Maybe you shouldn’t use a travel agent if …

by Janice Hough on May 25, 2009

I have written posts in the past about the advantages of using travel agents. But in truth, there probably are some situations where booking on your own is the best option. And there are some travelers who may be happier without an agent.

For example, when it really is a question of the absolute cheapest flight or hotel, don’t call an agent.

In fact, I have recommended to some clients to use sites like Priceline in certain situations. As long as time isn’t an issue, because such tickets are almost impossible to change, and cannot be used on other airlines even in case of delays.

With rooms, you also need not to be picky about hotel bedding, view, room location etc, because hotels are not getting anywhere near their regular rates for these rooms, and you are going to be their last priority as far as customer service and room assignment.

Also, while some bed and breakfasts do work with agents, many do not, and if you love little places with two or three rooms, you may be best doing your own research and booking.

Ditto if you like the challenge of finding a bargain owner-rented home or condo. In Hawaii, for example, a great family oriented property is Kiahuna Plantation on Kauai. Most units are rented through Outrigger Resorts or Castle Resorts and are booked by travel agents.

But some owners rent the weeks or nights they don’t use directly — online, on places like Craigslist, by word-of-mouth, or with other advertisements. This could be either because they don’t want to comply with the management company’s rules and standards, or because they don’t want to pay the fees. Which can sometimes mean a great deal.

I know people who swear by this method of booking vacations, but if you don’t like the property, there are no other options.

Actually, I have turned down requests from clients to pay me to book such owner rentals, because I can’t back them up. A management company can change a unit if there’s a problem.

Another time when it might be better going it alone is when you or a travel companion really think you have found a great deal at a place a travel agent can’t book. In some ways, it doesn’t matter if the place is good or not. If an agent steers you somewhere else and it isn’t perfect, you may always think “I should have gone with my first choice.”

I recently had a relative whose travel companion had picked up a brochure for a older small property in Waikiki. I knew that this property was dated and had a lot of problems, although it wasn’t awful. In that price range, I thought other options were better. But they weren’t as good as she imagined her choice was. So I simply booked their flights, they booked their little hotel, and it was fine.

And if you are the kind of person who really loves to get online and book your own travel, and is willing to spend hours doing it, you also probably should do so.

Case in point: I found a surprisingly good consolidator fare to Europe two years ago for a friend of a friend, with about an eight percent commission included. The woman loved the fare, but asked me to hold space over the weekend. She then called on Monday saying “I don’t know how you do it.” She had she had spent at least 10 hours online over the weekend, and only found one lower fare, and that by about $40 a ticket. After apologizing, she then asked me to cancel my booking unless I could match it. (Because a friend was involved, I did match the fare, but have politely turned down her later travel requests.)

Finally, if you hate delegating anything because you really feel you can do most things better yourself, well, then again, you may be happier doing your own travel.

No agent is perfect, and none of us can guarantee that airlines, hotels, or cruise lines will actually deliver what they promise. And while perception isn’t everything, if you can’t fix a problem you have with your own reservation, you may not think an agent could have either.

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Tagged as: hotel rates, Kiahuna Plantation, priceline, travel agents

  • http://cestbeth.com/ Beth

    As a travel professional, my clients have asked me to throw caution to the wind sometimes, and use Priceline, Hotwire, etc.,to score the lowest priced car or hotel and I have. I am willing to buy the lowest anything for a client, as long as he or she realizes that the purchase is final. I am willing to do most anything my clients want, as long as they realize the implications of their requests.

    I do understand that some people have hours to spend searching for the perfect trip deal, but some don’t. It’s those people that don’t who are best served by a travel professional like me.

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  • Bill

    People should do what they feel most comfortable with, and what works best for them.

    Banks generally have ATM’s, Tellers, Online banking and bank by phone. People use the right combination in banking, and so should do so with travel agents.

