Why Use a Travel Agent Taking time to get away is always a wonderful thing. But sometimes the planning and organizing that goes into a trip can kind of suck the fun out of the adventure. This is where having a travel agent comes in handy. A travel agent takes care of various time consuming things, like researching online for discounts, and locating the best hotel options and travel advisories. Still don’t think it’s worth it? Read on. Save Money! This seems like the obvious reason, but many people don’t realize how much money they can save when utilizing a travel agent. You may think you have it all figured out when it comes to locating discount rates online. But oftentimes the best fares and rates aren’t even located online. Cruise lines and hotels may not lower their rates for online travel agencies like expedia.com. However, they will offer special deals and promotions for their consortium partners who have contracts with them. Many of which would be independent travel agents. They have access to numerous airplane seating upgrades, hotel deals, and VIP luxury packages that aren’t available to the general public online. Room Finders When you’re searching for hotel rooms online, you may be sad to learn that your ideal location is all booked up and there’s nothing you can do about…unless of course you’re a travel agent. Properties often have rooms on reserve they’ll give out to their travel agent partners. Additionally, travel agents can help you weed through code wording and misleading descriptions like cruise cabins, which are located below fitness rooms, or garden views with a view of the parking lot. Troubleshooting Having a travel agent is really great for peace of mind. It’s normal to run into some hiccups along the way of any trip. But for major ones like a missed flight or cruise connection, it can be a total nightmare. Have you thought about what you will do if you run into a major storm in the middle of winter trip? A travel agent can help you navigate safely out of these situations. They can re-‐book your flight, putting you ahead of waitlister’s, find last minute rooms and even file insurance claims for you, should the need arise. Group Travel Traveling in a group can be a really great time! However, trying to wrangle together multiple people with multiple different opinions about how to plan a trip can be an absolute headache. This is where it’s really worth it to book a travel agent. When you book your own travel arrangements through booking sites online, you run the risk of having to fix your own problems if something goes wrong. Customer service
reps for those online agencies aren’t exactly the friendliest folks around. Why deal with the frustration of it all? Booking a travel agent may not be necessary for you, but it’s definitely something worth considering. They can save you a lot of time and money, and help eliminate a lot of stress. Not to mention, travel agencies can help make your trip an experience you’ll remember for a lifetime. That all sounds good to me. Sign me up!