In the age of AirBnB and Kayak, some people think travel agents are long gone. Not according to the American Society of Travel Agents, which notes that there are almost 10,000 travel agency firms operating in the U.S. Travel agents still book 85% of cruises and 50% of airline tickets. So should you use a travel agent for your trip? That depends on the type of person you are and the type of trip you’re taking. Here are some factors to consider that might lead you to work with an agent instead of going it alone.
Package Deals
Are you booking a travel package? In addition to cruises, travel agents book 70% of all tours and travel packages. They often know about special deals and have access to pricing information that the general public does not. Package deals usually include airfare, lodging, transfers from the airport to the hotel, admission to attractions and museums, and some meals.
The main advantage of a package is that most or all of the expenses are included. There are two downsides. First, you can’t deviate from the package. This isn’t Burger King; you don’t get it your way. The second is that you’re not going to venture off the beaten path. Most package tours hit the top tourist highlights in a destination and that’s it.
Complex Itinerary
If you’re flying round-trip from Boston to Dublin and you have a hotel in mind, you probably don’t need an agent to book your travel. On the other hand, if you’re flying to London, taking a train to Paris and Rome, and flying home from there, you might want to consider it.
I used a travel agent for a one week trip to Ireland. We drove along the southern coast from Galway to Dublin and I had specific requests for different types of lodging – 1 night in a castle, 1 night in a 5-star hotel, 2 bed and breakfasts, etc. The agent handled the flights, the rental car, and all the accommodations. This is basically designing your own package tour. If you’re trying to do that, a travel agent’s expertise can be invaluable.
Specialized Trip
You’re not just going to France, you’re doing a tour of significant battlefields from World War II. Or you’re doing a kid-friendly African safari for the first time. Contacting a travel agent who specializes in the type of travel that you’re interested in can save you time and money. Sure, you can try to research on your own to figure out who the best safari operators are in Botswana or how to see penguins in Antarctica. Or you can work with someone who exclusively handles that type of travel and has contacts with all the major companies in that country or region.
Terms and Conditions
Fine print. Airline tickets have it. Hotel reservations have it. There are terms and conditions attached to every part of your trip. You might know what all those terms means. You might have questions about when travel insurance applies and what happens to your hotel reservation if your flight is delayed by a day. A good travel agent can answer your questions.
Comfort Factor
Some people are fine to walk out of the airport in Muscat and figure out how to flag down a taxi to a nearby hotel. Others want to have a car waiting for them; a driver holding a sign with your name on it. If you are comfortable traveling abroad, you probably don’t need an agent. If you’re reasonably sure that you can figure it out, you might not need an agent. But if fear of the unknown is the thing keeping you from taking the family overseas then book a trip through an agent and go.
As it often does, this decision comes down to preference, price, and time. You can design the perfect trip all by yourself if you are willing to spend the time to research it. Or you can hire someone to do it for you. If you decide to hire a travel agent, you can visit the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) website.
Have you used a travel agent? Tell us about your experience in the comments.