Most all travel agents or advisors are created equal and it is a matter of researching and finding those agents who are willing to help and give good advice from past experiences. You can’t expect them to know everything but with your own research and you can come to a good balance. I’m not saying that the only way to travel is with pre-planned travel or pre-booked trips but some or all of the journey you can use a travel agent/advisor. I have used both but i prefer to use my own planning as i break up trips to spend longer or shorter times in a place depending on if you like a place or not.
Even if you dont use their services you can get some good ideas.
Here are some of the reasons :
they may offer some perks you cant get yourself
Agents are trained destination and product experts and know how to sort through the myriad of travel information available. Their knowledge and network means they also have access to the best deals this could be room upgrades, complimentary breakfasts and airport transfers and other hotel benefits. Some perks are only offered to travel agents. Some travel agents belong to a larger organisation that buy cheaper travel options and may have the connections to the area that you are travelling to so they can arrange things that you never thought of ie all behind the scenes work what only a local would know.
Its better to travel business or first class when travelling long distances, i know because i have experienced both and i know which i prefer and it is not cattle class.
Save time
Travel agents’ has a world of travel information at their fingertips their recommendations and guidance may save hours of research by swiftly whittling down the countless choices of hotels and vacation packages if you didn’t know what to look for.
When making a reservation through an agent, i also had the assurance that all the facts were accurate, whereas when making a reservation online, i had to continually verifying that the dates and information were accurate. With more complicated routes, this would become even more time-consuming.
You can always get an itinerary and estimate from an agency, conduct your own online search for the best deals, and then ask the agent to match or beat those costs (although not all agents offer a “price beat” guarantee). This will give you the best of both worlds. It is at the absolute least good to quickly check the hotel’s and airline’s own websites to see if they are providing a pricing that is much less than the agency.
It’s important to consider flights on other carriers as well. Even though this adds a lot more variables, switching airlines can save you a lot of money. But make sure you are familiar with the airline’s safety record as well as its history of cancellations and delays.
Professional and personal travel specialists
A experienced travel agent will make the entire process hassle-free for you, beginning to end. Additionally, they locate packages and items that fit your particular needs and preferences and adjust the schedule to accommodate specific requests.
Your agent is available to resolve any problems you run into while travelling and will intervene on your behalf if there is a problem.
Convenience and a personal touch
Travel agents are a ‘one-stop shop’ that can handle every aspect of your travel – from booking airline tickets, ground transfers, tours and activities to arranging travel insurance.
A travel agency will guarantee the correctness of your booking information, offer guidance on visa applications, help with travel documentation, and offer priceless travel advice.
Luxury travellers, who paradoxically frequently assume they know a lot about travel and rely on their own erroneous sense of competence, value travel agents even more. A good agent can help travelers on any budget, but they are so more essential on higher end trips as their is a lot more at stake. As usual it does pay to read all the conditions for refunds etc as some people had trouble getting their refunds during the COVID crisis.
They will be your (hopefully) advocate, they’ll take care of the minor things, they’re actual experts, and they typically don’t cost extra. They can also locate amazing offers.
Travel agents, who mostly arranged lodging and tickets, are a thing of the past as they primarily booked tickets and beds. Travel advisors have taken on a much more complex role – helper, mediator (wife/husband differences destinations) and concierge.
Help when things go wrong
Anything that results in cancelled flights or cruises causes inconveniences, but those that navigate this procedure the easiest are the ones who get rebooked earliest and snag the few seats that are left.
In contrast to lengthy waits at “help desks” that are simply banks of airport phones, you actually have someone to call.
i was stuck on a island with cancelled flights due to weather, when the odd flight that did come up the people who came up with the biggest excuses or were able to negotiate with the resort manger the best got on the flights first, with an agent they should be able to take care of this for you. some of agents will do all the rebooking for you as others stumble to find a way out.
They have greater broad knowledge of destinations
you may know a lot about one area but going to another country is another thing. You probably haven’t heard of all the top hotels. Where a travel advisor’s expertise is unmatched is in this situation. Even the finest travel agent isn’t going to be able to know everything, so smart travel agencies divide up their knowledge into areas like honeymoons, cruises, safaris, and so forth, and they all collaborate together.
Connections and networks
The majority of hotels hold emergency inventory, and guess who gets it? Whether you are attempting to reserve a spot at a sought-after 8-villa safari lodge in Africa or a stay during Tour de France in Paris, guess who gets it? They have long-standing relationships with several travel agents who refer them a lot of business and book a lot of travelers. It operates in this way for a variety of things in the tourism business, including difficult-to-settle dinner reservations, the best ski instructor at the resort, and the top art expert in the city as a private museum guide. When there is a shortage, nothing beats personal contacts, which the finest agents have developed over years or decades and they can give you a wow moment if the agent has the richt connections. Agents should be able to offer their clients experiences alot of people wouldn’t of imagined, agents or advisors offer access to people, places that could not be replicated or done by yourself.
Room choice hopefully a good one
this is one detail you have to work out with the agent as the hotel will not always comply with requests . Is the room available when you arrive, does it have the view it advertised, and are they building next to the hotel (noise) and in Asia is it a non-smoking one. Does it have what you asked for. The agent should be able to iron out any of these details with the hotel . Also is there a room upgrade and do you have a complimentary bar fridge and free breakfast.
In summary things to look for in a travel agent
an eye for detail
experience in travel booking
knows the right questions to ask
has ideas on what experiences and places to go
wants to have customer satisfaction not just a quick booking.
deals in facts not feelings and can turn a good trip into a reality
can specialise in a area or knows who to send you to.
always learning about knew deals on their network and can get you the best updated deal.
can help with complicated journeys and help accordingly.
has a wider community they can draw information from.
Better Journeys! In the end, this is the primary benefit of working with a reliable travel agent. They have access to perks you can’t acquire on your own, more knowledge than you do, stronger connections, and can match and frequently undercut any pricing you find. They make the trip more prepared for and then add a safety nett. A top travel agency can instantly elevate you to the status of a VIP, as well as saving you money, time, and hassle.