Cook Travel
M-F 9am-7pm
Southampton, NY; Greenport, NY; East Hampton, NY
The seed that would eventually grow into Cook Travel was planted when Blake Fleetwood, the owner, was planning a trip in college. While studying at Columbia University, he traveled to Europe during one of his breaks. He discovered a special deal: if he convinced friends to accompany him, he would get a free flight. He pulled together a group and from that moment on he was hooked on the travel business. Blake’s career, however, is multifaceted. Along with running the travel agency over the decades, he has been a writer for both The New York Times and The Huffington Post. He has also taught classes in Urban Development at New York University.
When I spoke to Blake, he was proud to be one of the last brick and mortar travel companies left in Manhattan. Although his business is primarily internet-based, he still keeps his shop. He believes that though there is little foot traffic, some people are “reassured that there is an actual storefront.” He then added that some customers do not like the internet and prefer to “see and touch.” Blake specializes in First Class and Business international travel. He credits his longevity to being able to sell tickets to the “top 1%,” offering them the most reasonable deals he can find. For years now, he has been able to save his customers money on otherwise very expensive tickets. Blake has a large team at Cook Travel, with offices on Long Island and agents throughout the U.S. and abroad.
When I first noticed the sign for Cook Travel, I was pleasantly surprised, and, I might add, intrigued. I had not encountered an independently owned, old world travel agency like this, thus far. As I walked in, I was amused at the desks lined up in a traditional manner, but with two exceptions. I later learned, after meeting Blake’s son, Nick, that he had built both himself and another employee a standing desk. It is clear that out-of-the-box thinking runs in the family.
