Travel Agents

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Mulva's avatar

Mulva

Senior Member

13,650 posts
Dec 16, 2013 11:12 PM
Anybody ever book a flight through a travel agent that you would recommend? Preferably an international flight. I've tried the ASTA website, but so far it hasn't been helpful.

Looking for someone who might have better (ie consolidator) rates than what I can find on orbitz, cheapair, etc.

Thank you in advance to dlazz. Your advice is very helpful.
Dec 16, 2013 11:12pm
HitsRus's avatar

HitsRus

Senior Member

9,206 posts
Dec 16, 2013 11:30 PM
Travel agents sell service, organization and convienience. You might pay a little more, but they make things easy. i've used a few travel agents, but our favorite to this day is still AAA.
Dec 16, 2013 11:30pm
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Dec 17, 2013 2:52 AM
We have a family friend that is a travel agent. We used her to book our Vegas trip last year, and I wouldn't do it any other way. I think she does cruises and Mexico, not sure about anything else internationally.
Dec 17, 2013 2:52am
M

MontyBrunswick

Dec 17, 2013 10:33 AM
Mulva;1554322 wrote: Thank you in advance to dlazz. Your advice is very helpful.
I probably wouldn't have posted in this thread because I don't despise you, and it was an actual recommendation thread that wouldn't be easily Googleable
Dec 17, 2013 10:33am
Automatik's avatar

Automatik

Senior Member

14,632 posts
Dec 17, 2013 10:36 AM
Are travel agents really cheaper to deal with regarding airfare? I've only had experience with one for an all inclusive wedding trip. Other than that, I've done everything on my own and felt I got decent prices.
Dec 17, 2013 10:36am
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friendfromlowry

Senior Member

6,239 posts
Dec 17, 2013 11:34 AM
I wish I would have invested in one before going to Orlando a couple weeks ago. Perhaps they would have told me that Hertz sucks, and rental cars are particularly useless around Disney, where everything is accessible by shuttle anyways.
Dec 17, 2013 11:34am
T

Tiernan

Senior Member

13,021 posts
Dec 17, 2013 12:18 PM
Unless you are going into a third world country with questionable resources and relations with the U.S. Travel Agents are a waste of money. Do it yourself online and save a few bucks.
Dec 17, 2013 12:18pm
Mulva's avatar

Mulva

Senior Member

13,650 posts
Dec 17, 2013 12:38 PM
Automatik;1554408 wrote:Are travel agents really cheaper to deal with regarding airfare? I've only had experience with one for an all inclusive wedding trip. Other than that, I've done everything on my own and felt I got decent prices.
Probably not, although from everything I've read consolidator fares are the way to go for international trips (providing you don't care about frequent flier miles or the ability to change or cancel your flight). The biggest name consolidators only sell to agents.

Im looking for flights to brazil during World Cup season, so I'm pretty much grasping at straws for any possibility of savings. So far the quotes I've received are worse than I've found on my own.
Dec 17, 2013 12:38pm
Iliketurtles's avatar

Iliketurtles

Senior Member

8,191 posts
Dec 17, 2013 12:40 PM
friendfromlowry;1554438 wrote:I wish I would have invested in one before going to Orlando a couple weeks ago. Perhaps they would have told me that Hertz sucks, and rental cars are particularly useless around Disney, where everything is accessible by shuttle anyways.
No offense but I feel like the shuttle thing you should have been able to find pretty easily yourself.

As for Hertz yeah they are terrible. My company switched from using them 2 years ago because of how bad they are.
Dec 17, 2013 12:40pm
T

Tiernan

Senior Member

13,021 posts
Dec 17, 2013 12:45 PM
lowry aint the sharpest knife in the drawer, ya gotta remember that.
Dec 17, 2013 12:45pm
F

friendfromlowry

Senior Member

6,239 posts
Dec 17, 2013 12:50 PM
Iliketurtles;1554469 wrote:No offense but I feel like the shuttle thing you should have been able to find pretty easily yourself.

As for Hertz yeah they are terrible. My company switched from using them 2 years ago because of how bad they are.
We landed in Orlando Friday night, then went to Disney til Sunday morning. We then went to Canaveral for a four night cruise. Then back to the airport Thursday. The main thing was I wanted a car to get me from Orlando to Canaveral, as I don't know if a Disney shuttle did that for their cruises or not. I didn't know that Disney shuttles basically ran all over central Florida. Oh well. This was my first time really planning a vacation, so we'll know better next time.

Hertz was probably the worst part of the vacation. Spent over an hour waiting in line for them at MCO. The line wasn't even that long -- probably 7-8 people ahead of us. But apparently, every customer had the most confusing questions because their associates were always staring at their computers dumbfounded. Even the guy who was suppose to be managing the self-service kiosks was wandering around in his own little world. I don't usually go out of my way to complain to companies, but I'm still debating it with them.
Dec 17, 2013 12:50pm
S

Sonofanump

Dec 17, 2013 12:51 PM
friendfromlowry;1554438 wrote:I wish I would have invested in one before going to Orlando a couple weeks ago. Perhaps they would have told me that Hertz sucks, and rental cars are particularly useless around Disney, where everything is accessible by shuttle anyways.

