Travel agents more expensive?
 

I have been talking to bunch of travel agents to book a week vacation to Hawaii. Most of them in the same price range.<BR><BR>However, if I call the hotel directly the per night rates are lower than those on some website like Pleasant holidays.<BR><BR>Any experiences (upside and downside) by doing reservations yourself or going through travel agent.<BR><BR>I do not want to offend any travel agents but just relaying my experience.<BR><BR>Thanks

Travel agents are a thing of the past. The internet has all but obliterated them. They are in business (the few left, that is) to make commissions off their bookings. Anybody with internet access can very easily book themselves. In my opinion, that's part of the fun of planning/anticipating the vacation. I guess computer iliterate people and business travel may still use them.

I would use a travel agent if I had a multi-city European trip with eight thousand stop-overs or some other difficult itinerary. We book 99% of our trips ourselves. We shop around, wait for the right airfare, hop into the airport (6 miles away) and bingo, we are done. We do our homework when we are going away, but we find it to be fun. We love to check the different sights and watch the airfares. It's like a cat and mouse game to us. The thrill of the hunt.

I agree with both you regarding the fun in doing the research.<BR><BR>Plus, when I did searches via Expedia, Orbitz and call the Hotel directly, I do not find any difference in price the Travel Agents offer. <BR><BR>Any other opinions?

I use a travel agent as I have found they have the best package prices from my west coast city. I used expedia once but somehow the dates were wrong and it was a nightmare. I disagree that travel agents are on the way out. Some of us here still use them.

Typically, promotional rates and discounts have their own availability (i.e., they could "sell-out" before the actual hotel rooms), therefore it is usually wise to compare rates across sources for the best deal.

Any expensive complicated trips (i.e. international) I use a travel agent. Short domestic trips I book myself. I use my travel agent so if something goes wrong, I can call her to fix it.

I recently booked all the hotels for a three-island trip to Hawaii myself, using Hotels.com, hotel chain websites and one direct call to a hotel. It was my husband's job to book the cars. I never occurred to either of us to talk to a travel agent. <BR><BR>In 1985 (pre-Internet) I spoke to several travel agents trying to get some help booking a three-week, six-country car trip in Europe. One agent actually said, "All we do is book tours." Perhaps it was unreasonable of me to expect knowledgeable advice on small, interesting hotels, and since we wanted inexpensive hotels too, the commission would have been small. I got lots of information from library books and one or two that I bought, and I made reservations by phone, a few to 800 numbers but some by direct phone calls to Europe. We traveled without reservations around England (no problem--used B & Bs--) and three nights without reservations on the continent, partly because it was too difficult to figure out where we would be. Two of those nights we found terrific places; the third was an unhappy, expensive night in Geneva.

Jenny, one thing to make sure of is tax. I booked a Hawaii trip with an agent after finding out that her rate included tax (which is very high in Hawaii) and transfers from the airport. The rate for the same Outrigger on their website was slightly less per night but did not include tax, let alone transfers. Plus she got me a much better deal on the airfare as part of a package.

Actually you must remember that the "package" prices travel agents quote include all fee's and taxes. Therefore it might account for the differences in price.

I would also like to add the advantage of using a travel agent. And it's not for price. It's a little silly to call a travel agent and expect them to get a price cheaper than what you could get doing everything on your own (and sometimes they can anyway!). It's like taking your car to a mechanic and telling him he can have your business as long as he can fix your car for you cheaper than you buying the parts and doing the work yourself!<BR><BR>The reason to use a travel agent is because they know the destination that you're going to, they've been there (and don't book with one who hasn't) and they know the truth about the hotels and locations which is better than the glossy brouchere images you're looking at on the internet! They will also be less likely to forget something that you may forget like taxes or transfers! And if you do have any questions or problems, you'll have someone to turn to for help. If those things aren't worth something to you, don't even call a travel agent. <BR><BR>Yes, planning your own vacation is fun and exciting but if you forget something, miss some fine print or if something goes wrong, look in the mirror when you need someone to complain to because no one else will owe you any help. I only say that because I've seen way too many self-bookers trying to find someone to blaim for their own mistakes. If you can except that then go ahead and make your own arrangements. <BR><BR>

Did we hit a nerve there Angie? Are we a wee bit bitter? Because we're a travel agent Angie?

Angie,<BR><BR>What you say may sound good in theory.<BR><BR>On several occasions I have run into travel agents that sound as though they have first hand knowledge of a location...like they really know the place(hotel, destination, etc).<BR><BR>When I asked them straight out, " Have you actually been there?"..I was shocked to learn that they hadn't been.<BR><BR>Regarding packages, I recently read(in the WSJ I think) that agents get up to 15% commssion on packages...far more than they get with indiviual bookings.<BR><BR>Travel agents seem to like packages because it is fast, inclusive and get a a a larger commission on everything in the package.<BR><BR>Bottom line...travel agents are not as objective as they want us to believe.

