cares for your dreams compared to other travel agents. I can now say that dreams do come true with Alison Downie from Travel Counsellors. I will always book my travels through travel counsellors with Alison Downie even if it is a small holiday as they have made me felt like family. Keep up the good work and thank you very much. I will always recommend you and you also have my loyalty for the rest of my life.
Thank you very much ??
Anis
Sent by Michelle Arjonilla
Liversedge 12/01/2020
My Travel Counsellor, Alison has gone above and beyond to make certain that I got a bespoke service, the right flight at the right price, hotel accommodation, the right seat. She also took it upon herself to sort out my ESTA and to check me in for my flights. What can I say, “I am simply in good hands”!!!! Thank you Alison.x
Sent by John Madden
Leeds 24/03/2019
Brilliant
Sent by Lynne Ward
Leeds 24/03/2019
Alison has been great! She dedicated lots of time and effort planning a perfect holiday for me my husband and our friends. We can’t wait! Thank you Alison.
Sent by Emma Reeve
Wakefield 24/03/2019
I would definitely recommend Alison to my family and friends, she was very friendly, helpful, efficient and found the perfect holiday for us at a good price
Sent by Minaxi Chauhan
London 29/10/2018
Alison is amazing. She helped me with my parents' booking to India and sort out their seats and wheelchair and advised of the procedure
Sent by Leslie Simons
County Galway,Ireland 29/10/2018
A very professional service - with a quick response and tailored to our requirements.
Sent by Catherine Brown
Leeds 13/06/2018
Alison has been great. She has been booking our family holidays for years and she has been amazing. Very friendly and professional service but I feel as though I've gained a new friend.
Sent by Suzy Reeves
Ludlow 13/06/2018
Alison is very inspiring when it comes to holiday destinations her knowledge and professionalism keeps you actively engaged in excitement.
Sent by Paul Abbott
Manchester 13/06/2018
Apart from the rapid service and substantial savings, I also saved massive amounts of valuable time not having to trawl the net for unfindable deals. Bliss.
Sent by Rebecca Johson
Leeds 13/06/2018
Alison was fantastic at giving me options for flights and finding the best seats. Very helpful and took the stress away.
Sent by Graham Hawe
Halifax 24/02/2018
Great service!
Sent by Simone Offlow
Leeds 24/02/2018
Great service yet again Alison, thanks for all your hard work in pulling together a birthday surprise for my partner.
Sent by Gillian Robinson
Bolton 24/02/2018
This was the first time I used Alison, she was very helpful and extremely patient as I didn't really know exactly what I wanted, but we got there in the end. Thanks Alison
Sent by Susan Bambrook
Leeds 28/01/2018
Alison is so very helpful and understanding with a great knowledge!
Sent by Julie Lockwood
Wakefield 02/06/2017
My Travel Counsellor Alison finds me amazing holidays for me and my friends, and once when we got stuck in the ash cloud she was amazing always on the phone with support and advice, and the aftercare service she gives is above and beyond.
Sent by Julie Lockwood
Wakefield 12/02/2017
My Travel Counsellor Alison finds me amazing holidays for me and my friends, and once when we got stuck in the ash cloud she was amazing always on the phone with support and advice, and the aftercare service she gives is above and beyond.
Sent by Gill Marchant
Leeds 12/02/2017
Thank you for arranging our amazing trip to Vegas, it was awesome! The hotel was great and I would highly recommend it to any future clients of yours.
Sent by Simone Offlow
Leeds 10/01/2017
I would highly recommend Alison as your Travel Counsellort. Her knowledge and enthusiasm is second to none.
I have dealt with Alison on a number of occasions and always enjoyed my vacations.
Thank you Alison for being my Travel Counsellor looking forward to speaking to you real soon.
Sent by Vicki Kondal
Wraysbury 09/09/2016
I would highly recommend Alison, she is brilliant! I have never met anyone who is so passionate about making sure that they find the perfect holiday for us! Alison is super friendly and professional at all times and I look forward to booking the next holiday through Alison! Thank you for everything.