You should have just started a thread on the OC to find that out.
Dec 17, 2013 12:51pm
F

friendfromlowry

Senior Member

6,239 posts
Dec 17, 2013 2:32 PM
Sonofanump;1554476 wrote:You should have just started a thread on the OC to find that out.
Hell yeah bro.
Dec 17, 2013 2:32pm
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Dec 17, 2013 3:03 PM
Automatik;1554408 wrote:Are travel agents really cheaper to deal with regarding airfare? I've only had experience with one for an all inclusive wedding trip. Other than that, I've done everything on my own and felt I got decent prices.
I don't know if they're cheaper, but they do all the work and make it really easy for you. Our agent got 3 of us round trip on United and 4 nights at the MGM Grand for $450/ea, and I didn't have to lift a finger. I was happy to pay that to not have to deal with any of it. Also, she didn't charge a fee. The hotels pay her company for booking people, and she got a kickback from that.
Dec 17, 2013 3:03pm
Mulva's avatar

Mulva

Senior Member

13,650 posts
Dec 17, 2013 7:03 PM
Giving FlightFox a shot. Anyone familiar? It's basically travel agent crowdsourcing. Enter the best rate you've found so far along with your preferences and what you're willing to put up with (daytime only flights, complex booking processes, etc), and pay a small finder's fee that goes to whoever wins your business. Then it posts a "contest" for agents to bid it out. Pretty cool idea, and cheap enough that I figured I'd see what they can do.
Dec 17, 2013 7:03pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Dec 17, 2013 7:59 PM
I forget, but seems like the process is Orbitz and the other big players buy discounted blocks (and pass on some of the savings), and as they fall behind in sales they'll discount blocks thru travel agents (think they do this to avoid having to retroactively discount guaranteed buyers).

I'm sure there's a Lifehacker article out there somewhere about when to buy and which agencies (and their affiliates) to go thru.

Live dangerously, though. At peak times you might find the discount packages gets screwed when flights and hotels are overbooked.
Dec 17, 2013 7:59pm
S

slingshot4ever

Senior Member

4,085 posts
Dec 17, 2013 8:05 PM
I enjoy planning my own trips. Have booked St. Lucia, a week in London and Paris, and others with no paid for assistance.

The only time I would consider a travel agents is if I wanted to book an African Safari. Seems to be a ton of logistics with those type of trips.
Dec 17, 2013 8:05pm
S

slingshot4ever

Senior Member

4,085 posts
Dec 17, 2013 8:06 PM
se-alum;1554506 wrote:I don't know if they're cheaper, but they do all the work and make it really easy for you. Our agent got 3 of us round trip on United and 4 nights at the MGM Grand for $450/ea, and I didn't have to lift a finger. I was happy to pay that to not have to deal with any of it. Also, she didn't charge a fee. The hotels pay her company for booking people, and she got a kickback from that.
Trust me, you paid for it in your 450/ea.....you just don't know it.
Dec 17, 2013 8:06pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Dec 17, 2013 8:25 PM
slingshot4ever;1554609 wrote:Trust me, you paid for it in your 450/ea.....you just don't know it.
True. A lot of major hotels and airlines now hold back their own blocks for discounting, but they still fill thru the major travel sites. Really depends on when you plan to travel and when you are booking.
Dec 17, 2013 8:25pm
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Dec 17, 2013 8:39 PM
slingshot4ever;1554609 wrote:Trust me, you paid for it in your 450/ea.....you just don't know it.
Well yea, you always pay for it somehow, but it was well worth the $450 to have everything taken care of. You'll be hard pressed to ever get to Vegas cheaper.
Dec 17, 2013 8:39pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Dec 17, 2013 8:59 PM
se-alum;1554615 wrote:Well yea, you always pay for it somehow, but it was well worth the $450 to have everything taken care of. You'll be hard pressed to ever get to Vegas cheaper.
For 1 room/4 nights at MGM Grand? Not hard to beat $450/ea at all. Depends on when you go. You could book a mid-January trip right now for $450/ea, and that's peak season with short notice.

Took 5 minutes to look that up.
Dec 17, 2013 8:59pm
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Dec 17, 2013 9:51 PM
gut;1554617 wrote:For 1 room/4 nights at MGM Grand? Not hard to beat $450/ea at all. Depends on when you go. You could book a mid-January trip right now for $450/ea, and that's peak season with short notice.

Took 5 minutes to look that up.
With round trip airfare?
Dec 17, 2013 9:51pm
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Dec 17, 2013 10:03 PM
gut;1554617 wrote:For 1 room/4 nights at MGM Grand? Not hard to beat $450/ea at all. Depends on when you go. You could book a mid-January trip right now for $450/ea, and that's peak season with short notice.

Took 5 minutes to look that up.
Checked Orbitz, Priceline, and Travelocity. All over $860/ea for 4 nights at MGM and airfare.
Dec 17, 2013 10:03pm
HitsRus's avatar

HitsRus

Senior Member

9,206 posts
Dec 17, 2013 10:35 PM
Trust me, you paid for it in your 450/ea.....you just don't know it.
Nobody works for free. Sure you could do the work and search for cheap fares and cheap hotels and the best deals, but you don't have the expertise to fine tune the details. Without a doubt, the most carefree/trouble free vacations we have had was when we booked thru a travel agent. I think this has even more value when you are booking a foreign destination and you don't speak the language. It takes time to check references and reviews...the agent has that information at their fingertips. How much is your time worth? Do you really want to take a chance that your research is going to beat a travel agents recommendations?
Dec 17, 2013 10:35pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

A USA American

14,946 posts
Dec 17, 2013 10:41 PM
Forget which one I went through when I went to LA...maybe Expedia, but I remember they got us a package with round trip flights/hotel for about $60 cheaper than we could find anywhere looking independently. The traveling was right around new years..left something like the 28th and came back the 2nd.
Dec 17, 2013 10:41pm