Kathy

Hi All-
We're looking to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon. Should we get a travel agent to do the bookings for us? I've traveled a little so I know what I'm doing, but is it easier to have an agent do it since there will be island hopping involved?
Thanks!

BeachBoi

"Island hopping" is not a difficult concept,especially for people whose line of work it is.IMHO, I would call around your area and see if there is a "Hawaii Specialist".Maybe so maybe no.Or at least an agent with a few years experience.That way you can rest at ease.Again, that is just my humble opinion.
BB

abc

Definitely use an agent - knowledge + personalized service can go a long way. Also, many agents will phone or fax hotels and get you even better treatment and ammenities, especially since it is your honeymoon!!

Sheryl

I have used Eric Kang at All Globe Travel and he is great. They specialize in Hawaii. His email is:
[email protected]
Phone: 800 688-2254 ext #105

x

Sheryl-Shame on you for promoting a travel agent here. Fodors prohibits ANY kind of solictation. As to the rest of you travel agents--go jump in the Lake.

Kathy-Do your own research and book yourself. You will save money. Agents now charge all kinds of fees to make up for lost revenue. Don't get suckered in by them....

xxx

x, all the luck to you when booking on your own. That's also why my brother in law paid 750 for his flights to hawaii and we paid 400 for the same route. Having a closed mind will always make you pay more for travel.

x

Nothing at all wrong with using a travel agent if you have no clue as to what you want or if you are computer illiterate.

xxx

I might be insulted by that response had I not traveled to Hawaii over 10 times. You can be as stubborn as you like, we'll just see who ends up with the cheaper accomodations. P.S. Have you ever been upgraded to an Executive Suite at the Four Seasons Maui by booking on your own? My TA gets us upgrades every time we use her. To each his own.

LN

Actually why not look at both. Do some research yourself and let a TA do some research also. Compare and decide what's best for you then make your plans. There's a lot of good, efficient TA's out there.

TvlPro

I work in travel industry technology and have extensive knowledge about how it all works, but I still prefer to engage an experienced TA to make my leisure travel arrangements.
I have no desire to spend hours and hours researching on the web and I have no trouble finding destination specialists to help me out.
I always double check the prices before I buy and find that the -experienced- agents I use seem to get the same, if not better prices that I can find on the web myself and they save me many hours, which is worth more to me than the fee my agent charges.
Oh... and if I have any problems I just call my agent and he takes care of everything!

BeachBoi

My TravelAgent charges fees for airline tickets only.He does everything,tickets,tours,whatever.The theory is that when he/his agency books packages,they make 10-15% commission.So when/if you got to a TA,ask up front.Never know.

a

I normally book all trips myself. I researched extensively for deals to Hawaii and still my travel agent did better.
My recommendation is do the research yourself to get a sense of places and prices that sound good to you. Then see what the travel agent offers.

Sheryl

Hello "x": I just read your message and had a good chuckle. I am honestly not a travel agent and was just trying to help in sharing someone that has gotten me good help with HI travel. I did not really think about someone like you assuming that it was a business solitation (Eric: if you read this, sorry!)

hanna

Why do so many people assume that 'cheaper' is better? A friend and I attended the same out of state wedding. We left from the same airport on the same day. He bought cheap on the net and had 2 change of planes in each direction. I paid 40.00 more and went non stop. To each his own.

Ray

My travel agent has never added fees to any package I have ever booked. She only does it when I book a ticket for travel within the states, but if it is a package, no fee. They only add fees to certain tickets because they airlines stopped paying commission. She told me that the tour operators and people who do packages still pay her. I have always compared prices online and she comes out just as good or better. I prefer having somebody do it for me. I once tried to book my trip to Disneyland with my computer and ended up surfing site after site after site and getting confused and I realized it just isn't worth it to buy travel online unless it is just a plain old domestic ticket.

xxx

Christ, travel agents would have you believe that everyone is too dumb to purchase an airline ticket or book a hotel online. Do you own a home? Pay some bills? Can you sit at the kitchen table without falling off the chair? Then you too can book direct on the internet, no middleman, no agencies, no fees, no screwups. MOST people book their own travel now, even at work. It ain't brain surgery. Travel agents are a dying breed and desperate to have you believe that they offer an irreplaceable service. Note to agents: you've already been replaced. Find a new profession.

X Bellman

Book a trip online and buy the Fodors book on Hawaii....it will save you alot of money and you will have plenty of time to do research on the flight there!!!

mike

Hanna, the main difference between you and your friend is that your friend is apparently a moron.
Anyone who knows anything about online air booking would not book dual connections.
It's not rocket science.

TA

I also went to Hawaii on my honeymoon. I told my TA exactly what I wanted (hotels, flights, rental cars, etc) and I gave her the names of 3 different companies to compare "Package" deals. I did alot of the upfront legwork and let her use her "magic" to get free upgrades and other freebies. Both you and your TA have to work as a team. I went with "Pleasant Hawaiian". The price my TA was quoted was lower than any rates I tried to get calling myself. I returned to Hawaii 6 more times after my honeymoon and booked everything myself without a TA.

beenthere

All travel agents will try to steer you toward using their preferred suppliers where they get bigger commissions. A lot of the time these suppliers do not save you money and could end up costing you money in the long run.