Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
When it comes to planning a vacation, you need to answer the age-old question - do it all yourself or use a travel agent? The arguments for doing it yourself could be that you will save time and money, but do you? Before you book that next trip, we asked several agents to tell us the real reasons why we should use them to do the work for us:
Convenience: "Travel agents offer the convenience of having all the pieces pulled together for you- including your flight, accommodations, transportation to and from the airport, and excursions," said Rebecca Hochreiter, from All Inclusive Outlet. "Better yet, they take the guesswork out of these selections. Instead of potentially endless research, you are given hand-selected choices based on your preferences. Those traveling with a group will appreciate having a hub for all related details. Ultimately, a travel agent relieves you from a great deal of time and work for no additional service fee."
Personal experience: "Working with an agent can offer insight and information amassed from years of research and personal experience," said Karen La Rosa of La RosaWorks Sicily Travel and Tourism. "Self-directed internet searches can come up with overwhelming amounts of information, but to make a trip extra special it's best to have someone who knows how to connect all that information and turn it into an itinerary that shines and works seamlessly."
Greg Antonelle, managing director at Mickey Travels, LLC, said that he is keenly aware of the busiest and slowest times of the year for Disney travel and when there are discounts available, such as free dining. "We're also aware of value season vs peak season," he said. "If you were to book your vacation on your own and a promotion is released, it is not automatically applied to your vacation. However, as your travel agent, we monitor on a daily basis for discounts and promotions and automatically apply them to your vacation."
Personalization: "These days anyone can post anything they want on the internet, and sometimes what might seem like a good deal, might be too good to be true," said Liz Loftus, Luxury Trips. "When we design trips, we incorporate our personal experiences and relationships with our hand-picked partners. We assure that when people invest their money in a trip with us, it will be exactly what they want. When working with a travel agent, we take care of everything; from the moment you set foot in the destination to the moment you touch the ground back home."
Keep up to date: "Travel agents keep track of hotel and cruise line promotions and can advise on the best time to book," said Hazel Boone, Luxury Travel Advisor, Someday Vacations. "For example, wave season for cruise lines, when most cruises are booked, is generally the most advantageous time to book a cruise. Cruise lines now start advertising wave season rates in December - instead of the traditional January rollout date."
Fritz also said that a travel agent will know when to suggest joining a hotel company's premium frequent stay program and help you calculate the value of what you will receive. "Certain credit cards offer additional cruise and hotel amenities - a knowledgeable travel agent will make sure that you are signed up to receive all of these benefits," she said.
Topics From This Article to Explore
