How Travel Agencies Can Save Your Vacation

written on September 7th, 2016 by Rafia Abubakar

 

In this day and age when the internet seems to provide all the answers, people have gained a level of confidence in taking matters into their own hands. Booking a vacation is one of them.

Yes the freedom to model your own trip is fulfilling, and kudos to those who are quite adept at it. Still nothing is lost when you include in your research what travel agencies have to offer. People are quick to dismiss that it might cost more. But what happens when the costs for self-booking add up because of one overlooked detail?

Not too long ago, I worked as a customer service rep for an online travel agency, and I know for a fact that not many read the fine print -which ultimately causes setbacks in their vacation.

So here are a few points to ponder when deciding if a travel agency is for you:

1. Convenience

This is the first thing that comes to mind when availing of the services of travel agencies. Since agents are more knowledgeable about the industry, you can rest assured that they will be able to come up with an itinerary best suited for you minus the hassle. Contrary to popular belief, that extra fee may actually save you more in the long run. They are a phone call away.

2. Security

Travel Agencies have partnerships and networks with other travel companies, hotels, airlines, and / or the locales that will be your destination. With that, you can be assured that all is legit and you will not be scammed or ripped off on your trip. You can also contact the travel agency if anything goes amiss. They are your safety net, and when travelling that’s something nice to have.

3. Time Saving

Some people imagine planning and booking a trip can be done with just a click of the button. Unknowingly, a vacation can take an entire day of planning. The truth is you will most likely be on your computer for hours, looking up places, scouring flight details, comparing hotel rates, activities, etc. And that’s just the researching getting done. You still have to factor in, booking everything, and making sure there’s no conflict in schedules. On top of that, consider yourself lucky if when you go back to the website to book, the rates are still the same as calculated into your budget.

All that time spent getting confused and frustrated could have been used for other things. Like calling a travel agent, give them the details of what you want and let them do their thing.

4. Promo Rates and Package Deals

Travel Agencies have industry rates that you as a regular consumer won’t find when you do your own bookings. The combo deals they offer as a tie in with hotels, recreation centres, car rentals, etc are likely to save you money compared to if you book them separately.

Sometimes travel agencies can even share the goodness by giving you extra travel credits and discount coupons when you patronize other partner establishments.

5. Get value for your Money

Not all cheap rates are great bargains. Sometimes it means sacrificing way too much comfort. When you’re going on a vacation to relax, cheap everything is not always a good idea, the phrase, “You get what you pay for,” rings true.

So unless you don’t mind going all Bear Grylls, let the travel agency help you score good deals, and a vacation with value for money. The best deals are when you don’t get ripped off and still enjoy an amazing trip.

While I do advocate trying to do things on your own so you may learn the ways, it is not bad when you ask for assistance. Especially with all the available information online, the conflicting rates and schedules, and the multitude of suppliers, start to overwhelm and confuse. You really don’t want to ruin a trip with a botched up booking.