Alice Meiners bought Gulfstream Travel in 1990
and loves the fact that it is a ‘neighborhood travel agency.’
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Linda Haase
“People always tell me: You are always traveling,” quips Alice Meiners.
And why not? She is a travel agent. But Meiners, who owns Gulfstream Travel in Delray Beach, began her globe-trotting at an early age.
“As a child my parents packed us into a station wagon and we traveled to all four corners of the United States. I have fond memories of seeing our country that way,” she recalls.
Since then, she’s visited places many dream about — and even walked up Mount Kilimanjaro. Since two of her three children — and her husband’s two children — live elsewhere, that means even more travel.
“I read travel magazines and travel brochures every day. I never know what idea will pop into my mind. If it looks interesting, I can plan it,” she says.
It’s no wonder the Ocean Ridge resident loves helping others design their vacations. That’s one of the reasons she bought Gulfstream Travel in 1990. “At that time it was the oldest travel agency in Delray Beach. It had been my ‘neighborhood travel agency’ since the early 1980s,” says the 66-year-old. “Julie Kessman, the office manager, did her internship at Gulfstream Travel 30 years ago.”
It has a great locale. “We are the only storefront travel agency east of I-95 in Delray Beach or Boynton Beach. People find our location very convenient, at the Intracoastal bridge and George Bush Boulevard away from the congestion of Atlantic Avenue. We have plenty of easy, free parking.”
Although the job is fun, it also has its challenges. Technology has taken away some business — but it has also made things much easier, says Meiners, who has lived in Ocean Ridge for 17 years and raised her kids in Highland Beach. “No more international phone calls and letters — we used to mail requests to hotels for room reservations,” says Meiners, who has a bachelor of arts from Vanderbilt. “Now you can find so much information on Google. But Julie and I have been arranging people’s travel much longer than Google, so we do have additional expertise.”
And, despite what some may think, the company doesn’t charge for all of its services — although there is a $25 charge to issue an airline ticket (travel agents are not compensated by airlines but often have to help passengers with travel issues). “When a client books a cruise or tour through Gulfstream Travel, we are paid a commission by the cruise company or the tour operator. The client pays exactly the same, but we take care of all the details. If there is a problem, we fix it. Our job is to take away the stress of planning from the client and send them off to an enjoyable experience,” she says.
Travel, she contends, is an important part of life. “There is so much beauty and history and stimulation out there. I think travel has three parts: planning and anticipation, the travel itself, and the memories. Sometimes the travel itself isn’t the best part — particularly for older people — but the planning and memories are exciting and make you a more interesting person.”
Who wouldn’t want that?
Gulfstream Travel is at 800 Palm Trail, Delray Beach. Open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call 276-3300 or email Alice@gulfstreamtravelagency.com or Julie@gulfstreamtravelagency.com.
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