The Internet has made traveling super easy. You can quickly compare prices of airfare, resorts, car rentals and more with a few clicks on your keyboard. And planning and booking a trip from start to finish all by yourself has never been more simple.
While websites and apps may make it seem antiquated to use a travel agent, there are many reasons you may still want to leave the planning and pricing to someone else.
Reason Number One is that planning and booking a trip can be downright stressful. You’re spending your hard-earned money and taking time off from work or school, meaning you want it to be the best it can possibly be.
While it may be easy to pick one of the gazillions of travel sites and type in where you are, where you want to go and when, there are some complexities that may be more easily navigated by a travel agent. One such complexity in the fine print, which contains restrictions and fees that may not seem obvious to you.
Those items may be easily overlooked when shopping, but they can greatly impact the bottom line. And – about that bottom line – sometimes, travel agents are privy to better rates and discounts for their clients than are advertised on DIY travel sites.
If you’re not entirely sure of where you want to go or stay, a travel agent can save you a lot of time. The amount of time and effort that it will take you to read online reviews for varying cities and resorts when trying to determine where to go can be stressful and confusing. If you work with an experienced travel agent, they already have that knowledge or can quickly find it. They draw on the feedback they receive from other clients, other agents and personal experience traveling to different destinations.
If you’re looking for a place that’s family friendly, a beach town, or non-touristy spot, a travel agent will be able to provide you with suggestions on locations and where to stay that fit your needs.
If you’re traveling with a group, an agent may be a life saver for you. You can work with your travel agent to pick a destination and place to stay and the agent takes over coordinating everyone else’s travel and accommodations for you. If someone needs to change their flight, wants to add a guest to their room, or any other changes, your agent handles it so you don’t have to worry about it.
If something goes awry while you’re on your trip, you can call on your agent to help fix or make alternate arrangements to fix the situation.
And a travel agent may be helpful if you’re going abroad, especially if it’s somewhere you’ve never been before. You’ll have the opportunity to ask your agent as many questions as you may have about where you’re going and they will make sure you have all of the information you need to ensure you’re traveling safely.
If you think using a travel agent will cost you more, you may be wrong – many travel agents don’t charge customers for their services.
When it comes to only needing to book a flight, you probably don’t need an agent’s help. And if you want to use your points, rewards or miles to book a flight or hotel, you’ll have to do it on your own. You also won’t be able to do it through travel discount websites– you’ll likely have to go directly though the website or company that is giving you the points or miles.
So, while you may think of a travel agent seems like a relic of the past in this era of speed and efficiency, they can often be the most effective way to plan your trip.
Photo from http://www.usatoday.com/videos/travel/advice/2014/06/26/8476085/.
