by Elke C

Created on: February 15, 2007   Last Updated: April 16, 2007

To use a travel agent or not. That is the question.

In my experience, having traveled extensively, I find most travel agents are not as knowledgeable as I can be with a few clicks of the mouse on the internet. Most less travelled places have embraced the internet in a big way in order to improve tourism. The country or area usually has its own web site with everything you need to know from lodgings, how to get there, weather, restaurants and activities. Most of the information is then linked to individual web sites for each item (hotel or event) which you can visit to obtain more information and book stays.

Flights, hotels and ground transportation can be booked on line with ease. You can easily look at various dates and compare prices. You can go directly to each company (like Air Transat, Nolitours, Air Canada etc) to book securely with a credit card or you can use a travel service (like Expedia) or booking service (Hotels.com), depending on the country you are visiting. When we booked to visit Bali on a side trip to Singapore, for example, I came across a central hotel booking system for Bali hotels. Booking through this system, I received 30% off the hotel rate compared to booking directly with the hotel. Obviously, each time you book such a service you need to be diligent in ensuring they site is for legitimate.

Booking complicated itineraries also seems easier on line than with a travel agent. On line you receive your information instantly. Through an agent, you need to be called back every time you want to change something. Timimg of receiving tickets and confirmed itineraries is also slower with a travel agent. Now with e-tickets for all modes of travel and online confirmation for everything from hotel reservations on the Great Barrier Reef to whale watching tours in New Zealand, your paper work is in your hand immediately if you have a printer.

The one aspect of a travel agent which some may find helpful is their personal experience and the feedback they receive from other travelers. Afterall, travel agents take trips to check out resorts and destinations that they are marketing to customers. Unfortunately, in my experience, I have found that their recommendation is still just their opinion based on their standards. This may be fine for some travellers but I want to know what I am paying for before I pay, which means checking it out for myself, not just trusting one persons recommendation.

This happpened recently with a trip to Mexico with my family. The travel agent gave her and her clients recommendation regarding a resort. I checked on reviews of the hotel through sites such as Trip Advisor and found that the hotel did not receive favourable reviews. We picked a diferent resort based on the top hotel rankings on Trip Advisor and had a wonderful time. We met some people who had previously stayed at the resort my travel agent had recommended and they found the one we were both staying at to be far superior.

In my experience, the answer to whether we need a travel agent is "no". If, however, you do have a trusted travel agent, knowledgeable in what you need to book your specific holiday, then maybe you would prefer all is taken care of for you. Just remember though, that you should check everything you receive from the travel agent to ensure dates and flights match what you discussed. It has happened to us that mistakes were made or connection times were too short to make the next flight. Travel agents still make mistakes unintentionally.

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