what is the benefit of a travel agent???

so how do they work??? if you go to a travel agent- do they take a %??
do they charge you more then it would be if I searched online myself???

Girls who have used a travel agent- Why is it better to go thru them?

help! i just dont wanna book my honeymoon myself and end up in a shack with a window facing a brick wall!

It was better for FH and I because we wanted to make sure that we had the right airport transfers and such. Also, it was virtually the same price if we booked it ourselves and god forbid something happens and we can't go to that location or get there and absolutely hate it or they screw up our reservations or something we can just call the agent and they can move us someplace else. Also, we didn't have to pay for the whole trip up front which we would have had to do if we booked thru a website, we paid for our insurance and our airline tix and have up until 30 days prior to pay the balance ;) If you would like the info for the agent we used FM me. HTH

My dad owned his own agency for years before he passed away and there are sooo many benefits of using an agency. I could tell you tons of horror stories from expedia etc.

First of all, if your not 100% sure of where you want to go, a travel agent can help you figure out. Many times they have been to the area you are looking to travel to and can give you advice based on personal experiences. If they themselves have not been to a destination they will have most likely had a client go there, and can still give you insight.

If God Forbid anything were to go wrong on your trip, you have someone you can call...In the middle of the night, on holidays etc...(Most agents anyway) You def can't do that with an online company. Your stuck with whatever random person picks up the phone.

You will NEVER be charged more using an agent. If it seems like you are, I recommend you make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Double check to see if the site your on is giving you non stop flights, same room category, taxes, fees etc. With an agent everything will be included in the price (with few exceptions)

Its the benefit of a service, and expertise. I definitely recommend using a travel agent!!

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Posted by FutureMrsM

It was better for FH and I because we wanted to make sure that we had the right airport transfers and such. Also, it was virtually the same price if we booked it ourselves and god forbid something happens and we can't go to that location or get there and absolutely hate it or they screw up our reservations or something we can just call the agent and they can move us someplace else. Also, we didn't have to pay for the whole trip up front which we would have had to do if we booked thru a website, we paid for our insurance and our airline tix and have up until 30 days prior to pay the balance ;) If you would like the info for the agent we used FM me. HTH

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So it was the same price as if you booked it yourself?

for a big trip i like using a TA. For HM i will say that in the beginning I did look online and said i will do it myself at first. Well i looked on every site possible, i tried orbitz, expedia, cheaptickets.com, cheap-o.com, and about 10 others. I found GREAT prices i will admit. I found airfare to spain that was awesome BUT extremely long flight and it was an airline i never heard of, i looked up the airline online and heard the planes are very old with extremely small seats and you pay for each suitcase you have. And on every single site that i checked, iberia was the most expensive(thats spains airline) but it was the best flight, shortest and best times leaving and coming back.

ALSO, i like that if something happens the TA takes care of it. No matter what you do get travel insurance. I know ppl who did and came in handy. For example someone had to go to Jamaica years ago and there was a big riot there and they were killing tourists and not allowing anyone in. Well the TA took care of everything and booked them on a flight to the bahamas and booked hotel for same day. Also for our cruise same happened for us, there was a delay and wasnt sure if it would even leave, the TA said she booked us for Cabo at the RIU i think incase the cruise never leaves, but if the cruise leaves not to worry she will cancel Cabo and we'll go with original plans. It was great to not worry about this and have it handled.

So for HM, i decided to try TA's after looking at all online quotes just to see if there was a difference. Most werent but found one TA with amazing prices for flights and WAY better than any online deals. He did alot of europe trips and had corporate accounts and got us a deal with his discount on Iberia airline, the best flight for spain. Not only that but also great deal for flight from spain to monaco and then back home. Ill just say that just one way from ny to spain it was close to $3k for dh and i both on iberia online. Well i dont know how he did it but from NY to barcelona, then 7 days later barcelona to france, then france to NY it came out to $2200 total for both of us not individual, i couldnt believe it. He even got us a great rate at a hotel in monaco since that was a corporate account of his and always sent ppl there and got us his discount. I looked online and the rate he got us was amazing.

Not only that but he arranged car picks up for us at all locations. When we arrived in barcelona there was a guy there with a sign with our name that waited for us at the gate. Then they even picked us up from hotel and took us to airport. Same when we arrived in france and then back to airport.

and no i never paid a TA anything extra

You have a human being to work with.
TA's can offer better rooms, have special deals with hotels and resorts, can get you upgrades.
If something goes wrong, you can speak to your TA or someone on their staff who knows your travel plans, rather than some anonymous customer service rep.
My TA has done great for us in the past, we'll keep on using her for major vacations.

I was very curious to know this too.....

Me and FH wasnt sure what we were going to do and wasnt sure if there was any difference/benefits as to which way we booked.

Good question cynandkeith!

thanks ladies- it seems like hands down i should go with a TA-
i'm so excited now!!!!!!!!!!! yea you ladies are the best!

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Posted by CAM1223

I agree. FH and I used an agent (which we LOVE). It was so easy. They take care of everything. The price was great. I think that if you were just booking a little vaca, you could do it yourself. But this is your HONEyMOON!!!! They will make sure that you are all taken care of. Where are you planning to go?

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We would really like to go to Turks and Caicos- we've never been and I only hear great things about the island- plus the way that the island is situated in the caribean- they guarntee you 365 days of sunshine!! isnt that crazy??? they never get rain.