Sent by Helen Maw
London 13/03/2016
Alison is friendly, professional and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her. I'll definitely be asking her for more advice and support in future.
THANK YOU Alison!
Sent by Emma Foulkes
Cheltenham 05/02/2016
Alison Downie is a travel super star, what ever the time. Indeed I have put it to the test. ??. Personal service, individual needs. The best! ?
Sent by Christina Gale
Cclnbrook,Berkshire 25/01/2016
Alison was lovely and understood my needs for the trip. will definitely recommend and call her again for my next trip!
Sent by Linda Gardiner
Oulton.Leeds 20/01/2016
Alison has been booking my holidays for the past few years, I would highly recommend her (and have done so already) her attention to detail is amazing and everything works like clock word highly recommended.
Sent by Kate Edwards
Woking,Surrey 20/01/2016
Alison absolutely goes out of her way to find the best deal! She is friendly, warm and personable and I will definitely be recommending her to friends and family and contacting her again in the future!
Sent by Emma Foulkes
Cheltenjham 20/01/2016
Brilliant service again. I'll be in touch again.
Sent by Clare Thompson
Crofton.Wakefield 20/01/2016
Alison is more than helpful, she goes above and beyond to get you your dream holiday
Sent by Fiona Miller
Hallifax 05/08/2015
Alison shows a real desire to be of assistance and clearly loves her job.
Sent by Maggie Kotek Howe
Newington 14/06/2015
Alison has been brilliant. Had patience with for what I wanted and hopefully we have got all the boxes ticked. Thanks Maggie
Sent by Jade McTernan
Wakefield 12/05/2015
We booked our honeymoon through Alison and it was the best thing ever. It took all the stress away from planning our honeymoon as well as trying to plan a wedding. Also, whatever I asked for Alison found it and sorted. The attention to detail that Alison put into making our honeymoon extra special was phenomenal! I would definitely go through Alison when booking our future holidays.
Sent by Linda Gardiner
Leeds 11/05/2015
We have used Alison on many occasions to book holidays for us, her attention to detail, service and after service are truly amazing, we would HIGHLY recommend her to any one who is looking for an out of the box holiday.
We have no worries once we ask for her help with the next holiday that we are planning, as we are confident that she will come up with something just a little different, always looks for competitive prices, and fab locations but never compromises on the quality and standards that we require.
She is an absolute gem, and we would never travel without her.
Sent by Sean Conway
Halifax 19/08/2014
Alison is the best!
Sent by Fiona Miller
Halifax 14/07/2014
Excellent thorough service, quick and responsive. Impressed.
Sent by Donald Stratton
Wakefield 25/06/2014
Alison is very helpful and knowledgeable. We have used her many times and hopefully many times in the future. We would recommend her as a very enthusiastic counsellor.
Sent by Charlie Evans
Leeds 04/06/2014
Absolutely Fantastic service. Alison made sure everything was specific to what we wanted and needed, exceptional customer service. I have recommended your company to a lot of friends and family as well as colleagues. Would just like to say Alison is a credit to your company and made a very stressful search for a perfect holiday easy. We will be booking with you again later in the year. Thank you.
Sent by Angela Barker
Birstall,West Yorkshire 20/03/2014
We had a fabulous holiday. We stayed at Hotel Isabel on a half board basis but would probably next time only stay for B & B only because we like to eat out and explore different restaurants. Other than that the hotel was really good and in an excellent location. Alison was very attentive and listened to what we wanted from our holiday. Would definitely recommend her and indeed have done already. First class service.
Sent by Esther Bowman
Leeds 13/06/2013
Alison was brilliant! She provided a great service and she was a pleasure to deal with. She was professional and very friendly. I'm very happy with my holiday and send a big thank you to Alison. She's a credit to your company.