Amen, Dick

Judging from previous replies on this forum, TAs are not as helpful as they would have you believe either. They love to use scare tactics to frighten people away from the big, bad internet, as if we're all two year olds who couldn't possibly plan our own trips without screwing things up. Plenty of people have posted here to complain about their agent's reaction (or lack of it) when the AGENT'S planning went awry. Do a search.

Aloha;<BR><BR>I usually book all of my trips myself, including a 30 day tour of the far east for 4. However this past summer I was on Maui for 2 months and had to return to the mainland for a funeral. Obviousely this was a last minute trip and airfares were extremely high. A travel agent on Muai got me a ticket at less than 1/2 the hotwire fare. I can post the name of the agency if anyone is interested.

I am a travel agent. I would like to throw this out there.... if you don't think we are usefull, don't book us...but why not at least give it a shot? What could it hurt? All I do is Hawaii and I have never had a complaint on the pricing or service I provide. If you don't like the agent you talk with, find one that specializes or go ahead and do it yourself. But for those to say we are extinct or anything like that, you are wrong. If you have one bad experience, you can't hold that against all of us. Thankx.

I'm a travel agent. I don't mind if people book their own travel on the net. I take good care of those who use my services and get them what they want, at the price they want, packages or no. Repeat business is more important than the commission on one booking.

I go to Hawaii twice per year and my travel agent *always* beats the lowest internet rates I can find. I search for low rates myself on the net first, then tell her what I've found and she will beat that price by $100 or more. This last time she saved us $600 in airfare alone. Also, an agent can get you upgrades in hotels, which happens about 75% of the time when I book with her. I would suggest a big travel agency that a lot deals with Hawaii.

Oh puuuhlleeaazzee, Angie.<BR><BR>What a pathetic, helpless (and NAIVE!) attitude.<BR><BR>Most travel agents haven't any more of a clue about where you're going than a well travelled and research-capable reader here at Fodor's.<BR>You need to look up the word gullible in the dictionary.<BR><BR>(And I'm not criticizing specialty TA's who have detailed knowledge about certain places, like agents who only book France/Germany, etc. I'm speaking of your generic TA).<BR><BR><BR>Conde Nast Traveler had a contest a couple years ago in which a computer literate 'regular joe' went up against an experienced TA trying to book the same 4 complex itineraries. It was a draw. Which means: no harm in checking with an &lt;experienced&gt; TA, but don't assume they'll get you a better deal.

I, anon, who posted at two messages above am in no way related to the other sarcastic "anon" from before :-0

DUH, having trouble remembering who you are today?

In a former life I was a TA, and I have to agree w/ previous poster(s) who write that TA's are short-lived. Their best hope is to specialize in one area of travel where they can provide tangible value. And Pleasant Hawaiian is not a TA, they're essentially a wholesaler. If they didn't have to price for the TA's commission, you potentially could buy your trip for 10% - 15% less.

And then beachbum, what happens when your "consolidator" trip goes wrong? If your trip goes well, fine, but if you run into problems, look out. Pleasant Hawaiian held my money ($3000)hostage and refused to give me a refund for 51/2 months. This never would have happened if I used a travel agent. Again when I went to Hawaii and my car wasn't availible my TA got me a $50 Hertz car voucher which I am sure I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

I have had a great travel agency for years and use them all the time. But, I also will take the time to check out web specials to see if they can apply to my needs for travel. My agent also will tell me about some web specials that are available and as courtesy books them for me and then gets cars, hotels, etc for me. I pay their service fee and it's done! They get notices all the time about "deals" for their clients, but they also take the time to see what's out there on the web to pass on to their clients... maybe I am just lucky??<BR>

Jeff,<BR>I agree with you that generic travel agents are a thing of the past. There are agents who still want to sell the whole world and they're deluded because you can't be good at that many destinations! But the speciality travel agents aren't going away at least in the near future because a lot of people still want to find an agent who really knows the destination they are going to! I don't know about the Conde Nast test but I do know how they've chosen travel agents in the past. I wouldn't doubt that they picked some agent with lots of years of experience and thought that was enough. It isn't! A well-traveled and intelligent travel agent with a few years of experience can often beat the old "experienced" agents who got in the business in the first place for the perks that used to exist and because their husband made enough money to support her whether she did well or not!<BR><BR>I think a lot of you have experienced agents like that and so you think they're all that way and they're not. Good ones are hard to find because there are still so many bad ones but they are out there!<BR><BR>If you want to find a good agent, first ask if they have been to the destination you're going to and how many times! If they haven't been, you're right Jeff, you may be able to do just as well on your own. But if they have been and particularly, if they go regularly, they will probably do a better job than you and at the very least, save you a lot of time! <BR><BR>Last of all, don't judge a travel agent by the cheapest price! That's not what booking with a travel agent is about! There are cheap motels and things like buses and trains that most agents don't even do because it's not worth the time it takes to do. So for very budget trips, yes, you will do better most likely.<BR><BR>If you don't want to use a travel agent, just don't! But don't criticize them generically and don't criticize people who have found good agents. There's just no reason to do that!<BR><BR>

