Dont use hayes & Jarvis to book your honeymoon!

delwynshd

Claire

Not all travel agents are full of sales talk etc etc

We often get rates from airlines which can be cheaper than you booking direct

Also the company I work for are ABTA and ATOL bonded

Doing everything yourself has its risks

Also you pay a deposit with a travel agent if you book flights straight off your paying for these in full!

You can call the agent from your home no need to come in if you didnt want to

Del

photome

^^^^^^^


all agents are full of sales talk most are full of something else as well, or there wouldn't be constant complaints.


the pros of booking DIY far outweigh the cons IMO

malkie76

delwynshd wrote: »

Doing everything yourself has its risks

Not in the slightest. You've said this before on these forums and were unable to offer a risk which an individual cannot protect themselves against with a credit card and a travel insurance policy (which you'd still need if going to an agent).

Fundamentally you take commission adding to the total cost of a holiday (either from the customer or the end point seller). So overall you will always be more expensive overall than going DIY.

And the risk with deposits is that agents then don't actually book tickets as you've seen with the OP.

lea2012

I think using an agent can have it's benefits and your being overly harsh with your statements.

It's quite common for agents to get much better rates at hotels than if you were to book directly, this is because they bulk buy on a sale or return basis and the hotel agree to let them have it at a preferential rate. I have booked lots of hotels at home and in the UK that were cheaper via an agent.

In terms of flights, yes there is usually a commission but for some people they are happy to pay it for the convenience of everything being done in one place.

To say that agents are full of sales talk and other stuff and that's why there are so many complaints is a bit of a sweeping statement. This a is a forum where lots of people come on to have a rant about agents, it doesn't mean that everyone is unhappy with agents.

malkie76

There's obviously a market for them, and of course only the disgruntled customers tend to come online to complain.

You are right - people pay for convieinence, but I completely disagree that special savings can be unlocked which cannot be obtained online yourself with a little research.

richardw

malkie76 wrote: »

..... I completely disagree that special savings can be unlocked which cannot be obtained online yourself with a little research.

How do you find Inclusive Tour, Holiday and Vacation fares on flights and their availability then?

malkie76

By using the right websites and asking the right questions. They don't only sell those to agents you know.

Just a single example, but BA will sell all of those to you directly.

mgdavid

lea2012 wrote: »

.............. This a is a forum where lots of people come on to have a rant about agents, it doesn't mean that everyone is unhappy with agents.

No, but trying to keep on topic, the OP definitely is! and therefore may be receptive to the alternatives.

photome

lea2012 wrote: »

I think using an agent can have it's benefits and your being overly harsh with your statements.

It's quite common for agents to get much better rates at hotels than if you were to book directly, this is because they bulk buy on a sale or return basis and the hotel agree to let them have it at a preferential rate. I have booked lots of hotels at home and in the UK that were cheaper via an agent.

In terms of flights, yes there is usually a commission but for some people they are happy to pay it for the convenience of everything being done in one place.

To say that agents are full of sales talk and other stuff and that's why there are so many complaints is a bit of a sweeping statement. This a is a forum where lots of people come on to have a rant about agents, it doesn't mean that everyone is unhappy with agents.

I accept that was a sweeping statement but it was in response to a travel agent promoting him/themselves.

I am not convinced about the hotel prices being cheaper with an agent. Also booking direct with a hotel will usually mean a free cancellation which probably be the case with a travel agent

claire16c

DIY doesn't have risks if you take out adequate insurance, pay on credit card etc

And as malkie said you then have the danger of not actually having your flight ticket booked yet if you're only paying a deposit.

I had this problem before, the one time I had used a travel agent in about 10 years, for long haul travel as it was a RTW ticket, they didn't book my ticket until about 10 days before we left, and I only found this out as my friend who worked for the airline was checking for my ticket & informed me it wasn't booked!. Thank goodness the company didn't go bust in the 3 months they had my money!

Then the earthquake in NZ happened and I had a nightmare rearranging that flight, due to time difference and waiting for the travel agent to reply to my emails, (he seemed to be completely unaware I was 11 hours ahead and needed to know whether to leave for the airport or not with time to actually make the flight!) would have been a lot easier if I'd been able to talk to Quantas myself.

As for discounts, you can get these direct by negotiating etc

Plus you can often cancel up to 24 hours before if you book direct.

The Only thing I consider using agents or companies for are package holidays in Europe. Anything complicated best to do yourself.