What's the point in using a travel agent?

[Sequel]

I have to agree. While trying to book a trip to Jamaica, I visisted 4 different travel agents in Brisbane. They all offered me the same, out of date, accomodation brochure, that only had 6 options! After doing some home work (which did actually take up a fair bit of time, but also armed us with a lot of information), we booked at 2 seperate places, niether of which had been offered before, and at a considerable saving to what we had been offered (on an out of date price list).

As far as the flights were concerned, and keep in mind this was before I discovered this site, I went to travel.com.au, came up with an itinery I liked, printed it out, and asked the travel agents what they could do. 2 of them said they couldn't even book the same flights (or get within $500/ticket). 1 offered a $10 discount. The agent I ended up using beat the internet price by $100 dollars each ticket. But the ticket had to be paid for back in June for a flight next week. To add insult to injury, I have just loged onto aa.com, and I can get both of us on the same flights next week, at $100 cheaper again, and on better fare codes (now that I know what they are). And until I logged on here and realised our mistake, the travel agent had quite happily taken our QFF no's, and then booked us on fare codes that didn't earn any points!

 

[QF WP]

Hey Sequel, best of luck for the trip next week - I'm eagerly awaiting your throughts when you return. I can so relate to your Jamaica booking saga, we had the same situation - looking at the yellow brochure with out of date pricing (the only one available after trawling through 4 TA's), comparing against the web site information for some resorts and then trying to find a TA to book it. We ended up with Contours Travel in MEL booking Couples Negril (Tiffany was our TA - she had actually been to Negril and some of the Resorts so was able to get some good info from her).

Best of luck with the AA Plat Challenge.

Don't forget most TA's know less than you do on FF programs - it's an add-on that earns them no money but if they did their homework, much kudos (and return business) for ensuring people get the most out of their flights and $.

 

[Sequel]

I will let you know what I think upon my return, that is apart from being hot, steamy and windy (I checked weather.com yesterday, at 1am it was 28 degC, but felt like 41!).

I also rung the US AA desk yesterday to confirm the Challege - everything A.OK, started on the 1.09.05, so I have 500 point already!

(Sorry, a bit off topic)

 

[JohnK]

I think that using a travel agent for certain situations is beneficial.
Back in June is was planning my trip to Thailand in Dec/Jan. Looked on all web sites (including Qantas) and got an indication of the fares involved. Due to trying to get extra status credits I opted for SYD-BNE-SIN-BKK-SIN-BNE-BKK. The published SYD-SIN-SYD and BNE-SIN-BNE are almost the same. I was able to secure SYD-BNE-SIN-BNE-SYD for over $100 less than the direct fare to SIN.

The good thing was that I boooked flights in June and did not have to ticket/pay until August 16. Could not have done this online.

When booking domestic it is much easier to use Qantas website (great booking engine) as the travel agent really does not add value.

When booking SIN-BKK-SIN on finnair travel agent quoted AUD$550. But because I looked around beforehand I was able to secure SIN-BKK-SIN directly from finnair website for SGD$279 which converted to ~AUD$215.

Over time I think we all learn what is best for us and for which situations to use a travel agent, and I feel they do come in handy sometimes. With sites like AFF, FT etc around most travellers have become a lot more informed. Knowing what we want can get us better deals both on the internet and travel agents.

 

[N860CR]

In a way I had very unfortunate dates for booking with a travel agent. All the TA's fares are negotiatied March 31st - March 31st, and I'm travelling at the beginning of April. This meant that the cheapest SYD-SIN fare with QF was something like $5000. A lot of the other flights also came up with huge fares because of this.

I got lucky in scoring two FF seats, however the TA's inability to book fares that were being offered through the airline (IE: The Swiss SIN-BKK) still has me a little supprised, to say the least.

I think, as has been mentioned, if one is to use a travel agent they should use a specialty one. In hindsight, if I'd gone to the Thai Tourist Authority in Sydney then I'd no doubt have gotten more help (and good local knowledge).

Nothing can beat the satisfaction of doing it all on your own (and knowing you got the best deal). Plus you're also then loaded up with all the information you need to negotiate yourself around a new country!