Sent by Michael and Angela McMullan
Leeds 07/05/2013
We have asked for Allison again this year to arrange our holiday as she has in the past been excellent. Each year she comes up trumps for us and we always have great holiday. So again Allison has woven her magic for us. I speak for myself and my wife in saying that we would not hesitate to recommend her to any of our friends or family .ALLISON IN YOU WE TRUST
Sent by Jacqui Masters
Leeds 13/02/2013
I have booked a number of holidays with Alison and she has been wonderfully helpful and efficient. The service she gives is much more personal than a regular travel agent. She is constantly checking prices even after you have booked and if there is a price drop, she tries her hardest to apply to your holiday. Her care to attention doesn't stop at the booking, she follows it through until after your return and follows up any issues! I would highly recommend Alison as a travel agent!
Sent by Donald Stratton
Wakefield 10/02/2013
Alison is a really enthusiastic member of the Travel Counsellors team, always eager to seek the best possible deal for her clients, who, you might say, are looked upon pretty much as friends. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to any potential new client.
Sent by Mick & Angie McMullan
Tingley Nr Wakefield. 10/02/2013
Many thanks Alison for all your help and advice when we needed it. We always have great holidays using your agency. We will be in touch soon for 2013 hols. Angie and I have had many holidays with your great company. (That sounds cheesy but it is the truth). P.s. bring on the sun, sea and the the occasional bevy!
Sent by Robert Louth
Leeds 07/02/2013
Alison always delivers the goods. She thinks out of the box to try and give you the best deal. Over the last few years she has booked holidays for most of our friends and family. Fast efficient and curteous.
Sent by Angela Barker
Birstall,West Yorkshire 04/02/2013
I found Alison to be very helpful and nothing was too much trouble. She listened to what we wanted from our holiday and ticked all the boxes. I would have no hesitation in asking Alison to find us another holiday (in fact I have done already) and would certainly recommend her.
Sent by Lisa Bragg
Ilkley 14/04/2012
We had a fantastic time on our first cruise, which was made even more special by Alison who paid great attention to detail, organising beautiful flowers and champagne in our stateroom for my birthday. Alison is always happy to help, cheerful and enthusiastic, she quickly solved some parking issues with Cunard and informed us immediately of changes to our itinerary. Everything ran very smoothly thanks to Alison and we will definitely ask Alison to arrange our next holiday.
Thank you Alison
Sent by Lucille Vincent
Leeds 17/03/2012
Alison helped us to find exactly what we wanted in a holiday. She organised the parking and transfers and helped to solve difficulties when my husband had some mobility problems.
Thanks to Alison's experience we had an excellent relaxing break.
Sent by Sally Nuthall
Wakefield 23/09/2011
Alison worked very hard to get us a holiday within a strict time frame. She was attentive to our needs and provided us with many options. She was aware that we wanted to travel from a northern airport and found us a holiday flying out of Leeds/Bradford airport.
On reflection we wouldn't have included the executive lounge for an extra £34 on the total price as we were not in it for very long.
The hotel was a disappointment, especially the food but free access to the five star Santa Eulalia hotel made the holiday for us.
Sent by Dharmishta Mistry
Harrow 05/08/2011
I decided at the very last minute that I wanted to go away on a cruise holiday for my birthday and Alison worked very hard to find me the cruise ship I wanted and the flights within my budget. We missed our flight (through our own fault) and she went out of her way to help me sort out various problems with flights and transfers. We enjoyed our holiday and would recommend Alison to anybody. She is a very friendly person and I hope to book more holidays through Alison.
Thank you Alison.
Sent by Tony Wilkinson
Harrogate 02/07/2011
Alison did a great job for me on my last visit to new York. A late booking she found me good value flights and good connection times. My return was at risk due to the volcano ash, I need not have worried as Alison kept me updated throughout my stay and I had no delays on my return. I will certainly use Alison for my next booking.
Sent by Anna Rose
London 28/01/2011
We've just booked our first holiday in 18 months. I was introduced to Alison only a week ago and already I will be booking more holidays with her in the future. Alison is a dream to work with; so patient and understanding of what we wanted from this holiday. Nothing has been too much trouble and she kept making recommendations until we were 110% happy. Thanks Alison
