Is a Travel Agent Really Necessary?

You may be wondering why a travel agent is useful when you can log on to any vacation website and book a trip yourself. There are five major reasons to go through a travel agent, though, especially on something as important and expensive as your family vacations.

First, a travel agent’s job is to give you individualized attention and assistance.
Rather than being one of the millions of clients to Walt Disney World or a cruise line, you are a special client for a travel agent. A travel agent’s sole job is to make sure that every need and want for your trip is taken care of and that you have the absolute best vacation you can.

Second, travel agents can save you a lot of time.
Many destinations can be overwhelming, especially international locations. There is so much that goes into planning each vacation and ensuring that you and your loved ones have the best time. Agents receive intensive training on various vacation brands and destinations so that they can answer all of your questions and make sure that your precious time is not wasted trying to find
the answers online. This also means that if an issue arises with your reservation or you want to make a change to your trip, the agent is the one who calls and waits on hold for extended lengths of time to get the problem resolved.

Third, travel agents can save you money.
Sometimes, agents are able to book deals that others are not, such as exclusive pricing, bonus onboard credit for a cruise, or special amenities at the most luxurious hotels. Other times, if a deal comes out for your vacation after you’ve already booked, agents can adjust the prices for you. Travel agents have been known to send a surprise email to their clients with huge savings for their vacation.

Fourth, travel agents can take away the stress of planning a vacation.
Major trips can be expensive and overwhelming. Vacations, though, should only be about the fun memories you make with your loved ones. Travel agents help streamline the process and create specialized itineraries for you so that you can just enjoy the time with your loved ones when you arrive at your destination.

Finally, the personalized concierge services of travel agents are usually FREE to you.
Many travel agents do not charge any planning fees for their services! Travel agents are paid commission by the vacation companies so they are often a completely free resource for their clients. This means you’re getting all of the extra attention and assistance for the same price (or a better one) as a vacation you could book yourself.