 

[markis10]

When your reservation/ticket gets cancelled in an asian city airport owing to a lack of folding stuff in a passport and you need a new booking pretty quickly, its nice to have a travel agent to help you out. For pretty simple return trips the web wins, when things get sticky a friendly voice is worth $$$.

 

[parsonstrish]

i feel i'm being the ta

I'm new at o/seas trips. Last yr. I won points I converted to QFF and got a trip to London (sans sc's of course but one can't have it all). I got great fun in doing all my own bookings ie cars, accom. etc. myself. This yr. I got a 5% discount with my Qantas oneworld flights going through a TA. I won't be bothered if I'm lucky enough to go again. After reading all the handy hints (at least the ones I understand) on this site, (checkmytrip.com). I emailed my TA re. the two bookings out of DFW-LAX. Soon after I emailed her I rec'd reply confirming the second booking that was not ticketed. I wonder if I hadn't of asked her abt. it, if I would have heard anything. That is only one of her stuff-ups. To each their own, as they say. trish

 

[icarus]

This is all looking pretty damning for TA's.

Does anyone have a *good* TA story, or a TA they would wholeheartedly recommend (specialist or otherwise)? If I could find a really good TA then it'd be worth paying a bit of a margin to have everything looked after for me. The problem with my last couple of trips has been that I've paid the margin but still had to make a lot of the arrangements myself.

 

[Maca44]

A couple of years ago I undertook a two year course in Tourism, just for something to do because of my interest in travel. Last year I thought I planned a good trip to take the kids to Disneyland and Canada for a few weeks, and thought I had obtained a good price on the net. I plan my own trips, and for the first time consulted a local TA in Collaroy, Sydney mainly to see if they could beat the price I had obtained on the net. Not only did they beat it by $900, but included accomodation and a hire car in a package, and this was obtained from a site that only TA's have access to. I have since used them to Asia this year and booked my next trip to USA this year with them (www.allenstravel.com.au). A brother/sister team who have been in business for over 20 yrs and have between them over 50 years experience in the retail travel industry. It would appear from other posts on this subject that there are more bad TA's than good, but I can only comment on the positive side of my experience, and I think I might be the first to do on this issue.

 

[N860CR]

Sounds like you've found yourself a good TA there Maca, definatley worth using if you know they do the right thing by you (good to see they're not all bad)!

In my experiences the franchised agents are the worse. Harvey World are absolutley disgraceful from franchise level right up to upper management (was in a 6 month running issue with them, i won't even go there) plus Flight Centre doesn't score any points with me (booked my 80 yr old grandmother to London making 4 stops for $600 more than the QF1 fare which was available). Most of these places seem to be staffed by 20something women with very little travel experience and no "connections".

If I could find someone to do the job properly, i wouldn't hesitate to use them!

 

[serfty]

... In my experiences the franchised agents are the worse. Harvey World are absolutley disgraceful from franchise level right up to upper management (was in a 6 month running issue with them, i won't even go there) plus Flight Centre doesn't score any points with me (booked my 80 yr old grandmother to London making 4 stops for $600 more than the QF1 fare which was available). Most of these places seem to be staffed by 20something women with very little travel experience and no "connections".

If I could find someone to do the job properly, i wouldn't hesitate to use them!

What seems to happen is that any ½ competent person working for one of those franchises, either gets offered a far better paid job elsewhere or grabs the best clients and sets themselves up in their own independent TA business.

 

[BlacKnox]

Well, my normal TA (Flight Centre) just lost out on almost all our upcoming Jamaica/USA/Canada trip... $4,200 accomodation in Jamaica - she quoted $4,400 for garden view room at a different resort (not the one we asked), while a MEL-based TA who specialised in Jamacian bookings got us the right resort (including upgrade to ocean view) for $4,200. I told her the bad news, she wanted to re-quote (using their best price guarantee), I told her it was my wife's call that we went with the first, best and correct quote. So at ~15% commission, she's dropped another $630.

OT I know, but given the current spate of Hurricanes in that area, I was wondering if Lindsay Wilson had insurance in such an event. Don't want to jinz you Lindsay, but was wondering if your normal travel/ credit card insurance would cover?

