by Graham McKenzie
Which route is the best to go, using a travel agent, or booking online? That's a good question, and one many people ask. At one time, using a travel agent was the first step in planning a vacation, but nowadays, more people are setting it up themselves, online.
The advantage to booking online is savings. Making your own arrangements can save you the cost of a travel agent's fee. In addition, Internet hotel sites offer some great reductions on their room prices, and savings on flights is can be had, as well. However, you need to remember that cheaper prices can mean cheaper accommodations. Before you commit to booking that room, check out the customer reviews, and double-check the location of your hotel. The same cautions hold true with flight arrangements, as well. Paying less does not mean much if you fly into an airport that is nowhere near the city center; it adds both time and expense.
Customizing your itinerary, rather than taking a package deal through a travel agency, is another advantage of self-booking online. However, travel agents can get anything you can, and they have resources you will never find online. For the most part, agents do not have as much sway with airfares, but they typically have more control with cruises and tours.
Booking a simple trip online is a snap, but if your itinerary is complicated, a travel agent is the better option. In fact, the more elements added into your travel plans, like hotel, air flights, tour packages, stay-overs, and multiple destinations, the more should consider using the services of a travel agent. These agents are experts. Not only can they can give you excellent advice and tailor the holiday just for you, a good agent knows all the angles to finagling the best possible deals. For example, should you price part of your ticket in a foreign currency? Maybe booking a few days earlier can help you land that off-season discount, or perhaps changing the order of your itinerary will save some cash. In addition, agents must inform you about the fine print most people tend to miss.
Travel agents know that to stay in business, they need satisfied customers. Because of that, they go the extra mile. They typically double-check dates, or make sure you have all the needed documents and paperwork for traveling. Not only that, but they will search out the cheapest fares and accommodations, and make sure they meet your expectations.
There is no reason why you cannot go online and do this on their own, but be prepared for a very heavy investment of time, and some frustration. Also, keep in mind, that if something does go wrong with your bookings or accommodation arrangements, which can happen, you will not have a travel agent there to take your panicked call, and help fix the problem.
Really, it all comes down to weighing the pros and cons, and then choosing the option that works best for you.
About the Author:
Graham McKenzie is a webmaster for the leading UK Flight Comparison website, which offers detailed information on Booking a Flight in the UK.
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