I have been a travel agent for 23years and I disagree with some of your comments. Just remember that on Sept 11th, how did your web booking provider handle your travel plans..we had clients calling us from across Canada and the U.S. trying to change their flights and we were able to personally handle them.<BR><BR>I'll admit I haven't been around the world but give me a break, do you actually think we have enough time to travel to every hot spot out there. We're not paid enough to travel constantly. <BR><BR>There are alot of people who will continue to use travel agents because they are still leery of using the net and they don't want the hassle of booking their own vacation.<BR><BR>We're not extinct yet!!!<BR>

You (travel agents) are not paid enough to travel constantly ? I was always under the impression that travel agencies sent their agents to various travel destinations at the agency's expense.

Most travel agencies will pay for one trip per year to travel to a popular destination. These may be organized familiarization trips or you can arrange your own. There is certainly a budget attached to these trips. Years ago you could get great fam deals but they are few and far between now.

A lot of people are responding here that don't know anything about the travel industry. Agents will get perks when new hotels or cruise lines offer new routes. Also, they get gret deals for Hawaii or east coast islands depending. E.g. Outrigger was offering agents to stay for 39/night or so a few years ago. These perks go to the larger agencies, at least that's what my agent gets. As mentioned above the key is to get an experienced agent. Conde Naste and Travel and Leisure both offer yearly reviews of the best agents. Also check out www.virtuoso.com agents which can get you upgrades in Hawaii hotels.

sorry for all the typos, hit post too soon ; )

I usually book through a travel agent, but this year decided to book directly through the hotel. We are going to Oahu for 2 weeks, and I am saving about $30-40 dollars per night by booking with the hotel instead of the travel agent. I have been to Hawaii once before, so I didn't feel nervous doing it this way.

Once you have been to Hawaii or nay other place a couple of times you will know the location better than any travel agent !!

A question for the travel agents...<BR><BR>Isn't it true that frequently hotels, cruise lines,etc offer special incentives to T/A?<BR><BR>Should a travel agent tell a client that the agent is getting a special bounus for placing people with certain hotels, etc.?<BR><BR>Doesn't the incentive create a conflict of interst and reduce their objectivity?<BR><BR>

One of the reasons we like to book ourselves is that if an emergency came up we can cancel within 24-48 hours and not have any penalty. We would be able to take a credit for the airfare minus the 100.00 penalty. <BR><BR>With any travel agent that we have used, you must pay in full 45 days ahead of your trip and if you don't buy travel insurance, you are flat out of luck. We always get upgraded anyway and we usually only rent a car for a day or two (Hawaii) so we don't need the "free" car thrown in. The last time we used a large, very well known travel agency they totally messed up our itinerary. The had us going to the Westin Maui Price instead of the Westin Maui and they had us booked into an outrigger when we requested the Hilton. When we discovered what they had done, (luckily in time) we couldn't get into the Hilton as it was full. They put us in the Hyatt and the room was disgusting. The travel agent would not help us when we complained, but the hotel gave us free nights for our next stay at any of their hotels world wide. Only through our dilligence did we get the trip we planned on. This is why we always book ourselves. Who can we trust any better?

Dick, how else is a travel agent supposed to learn about a specific hotel, cruise line, etc, if they aren't going to get perks to visit? I have never had an agent push anything on me. Give me a break. How else are they going to learn about a particular destination? As you and I both know it is very expensive to travel.

xxx,<BR><BR>I am not talking about fam trips.<BR><BR>I 'm talking about things like... book 5 trips in the next two months to a specific resort and get 4 days free....book 8 trips and get a week free..etc. Or book 6 cruises and get $500.<BR><BR>I believe that incentives like that can easily cloud their objectivity. Most TAs seem to prefer booking into chains or large resorts( that gurantee the commission will be paid) instead of others which MIGHT have been better for the traveller.

In reply to Lisa, you should know that the penalties for cancellation are not imposed by travel agencies but the companies they have you booked with (such as Pleasant Hawaii, American Airlines Vacations,etc). If you read any brochures they list penalties for cancellation or changes to a booking.<BR>I know, too that these penalties apply to internet bookings so by doing it yourself doesn't mean that you can just decide not to go someplace and get all your money back. About the only thing you can get a full refund on is a hotel that is booked direct instead of through a tour company because they will usually let you cancel up to 24 hours for some locations or till 4pm day of arrival for others.<BR>

Sue,<BR>That's exactly what I was talking about. We book ourselves directly through the hotels and airlines and we join the different programs that the hotels have such as Starwood, Fairmont Presidents club. These programs have great benefits and upgrades. We get 35% off rack rates at Starwood as well as points towards free nights, etc. Almost the same at Fairmont. I truly don't feel or have found that any travel agent can beat these prices.

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