WHEN planning a holiday it’s tough to know if you’re getting a good deal and making the best holiday plans. Should you make the bookings online or consult a travel agent? Here are the pros and cons for each option to help you make the best decision.
Internet holiday planning
There’s nothing like doing it yourself. In fact, you might even consider planning all or a part of the holiday experience yourself. You can make whatever plans you want and you are not locked into any pre-designed holiday package.
DIY planning gives you the freedom to choose and package according to your personal preferences and interests, without compromise. The internet has made self-planning and researching a holiday so much easier and enjoyable. It gives you exposure to:
Tour companies and providers your travel agent is not familiar or affiliated with.
Allows you to stumble on those little travel gems that we all hope to find.
Allows you the advantage of currency fluctuations with a strong Australian dollar.
Deal direct and ask your own questions
On the other side of the coin, however, is the uncertainty. Did you make reservations at a safe hotel? What about the tour you booked – do they speak English, are they accredited? Who is going to pick you up from the airport and how do you get around?
As with all purchases online, it’s a good idea to check out the credentials of the people you’re giving cash to. Are they accredited by an appropriate and credible group or association? After all, anybody could claim to be an online travel agent and leave you with no money and no holiday.
When you make holiday plans yourself, it’s up to you to make the decisions and you have to live with the consequences.
Saving money? This is a toss-up. Sometimes you do save more money when you book travel plans online yourself, and sometimes you don’t.
Travel agents have access to all of the same internet sites you do and then some. They are often given preferred commissions by tour companies and providers that allow them to discount.
There is no reason why you cannot combine both. You might be more confident in booking your airfare with an accredited travel agent and surf the internet to fill in the gaps yourself.
Travel agent holiday planning
With the internet providing direct competition, bricks and mortar travel agencies need to work much harder these days for business.
With this new competitive landscape, quite a few travel agents excel in service and are price competitive.
In saying that, they work extremely hard and, in my experience, they genuinely love their jobs. So it is best not to waste their time if you are not serious about travelling or booking with a travel agent (or at least thinking about it).
When you book with a travel agent, many times you’re paying for an overall package. This means that if you decide you want to cut your stay short in one city and move onto the next city in your itinerary, well, you may just be out of luck.
However, if you’ve booked it yourself, you have the freedom to change your plans on the fly. Customizing your trip to meet your needs is tricky and can quickly become more expensive than you want.
Certainty – travel agents are experts in travel. They know the ins and outs of every location they promote, including taxes and the laws relating to visas and passports. They know where the best places are to stay and what the best activities are.
The bottom line
The decision whether to book your holiday yourself or to pay for the services of a travel agent comes down to a few basic questions. The most important question may be, “where are you travelling to?”
If you’re going someplace you’ve never been or an exotic country, you may be better off consulting a travel agent who can plan a safe and relaxing trip for you.
If you’re booking a trip to a familiar place or enjoy the planning and research, you’re as likely to find good deals yourself as a travel agent is.
If you want certainty, a packaged holiday and the comfort of consulting an expert, go with a travel agent.
If you want customised holiday and the freedom to plan a trip that meets your needs and don’t need certainty, go ahead and plan your holiday yourself.
The decision whether to book your holiday yourself or to pay for the services of a travel agent comes down to a few basic questions. The most important question may be, “where are you travelling to?”
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