    No solution is perfect. When I’ve gone on a trip, I am happy if, on my return, I can say I didn’t run into a problem that couldn’t be solved. In other words, you almost always will run into something, but quite often it is also easily solved if you work with the person/company who has to deal with it. And yes, sometimes you have to solve a problem with money.

    Good article, Janice.

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  • Dave

    I compare it to plumbing. Do you do it youself or get a professional to help? It depends on your own skills and experience and the complexity of the project, among other things. I’m personally not knowledgeable about plumbing, so I call on a professional for all but the most simple things. That’s the way a lot of people should be with travel agents. On the other hand, I do know my way around the Internet for travel booking; it’s a hobby of mine, and I like to see and consider lots and lots of options. For me, booking online is usually the best approach.

  • http://Priceline.com Albert Bruton

    I have found Priceline not to be a good company to book with. I looked for a hotel near the Getty Museum. Priceline showed one as “near the Getty”. I booked the hotel and on my way driving to it realized that it was going to be a very long way from the museum. I called Priceline early in the day, when most hotels would allow no charge cancellation, and asked to be given what I asked for, “a hotel close to the Getty”or a refund. The response was
    “YOU BOOKED IT. IT’S YOURS”!
    Priceline misled me on their website and refused to correct their error.
    I would never book “online” with them again.
    A. Bruton

  • http://n/a Tony Azpeitia

    This question about using a travel agent depends on many factors.

    Some are: You available time, and how to effectively use the many tools available including the internet and a Certified/Professional travel agent qualified to help you with your travel plans.

    Another factor is the type of travel purchase needed. Even a simple plane ticket and car rental can vary in price and a number of travelers generally feel they are savvy enough to get the best deal.

    “Caution to the wind” is a great idea, but not for the faint of heart which are the majority of travelers.

    I find most travelers have expectations and are unhappy when their expectations are not met.

    Another major factor beyond booking, especially on a vacation is what happens after arrival at your destination.

    The Certified/Professional travel agent who is a Certified Specialist in the area of your travels usually goes beyond selling you any activities, but can assist you with their knowledge and experience of how to maximize your time and assist you with activities that are best suited for your lifestyle. That’s a level of service that the internet can’t deliver.

    The most important factor is when you return home with precious memories and not nightmares as I read about so often in Tripso. I thank Tripso for their great service of educating the traveling public.

    At the end of the day, saving money is important, but most travelers tell me that with their limited time and money, their real goal is a trouble free vacation with real value.

    Bottom line: Travel planning is like trying to cross a minefield without a guide. Who lucky do you feel?

  • Phil

    While I have used a travel agent on occasion in the past I seldom do so now. I travel a good bit and my experiences have been more often negative than positive. The last time I used a local travel agent it was an acquaintance who assured me he could get me a good deal. He insisted that the hotels I wanted were unavailable and the ones he was proposing were equal. I told him that TripAdvisor did not seem to support one of his recommendations but he insisted I would be satisfied. One of the hotels was adequate; the other was exactly as described on TripAdvisor. He shrugged his shoulders when I reported back after the trip but he is aware that I have booked elsewhere a few hundred thousand dollars of travel since then for myself and friends. Some five years previously I had begun doing my own travel arranging after I had found a tour to China and asked the travel agent I had used for some 5-10 years to book the trip for three people at a cost of over $10,000. I could have booked it myself online but I thought since there was no online discount I would give him the substantial commission (which subsequently showed on my final paperwork). He complained bitterly that he had had to call the company and wait online to talk to someone whose English he found difficult to understand to answer some question he had. A year later I decided to use the same tour company to plan another trip for some dozen friends and I did it all online using email when necessary to answer questions. My travel agent didn’t have to complain about having to talk to someone and the trip went flawlessly. I no longer have to hear travel agents tell me that the trip I want is unavailable or have them try to push me toward something I have researched and don’t want because they will receive some better commissions. All of this does not mean that I don’t use travel agents at all but the ones I use are online and I have researched them in advance and I handle everything via email. Only once have I had a bad experience with this technique. I booked a three week trip to India and Nepal with a company whose owner was very easy to work with online but in India his local providers were not up to the task and a couple of the guides who were with us longest were unable to communicate effectively with us. I communicated via email with my US online tour provider but I gather the local company insisted I was just being difficult. We survived and one problem out of all of the trips I have planned seems minor. If I could find a local travel agent who would really work for me I would be willing to use him/her occasionally but without such a person I can more easily do it myself.

