Can anyone recommend a travel agency in Manhattan to get good airfares to Italy from?
 

Before this possibly gets deleted- I usually buy from one agency but they do not work with Alitalia. I usually find that the price the airline quotes and the price that a travel agency quotes for the same flight is usually very different, the travel agency's is always less. Can anyone recommend an agency please?

Why go through an TA? You can book anything and everything through expendia, travelocity, and many others for much cheaper than a travel agent will charge. At least in my experience. It's all quite easy...even my grandma has booked trips online! <BR>If you must use an agency and can't get a recommendation, just do a Google search for:<BR>travel agency+manhattan. try travel agency+ new york city too. It always helps to put in key words too, as the search engine will pull titles that match. <BR><BR>good luck.

I disagree with you. I know of a discount travel agency in Manhattan. When I have called to compare airfares they offered in comparison to Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, the travel agent had better prices! It's a ticket consolidator. While I understand your enthusiasm about Orbitz and Expedia, they are not offering the lowest fares or prices. I have been able to beat their fares consistently by doing research on my own -- this goes for hotels as well. The times they appear to be more competitive is for last minute deals. Yet, I prefer the Travel Agent I can call and it's at no charge to me.

dkdkd-<BR>Can I have the name &amp; # of the agency? I have also had the same experience- no matter what I find online, Orbitz, Expedia, etc. the travel agency ALWAYS finds me something cheaper. In fact I just use online resources to get an idea, because I know when I call the travel agency it will be on average $50-100 cheaper.

Lisa, email me at [email protected] and I'll give you the name. I don't want to be advertizing on this site!<BR><BR>

Hi Lisa,<BR> Unless you need the additional services that a TA provides I think you can do better at online consolidators.<BR> Tiss.com has flights from east coast to Rome or Florence for about $600 in Sept.

Hi Lisa when I worked for American Airlines in reservations I saw a lot of people with reservations booked through Liberty Travel. I have no idea who they are or IF they handle consolidated rates.<BR>Maybe some NYC'ers will weigh in on this. Good luck.

I checked Tiss.com, and they quoted $541 (before taxes) for a departure at the end of March to Sicily, and a return back the second week of April. With taxes that would probably be $640. My usual travel agent quoted $620 (taxes included) with Delta. I just NEVER find better prices online, no matter how much I search. Thanks everyone for trying to help, I will try Liberty, why not?

Lisa, I've dealt with Liberty as well but to no avail. There is always so much discrepancy in prices with them. Through my extensive research, I have be able to find some online travel agents where great hotel rates were available (NOT hotels.com or expedia.com, etc.). Friends of mine are travelling on a tour to Italy with Liberty but I found the airfare they are paying to be much more than I found. Good luck!

Lisa,<BR><BR>Within the last two months, Travel and Leisure ran an article on the best travel agents in the U.S, broken down according to location and speciality ( Europe, Asia, etc.) HOpe this helps!

<BR>I have used travel agents for trips to France,Thailand and Spain. Each time they quoted me prices cheaper than I found on the net even with thier $25.00 fee.<BR>NO---Im not a TA.

What is tiss.com? When I typed in that address, the website is flights.com. Are the tickets sold thru the airlines, or is it an agency selling discount seats with special rules?

X asked<BR>&gt;What is tiss.com? &lt;<BR> As best I know they are a consolidator. When you book a flight they send you a confirmation number. The tickets are sent through a travel agency.<BR><BR> I have no connection with TISS other than that I have used them many times and have found their rates to be low and their flights to be convenient for me.<BR><BR> BTW Lisa, the tax on a $540 ticket is less than $100. You can find out the total cost by starting the booking procedure and not completing it.<BR>