Classic Travellers Still Prefer Using the Services of a Travel Agent
When it comes to vacation planning, the travel industry is what I like to call “proprietary corporatized.” It’s a shame. A brand is a promise. A trusted host who welcomes you into their hotel. Many of the vacation companies my husband and I have booked with have been nothing but the best in providing such hospitality. The rates they offer may not always be the lowest, but they’re never outrageous. And we like to think we’re being good to our hardworking travel agent who’s booking for us.
Even though we travel quite a bit, we don’t want to pay too much for our vacation. Like most people, we want the cheapest price we can find.
What if we could skip those booking agents altogether, and take on a bit more of the preparation work ourselves? Would that really work out better, or would we just miss out on the special promotions, discounts and deals the travel industry is so good at offering?
Yes, we can! Here’s how.
When we’ve booked with travel agents, the last thing we like to do is wade through dozens of websites and bids, which is what our travel agent’s job is, right? How much time, effort and travel could that possibly save us, right?
All you need is a little patience, a keen eye and a little knowledge of how the industry works. The first step is to find a good travel agent and trust them to shop the right rates for you.
All you need is a little patience, a keen eye and a little knowledge of how the industry works. The first step is to find a good travel agent and trust them to shop the right rates for you.
Search the Sites
When you want to save a buck, most agents will tell you to search online and see what the best deal is, without a single order or deposit. If you’re travelling during peak months (say, October and November), you can search on websites like Expedia, Priceline and Orbitz for current prices for flights, hotels and rental cars. Use the time that you’re looking, to call or even message your agent and request he or she put in a bid on you.
Now, for the past three years, my husband and I have done a practice session at home, looking for the best deal. We get a hotel room just for a week, each, then spend a few days seeing what we get in the way of discounts, coupon codes and so on. It’s all been a learning experience.
What we’ve learned from the practice, though, is that the sites we want to use as shopping portals offer deals not only in their individual brands but also via online retailers. We also uncovered some tools with which travellers can build lifestyle businesses, like catering management software.
Keep a keen eye out for flash sales, promo codes and so on. When you find the best deal, it’s usually on a site where you can add your own perks, like TSA Pre-Check or a kids club.
