Travel agents: yeah or nay?

[Jim S]

I'm booking a surprise overseas trip for my fiancee along ways off...Sept 2012....Windstar Cruise to Greece & Turkey with an extra day or two here and there. I can do it all myself but was wondering if there's any reason to using a travel agent with all the tools available to us on the web?

[DS88]

You can do it yourself, but I usually just go to a travel agent, explain what I like, what I expect etc. so I don't have to browse through hotels/apartments for hours and hours.

[HEY!YOU!]

I was in the same boat with my trip to Italy.
I decided to go with a travel agent.

Got a good referral from someone who travels a lot.
She had a source that checked out the hotels, rail passes, etc to get the experience I wanted.

I covered the air fare with my miles.

Trip of a lifetime.

PM me if you want her name/#

[Guitar Josh]

Only two instances are they of any use:

1) Cruises (you literally cannot get the deals agents can get)

2) Multi-destination international vacations with excursions.

Otherwise, an hour on the internet can take care of everything else.

Don't be afraid to call or e-mail places and ask for better rates or prices.

[ACfixer]

Domestic, no. International, yes... especially if the agent has personally been to the destination you have in mind.

[guitarz1972]

Internet's made it real easy to book trips, etc. IF you have a pretty good idea of what you're looking for. For just a weekend excursion to a typical kind of getaway spot, I'd say that's fine to do. I have very little specific knowledge about Greece or Turkey, and it might take me literally hours to come up with an effective itinerary for something like that, and it'd be only based on my own amateur research. A good travel agent will do the research for you and make sure you get the most out of your trip. In this economy, good agents are willing to work pretty hard to get and keep your business; so I'd bet the pricing for that stuff wouldn't be bad at all.

Plus, another thing to consider: If something on the trip does go wrong, your fiancee can focus blame on the travel agent and not you.

[Jim S]

Thanks guys.

[DWB1960]

http://www.destinationeuropeonline.com/

[geoangus]

My wife and I have travelled using an agent and not. Personally, I don't know how our agent stays in business, because the deals she gets us are as good as any out there. AND, it's good to know there is someone to call if you're in a jam on your trip.

[cruisemates]

Originally Posted by geoangus

My wife and I have travelled using an agent and not. Personally, I don't know how our agent stays in business, because the deals she gets us are as good as any out there. AND, it's good to know there is someone to call if you're in a jam on your trip.

This is a common misconception so I will use this as an oportunity to help people understand - travel agents get ALL of their commissions from the cruise lines or destinations (hotels) they reserve for you, nothing comes out of your pocket.

The only exception is that some airlines have stopped paying agent commissions, so an agent will charge you a small fee ($10/person) for booking air for you, but they will disclose any fees that comes out of your pocket this to you up front.

[semi-hollowbody]

If I was rich and wanted to show off, spend more, I would hire a travel agent..."ahh yes, Buffy, We have the most wonderful Travel agent...our weeks in the Hamptons just wouldnt be the same if we had to spend 20 minutes on the internet booking the trip ourselves"...

I am surprised the internet didnt KILL the travel agency business

[HEY!YOU!]

Originally Posted by semi-hollowbody

If I was rich and wanted to show off, spend more, I would hire a travel agent..."ahh yes, Buffy, We have the most wonderful Travel agent...our weeks in the Hamptons just wouldnt be the same if we had to spend 20 minutes on the internet booking the trip ourselves"...

I am surprised the internet didnt KILL the travel agency business

That's just ignorant. It's not about being rich or showing off.
It's about getting the right info and having the experience you want.

The Internet doesn't doesn't always do that or save you time.

Just like everything else, there are good TA's and not so good TA's.

[semi-hollowbody]

Originally Posted by HEY!YOU!

That's just ignorant. It's not about being rich or showing off.
It's about getting the right info and having the experience you want.

The Internet doesn't doesn't always do that or save you time.

Just like everything else, there are good TA's and not so good TA's.

I said "I"...not "everyone"...thats how it makes ME feel...didnt mean to offend anyone but as far as MY travel is concerned, I can do any and all arrangements myself without PAYING someone else to do them...there is nothing wrong with businesses making money off of others ignorance or laziness (by ignorance I mean lack of know how, NOT stupidity)...hell I pay plumbers as I refuse to work on water related issues...but travel is one area I dont need to pay someone else...

ps..Ive never been to the Hamptons, nor do I care to know ANYONE named Buffy...

[HEY!YOU!]

Originally Posted by semi-hollowbody

I said "I"...not "everyone"...thats how it makes ME feel...didnt mean to offend anyone but as far as MY travel is concerned, I can do any and all arrangements myself without PAYING someone else to do them...there is nothing wrong with businesses making money off of others ignorance or laziness (by ignorance I mean lack of know how, NOT stupidity)...hell I pay plumbers as I refuse to work on water related issues...but travel is one area I dont need to pay someone else...

ps..Ive never been to the Hamptons, nor do I care to know ANYONE named Buffy...

You really don't know how Travel Agents work, do you?

If you think all it takes is 20 min on the internet to get all the info on a trip to....let's say England, France, Italy, and get there and find it's not at all what it was described as, you are naive. And there's nobody to help with any hiccups.

Sure, planning a trip to Vegas is easy on your own but the OP was asking about something else. There are lots of out of the way, off the beaten track cool places that a TA would know about because they were there already there and can steer you away from areas that look good on the internet but in reality suck.

Don't be hatin' rich people named Buffy, to know them- is to love them and if you've never been to the Hamptons.....oh well.

[taez555]

Travel agents have deals worked out with the hotels, etc. Although the rates may be same for you as they are on-line, the agent is earning a commision directly from the place you're staying (usually around 10%).