The question whether to book with a travel agent or online is the subject of this week’s blog. Put it another way, is booking with a travel agency/agent advantageous? If you want to book a holiday online, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind. Here are some of the reasons why booking with a travel agency/agent is on the rise even in the social media age.
Online travel booking exclusive sites offer travellers a host of deals, discounts and freebies online whenever they book a holiday, but they need to be careful even if the travel company in question has a strong online presence. In case if the company shuts down, it is likely that they’d lose their holiday along with the money paid for the booking. This is where booking with a travel agency/agent that’s been around can put you at peace, for the simple the reason that they know the industry well and associate with only top-rated trusted suppliers. They’ll have you covered even when there’s uncertainty as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic. In case you’ve booked online, check whether the company has positive reviews of at least 3.5 rating on a scale of 5. The last thing you’d want is to wait at the airport with no flight!
One of the advantages of an online travel agency is you can prefer booking the flight and hotel you want separately and the payment can be done in instalments for both the hotel as well as the flight besides cruises too! Online holiday deal websites provide travel bookings with a deposit and make you pay the rest in the form of instalments. This said you are generally restricted. An example being booking a travel package or payment in instalments which can be done for hotel booking, but not for flights, cruises, etc.The biggest benefit of booking with a travel agent is that you can expect personalized attention when you call the agent up for support. There are no call centres or automated bots that do the work of a travel agent. Not to mention that many holiday companies online don’t even provide a hotline or phone number for contacting the support personnel.
Another benefit of using a travel agent or travel agency is that you needn’t research the world’s end searching for the coolest holiday destination. Often the list is endless: finding the right hotel, deciding on the right price, visas, where to go, what to do, and how to reach the airport and how to reach the hotel and so on. By the way, it is very stressful; by the time you make your holiday booking, you kind of really need one now! Booking with a travel agency/agent takes the hassle off booking. If truth be told, the cost of booking your holiday travel online may be slightly lower compared to a travel agency. But that’s just not everything to it do you have the patience to go the whole hog and find the right travel package? If you put things into perspective, you are actually saving considerable time and energy in the process.
Is there a time when you actually hit upon a good deal online just to find later that it no longer applied due to inclement weather conditions, floods, etc.? By booking with a travel agent you no longer need to worry about whether or not you can travel to a particular region or area. Because most travel operators are excellent travellers themselves, you can take an informed decision based on their recommendations.
Finding a great travel deal is collectively finding the most economical flight, hotel, cruise or other service provider deals. With a travel agency, you can find a range of travel service providers and suppliers all at one place, and you needn’t wait for their individual confirmation. This means you have flexible choices with what you’re looking for plus the right pricing minus the hassle.
Even when you need to cancel your bookings or make changes, a travel agency can come to your rescue and find you the best possible solution, whereas online travel booking can make you stranded waiting for someone from the call centre to respond only to tell that your wait is over, and there’s nothing that can be done. Your travel agent can make you take an informed decision by making you understand what is and what isn’t permissible without your having to go through the terms and conditions.
Booking with a travel operator or an agency might seem out of trend, but with a fast-paced life and busy schedule, it could actually save you precious time, besides paving a safer way for holiday booking. You can go about your work, relax yourself, and of course explore the best holiday deals in no time, without having to pin your hopes on a chatbot.
