Business Spotlight

BY ROB MORRIS ADDRESS: 10021 S. Pennsylvania Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73159 PHONE: 405-237-3333

EMAIL: vacations@bhtravel.com WEBSITE: www.bhtravel.com HOURS: Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bentley Hedges Travel – 52 Years of Award-Winning Service

The year was 1970, and although a young Bentley Hedges was hard at work for the Federal Aviation Administration and Tinker Air Force Base, the entrepreneur side of his personality was itching to start his own business. Bonnie Hedges, Bentley's wife and co-owner of the agency says juggling his jobs and a new business was tricky at first.

"Starting a new business is hard," said Hedges. "So, for the first three or four years, he continued to work at his other jobs to keep funds coming in. He called in one day at 11:00 o'clock to talk to his salesman, and the guy was still in bed!"

Hedges decided to go all-in on his new business. He retired from the FAA and started taking a salary from the company. Bonnie said his daughter, Angie, joined the company later, making it a family affair. That combination of family and passion for serving their customers helped Bentley Hedges weather the ups and downs of the travel agency business.

Bentley Hedges turned the business over to his daughter, Angie Hendricks, in 2004. Bentley remains on the board as the founder and chairman of the board, providing leadership that has kept the agency at the top of its game.

Bentley Hedges Travel's commitment to customer service has been repeatedly recognized for its excellent service. The most recent honor is the prestigious 2021 Travel Leaders Agency of Excellence Award. The distinction places Bentley Hedges in the top echelon of the Travel Leaders Network Associates, demonstrating the highest level of expertise and providing excellent service to business and leisure clients.

"We are honored to be an Agency of Excellence with Travel Leaders Network," said Angela (Angie) Hendricks, Bentley Hedges' President, and CEO. "The global pandemic has been challenging for all of us, but we have been able to continue serving our clients and promoting the joy of travel. Winning the Agency of Excellence Award is a wonderful recognition of our efforts."

Bonnie Hedges says the award, coming amid the global pandemic, has proven to confirm the need for a travel agent.

"Flights, hotels, tours, and cruises were canceling left and right," said Bonnie. "If you had booked online, you had no one to turn to and help you recover anything because online agencies don't have phone numbers to call. And getting through to the airlines was all but impossible."

Things were much different for clients of travel agencies like Bentley Hedges, with decades of experience navigating the tricky maze of transportation and vacation bookings.

"We knew how to go and file insurance claims, recover their money, or get future travel credit," said Bonnie. "Not only that, we were able to play a significant role in helping our customers get the most out of their travel dollars, which some of them had been saving up for years. "

Bonnie says Bentley Hedges serves all types of customers, featuring agents who specialize in corporate business travelers looking for a smooth itinerary. Bonnie's specialty is working with football fans hoping to make the most of road trips to some of the nation's best gameday sites. The agency also does brisk business in destination weddings.

"You know, when you have anywhere from 20-to-200 people invited to your wedding, you don't want to ask them to go to the internet and book all of their travel and accommodations themselves," said Bonnie. "We have an agent who is brilliant at all the ins and outs of destination weddings."

And with so many patchwork pandemic requirements still in place, Bentley Hedges can confidently help clients navigate the tricky requirements of vacation or business travel.

"What vaccines, passports, visas, and COVID tests are you going to need," said Bonnie. "The rules are different for Barbados, Aruba, and Hawaii. There are different rules for airlines. We are experts at knowing and assisting customers with these questions."