Karryon Luxury Takeover March 2024 side lock up
Karryon Luxury Takeover March 2024 side lock up
Home Travel Industry Hub

7 Reasons Why You Should Never Book With a Travel Agent

Who really needs a Travel Agent anyway? I mean, how hard is it to book some flights, a hotel and a few daytrips? With all the apps and websites nowadays it’s practically easier to book a holiday than it is to withdraw money from an ATM.

Who really needs a Travel Agent anyway? I mean, how hard is it to book some flights, a hotel and a few daytrips? With all the apps and websites nowadays it’s practically easier to book a holiday than it is to withdraw money from an ATM.

Travellers know exactly what they want anyways – so why trust some ditzy Travel Agent that doesn’t even know them to make their choices.

Not me though, i’ve got it sorted.

Here’s my list of reasons why I never EVER use a Travel Agent.

 

1. Just Tripadvisor It

TripAdvisor

Why pay a Travel Agent anything when I can simply do it myself?

I love scrolling through reviews for hours on end anyway while my friends are out shopping and enjoying themselves. And when I find out the hotel is nothing like what the reviews said I can chalk it up to experience!

That’s what travel is all about isn’t it? The journey darls…

 

2.Webjet Has So Many More Choices

webjet

And I don’t just stop at Tripadvisor either!

After I find my hotel I’ll make a list of the lowest 126 airfares and itineraries, then I’ll take two weeks off work and pull a few sickies here and there so I can study all those ‘Seatguru’ reviews on the airlines.

Then i’ll book and maybe save myself between $20 and $50. If i’m really lucky.

It’s also totally lucky that I love to spend more time away in airports than actually at my destination – YEY airport food and me time (Lots of it).

 

3. I like to talk to people from all over the world

3

Why wait until you’re overseas to start mingling with different cultures?

I dodge my local Travel Agent on purpose so that when I need to change my travel dates I get to call the airlines myself.

Those pesky Travel Agents steal all the fun by speaking to the super-helpful reservations staff in Manila and Mumbai.

Two hours on hold? Not a problem these days with unlimited calling phone plans! Nowadays I go the gym and call them from the treadmill.

 

4. Travel Insurance Claims Forms are Fun

travel insurance

Hopefully you remembered to take out travel insurance, right?

Travellers never forget this important part… Never! Especially me.

When something goes pear-shaped when I’m overseas (and it often does) I simply pull out my insurers PDS and read the small print before passing to my solicitor to check for discrepancies.

Then I can’t wait to get home and fill out all the forms myself. I haven’t had a claim accepted yet though as I always seem to forget one little thing… Oh well, experience again right!

 

5. Lonely Planet Guides Have All the Information I’ll ever Need

post

Why bother with personal advice when I can rely on a three-year-old review of the best café in town? Surely it will be an authentic experience full of locals and not other tourists.

I’ll joyfully flick through my dog-eared copy on the airport bus while highlighting my plans for the week.

The Travel Agent down the road said she did a famil there last month and went to some great places, but what does she know? I’ll stick to my book thanks.

 

6. Consulates Are Just the Best

keep-calm-im-in-the-russian-mafia

I already know from my guidebook that I need a visa for my trip, so what a perfect opportunity to use a couple of ‘personal days’ off work and head down to Canberra to do some paperwork in person.

Surely the Russian Embassy is full of smiling fellows who’ll help me fill my forms in correctly just in case it gets knocked back.

To think that Travel Agents charge a small fee to handle all of this red tape boggles my mind! It’s easy right?

 

7. Being Stranded Because of a Natural Disaster Made me a Better Person

chile-airports-strike

I took my family to Bali last year and some volcano decided to erupt or something.

Like, whatever.

While other travellers had their hotels extended and waited to hear from their Travel Agents to sort everything out for them, I camped on the floor at the airport with my husband and three kids and yelled at the check-in staff for a few days.

We ate more Nasi Goreng than King Ketut and ended up spending a fortune.

Yeah ok, I admit it wasn’t the best, but we survived. Aside from being divorced now.

I definitely had the last laugh though when I posted a nasty comment on Jetstar’s Facebook page! Still waiting for a response however, two years on.

I’m putting it all down to life experience.

So why would any traveller use a Travel Agent 😉 Anyone got any ideas?