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  • kelley

    Well, you got me! I read the headline and thought this was actually going to be informative. But, of course, it wasn’t. It’s nothing more than a con job, exploiting people’s concerns, anxieties and insecurities.

    While it was a little toned down (only a little), it essentially said, sure, you can book your own cruise, but the boat will probably sink and you will drown. Or take a hike that wasn’t booked by a travel agent? Sure, go ahead, but if you get bitten by a deadly snake or attacked by sasquatch, well, you chose to take that chance.

    Sure, there are occasions or personalities that are best served by an agent. But in most cases, the risk of taking some personal responsibility is not as great as this obviously biased piece would indicate. Want to find out about a place? Do a quick search and include “tripadvisor” in the search. What you’ll get are the experiences of real travellers, not just agents who profit by putting you there. Even if the agent actually went to the property, you know they weren’t treated the way all guests are treated, so input from a real guest is far more informative.

    The bottom line is the pleasure you get from your trip is ultimately up to you. And in almost all cases, it has little to do with the agent or website you used. While a good agent may be able to steer you to something of particular interest to you, there’s no guarantee. Also no guarantee they can / will / or want to fix your complaints. Especially if it’s Saturday or Sunday or not during their normal business hours in their own time zone.

    The point is, there are good and bad sources on the internet, which this article makes great effort to exploit. Curiously, though, apparently ALL agents are miracle workers, as there is no mention of good vs bad agents.

    Bottom line? Go with what makes you comfortable and what works best for you. Preferably, a choice based on legitimate input and not scare tactics. Then lighten up, get over yourself and have a great time. It’s a vacation, but it’s still real life. Make the most of it and have some fun, get enlightened, and take pictures to share.

  • http://www.e-philippines.com.ph Russell Ri

    Going to a new country or an exotic destination can be a daunting task. Especially if you’re looking for a worry- free vacation.

    In this case, its best to consult with a local destinations specialist that assist you in coming up with a customized itinerary with your specific preferences.

    Russell

  • John

    I think a better way to put this .. Maybe you shouldn’t use a travel agent if you don’t value your time or their expertise.

    Good travel agents book properties that they have confidence in. Period. Otherwise, people will stop using them or come back demanding the the agent return some money. Notice I said good. Not Sally who took a correpondense course in being a travel agent and really only does it for the fam trips. Not Jimmy whose goal is to book as many people as possible and doesn’t care about repeats.

    If hours of your time isn’t worth ($50), don’t use an agent. If you are willing to pick a property off the internet and their staged photos instead of relying on someone who has been in the room, go for it.

    No I’m not a travel agent nor do I play one on TV. I don’t use a travel agent when I know where I’m going and where I want to stay. I don’t use a travel agent to book most flights any more (unless the itinerary gets ugly). I do use an agent when things get complex or I have an idea where I want to go but not where to stay or what to do. I pay for her service when it’s not as much about price but more about my time and experience.

    If your choices are all about price, leave my travel agent alone. I want her to spend her time servicing my trip. I value her expertise on the area I’m going and her time in helping me plan. It’s a cheap $50.

  • Jen

    I would always give a local community travel agent a chance…they make a commission and that commission stays in your community, and that travel agent spends the money she/he earns in your community (and perhaps with your company!) In these days of recession, we should all be helping our neighbors make a living. If you look around, I’m sure there is a competant, professional agent in your area that can match or at least come close to pricing you have found on the internet, and if you develop a relationship with him/her, and show him/her your loyalty, the harder she/he will roll up the sleeves and work for you in the future.

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