The reason I started thinking about this:

Free Travel and Hurricane Insurance!

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When you have insurance with our Travel Guard Hurricane and Travel Insurance program, you can relax knowing you will receive a full refund for your vacation, or re-schedule for no penalty if a hurricane interrupts, delays, or cancels your travel plans per the terms and conditions in the Travel Guard policy.

There are many benefits to having Travel and Hurricane Insurance through Travel Guard International. Here are just a few examples of how you are protected:

- Receive a full refund for your vacation, or re-schedule for no penalty if a hurricane interrupts, delays, or cancels your travel plans per the terms and conditions in the Travel Guard policy
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
- Travel Delay
- Baggage & Personal Effects
- Baggage Delay
- Medical Expenses
- Emergency Medical Transportation
-24-Hour LiveTravel Assistance

....to name a few!

For more details on our Travel and Hurricane Insurance policy go to www.cheapcarribean.com.

I have no experience/ affiliation with the company; just thought of you when I read this. Cheers.

 

[QF WP]

BlacKnox, my dates aren't a worry - I'm in Dec/Jan, which is well past the Tornado season. My year round travel insurance covers it - cancellation charges and travel delay.

In addition, I shared the costs between our ANZ QF Visacard and Amex.

Spare a thought for Sequel instead, he and his partner are off to Jamaica this week. I pray their holiday be full of bright sunshine adn sandy beaches.

 

[NM]

BlacKnox, my dates aren't a worry - I'm in Dec/Jan, which is well past the Tornado season. My year round travel insurance covers it - cancellation charges and travel delay.

But what about the shark and jelly fish insurance, food poisoning insurance, hold-up insurance, identity theft insurance, bad coffee insurance, hang-over insurance, and impotence insurance etc? Got to cover all angles .

 

[BlacKnox]

BlacKnox, my dates aren't a worry - I'm in Dec/Jan, which is well past the Tornado season. My year round travel insurance covers it - cancellation charges and travel delay.

But what about the shark and jelly fish insurance, food poisoning insurance, hold-up insurance, identity theft insurance, bad coffee insurance, hang-over insurance, and impotence insurance etc? Got to cover all angles .

Now totally totally OT, but they have health insurance for pets here in Japan. Really popular too.

Spare a thought for Sequel instead, he and his partner are off to Jamaica this week. I pray their holiday be full of bright sunshine adn sandy beaches

I'm off to Fukuoka tomorrow for 4 days of sunshine. Wish I could change places with Sequel though (insert jealous smiley here).

 

[NM]

Now totally totally OT, but they have health insurance for pets here in Japan. Really popular too.

Ahh, I don't need that one. I have a theory about pets and vets. Any trip to the vet is a one-way trip. Saves a lot of money .

 

[Sequel]

As long as the weather keeps heading north.

I have arranged insurance after researching the topic on an earlier post. I believe my hangover and impotence insurance both come under the same heading:

"3J - Short Marriage Cover"

We picked our destination on where we wanted to go, rather than the seasons (mental note - check seasons next time). But hey, 33 deg and thunderstorms cant be all that bad?!

 

[icarus]

But what about the shark and jelly fish insurance, food poisoning insurance, hold-up insurance, identity theft insurance, bad coffee insurance, hang-over insurance, and impotence insurance etc? Got to cover all angles .

You'll never get affordable bad coffee insurance in the US - the odds are just too overwhelming. [/snark mode off]

 

[NM]

You'll never get affordable bad coffee insurance in the US - the odds are just too overwhelming. [/snark mode off]

But as Lindsay is going to Jamaica, I would hope his chances of good coffee are slightly improved. At least he can add a little something to it ... for medicinal purposes, of course :wink: . You are right about America and coffee - dreadful combination.

 

[QF WP]

Yeeuuch...any comination of country and their coffee is a bad mix IMHO. I am a dedicated tea drinker - gave up drinking coffee in 1987 when I started long-haul flying and saw people gettig off flights looking like this :arrow: :shock: .

I drink tea on flights rarely - mainly water, or the ocassional alcoholic beverage (for medicinal sleeping purposes ) or fruit smoothies (pre-breakfast wake-ups).