Comments on: Without a travel agent, you’re on your own

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:45:23 +0000

I have traveled extensively and always used a travel agent. After years of fees my wife became a travel gent and not only books my travel but also the travel for all our friends and relatives. And she give free advice to anyone that asks.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:16:49 +0000

I use a travel agent only when the travel is going to be complicated. I enjoy Hawaii and try to get there every couple of years or so. I always book myself or turn in points…but last time, I decided to invite my parents and sister to join my wife and I in our favorite place on earth.
Unfortunately, this meant that travel from three different geographic locations in the United States, all showing up in Honolulu within 30 minutes of each other…and my wife and I were using points for the flight! So, since I was using an agent, we also had her book the inter-island flight for the week in Maui as well, AND the two hotel rooms at the Princess Kaiulani in Waikiki. And the price wasn’t bad either…well worth it because I wasn’t about to book something so complicated and something that important myself!
Ed

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:26:44 +0000

Like Laura I am not a travel agent and I am well traveled. If I use a travel agent it is always one “online” that I have thoroughly researched rather than a local travel agent. Local agents where I live with perhaps one exception have been worthless. I still recall the time when I was just beginning my world travels and I went to the local auto club travel agency to get passport pictures taken and told the travel agent I wanted to go to Machu Picchu over two weekends and the intervening week. That was my only request. She slowly walked over to her file cabinet, looked in a couple of drawers and said “I don’t see any trips like that, sorry.” She closed the file cabinet and that was that. That brought me to the one exception. I drove across town and stopped in another agency near my office where I told the agent the same thing and she responded “I have a couple of possibilities but I will research it and get you several more to consider.” She did and we traveled to Machu Picchu on one of her trips. She planned one more trip for me and then left town with her husband. Her replacements and all TAs I came across there and elsewhere in town after that wanted to make the sale with as little effort as possible. The last time I used a local agent was 8 years ago when I found a trip to China for three weeks that two friends and I wanted to take. It was not cheap. The company wanted me to book through my travel agent. Even though I had done all the research and had picked the trip provider company (well-known in its field) and had credit card in hand my agent later complained bitterly that he had spent 45 minutes on hold to talk to someone in the company about some question he had (I would have used email!). When I received my travel documents they included documentation of the commission my agent earned and I decided I never again wanted to hear a travel agent complain about something that I was capable of doing myself. I have planned trips for myself and friends who travel with me all over the world on numerous times since that China trip using online agents where necessary to do the booking itself. Only once did I revert to a local travel agent again and he essentially told me to take what he offered because he had done his research and the hotel was fine, even though I had read about the hotel and knew it was not what we were going to want, or leave it. The hotel in Paris was as bad as I had read. So I continue to plan my own travels and I have had some wonderful trips without a local travel agent. I am sure there are communities with excellent TAs and there probably are some here where I live but I am quite happy doing it myself now because I know I know I will do a thorough job and be pleased with the results. And I know who to blame if I am not happy!

By: Laura Townsend Elion

Laura Townsend Elion — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:46:22 +0000

I think I mentioned privately that I use my agency’s in-house agents and pay the fees, so regrettably its not an option open to outsiders.

By: Nina

Nina — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:02:53 +0000

Your best suggestion is too inform your friends that while you are widely travel you use a travel agent. Give them your agent’s name and numbers. Referrals are an agents bread and butter.

By: Laura Townsend Elion

Laura Townsend Elion — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:51:32 +0000

Bless you, Ginny.

What I’ve learned in trying to help out friends is that an agent needs to be omniscient, needs to know what the client wants even more then they do sometimes. It’s tough!

My other favorite ‘travel for dummies’ conversation went like this:
Them: “You mean American doesn’t fly straight into the Grand Canyon?”
Me: “Well, if they do, you’ve got a bigger problem.”

By: Ginny Gordon

Ginny Gordon — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:17:01 +0000

Thank you for this wonderful article – however, there are a few things missing and these are true comments from clients throughout the years.
“I don’t need airfare – I’m going to drive to Hawaii.”

“Why do I have to pay for two – I’m only using one bed” -cruise ship psgr

“XYZ Air told me it was your fault that they changed the size of the plane.”

We are truly a brave group of individuals – and love what we do! The best thing is when your guest returns, and starts the conversation with “you won’t believe” and ends it with “the best vacation ever!”

By: Karen Fawcett

Karen Fawcett — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:30:36 +0000

Laura: I’d think we would have learned by now. I don’t mind suggesting hotels in Paris and frequently can get someone an upgrade. What I hate it is when people call to complain their flight was late, the taxi driver took them the scenic route and the dinner was disappointing. Travel agents earn their paltry fees and I’m delighted to leave the planning to them.

People know I love to travel and get up and go. But some people should confine their trips to groups – where the planning is done for them and frequently, it is terrific. I don’t have contacts in many places and we both need to say no. And mean it.

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