Are You Overpaying by Using a Travel Agent?

Generally in life, if we want a job doing well, we call in a
professional. If there is a leak, we call a plumber and if the car stops, we
call a mechanic. However, the current trend has been to cut out the professionally
trained and qualified travel agent, and to do the job ourselves. It is true
that with the huge amount of information available on the internet, and a host
of booking websites offering discounts, almost anyone can book a hotel, flight
or vacation, but do they really get the best deal?

An experienced travel professional has unrivalled experience
in the world of travel, working 40 hours a week for many years. A professional
travel agent or broker will have access to a huge choice of services from contracted
suppliers and can see the whole picture, not just choosing the first option
that ticks all the boxes. For example, an agent may see that a flight is a few
dollars more, but saves you hours of travelling time. They can view all the
possible connections and combinations and can spend time trawling through the
options with their sophisticated Travel Agent’s Reservations System, as that is
their job.

The current reluctance to use a travel agent stems from the
belief that we are saving money if we book ourselves. However, you the customer
are not being charged a penny by the travel agent. They do not add a fee to
your booking. Instead, companies make their hotels, flights etc. available to
brokers at preferentional rates, as travel agents generally are going to be
much better clients than individuals to deal with. It is the suppliers who pay
the brokers a commission for their business, not the customer.

The advantages of using a travel agent are many. Their
sophisticated browsers and software can sift through thousands of combinations
and fares. They do not just throw up the cheapest fares but they also look for
the best schedules for you. In the International arena, travel agents still
provide the most business to airlines and consequently have the best inventory
and prices from them. Agents can also watch potential bookings on your behalf
and monitor the sales of a particular flight to get you the very best deal
using their professional knowledge of the industry. Furthermore, international
flights offer a mind-blowing number of possibilities, with a huge