For a range of usually hearsay reasons, large segments of the public are still under the mistaken impression that using travel agents will always cost them more money.
And what a whole lot of croc that is, because the truth is – travel agents can actually save you tons of money, in a whole bunch of ways…
Here are just six examples of how agents can help you spend less on your holiday AND save you time and hassle in the process.
Don’t believe us? Read on.
1. THEY’LL SAVE YOU TIME & TIME = $$$
Just think of all the time you’ll save by using a travel agent whose talent, experience and expertise mean they’ll be able to build your holiday itinerary much faster than you.
The average hourly rate in Australia is about $25 an hour, so even if you only spent four hours looking for flights and hotels and researching your trip, you’d have lost the equivalent of $100.
A travel agent could probably put all of your trip together whilst you’re doing other things, and you’d still only pay whatever price is available online – if it’s higher, just ask your agent to price beat it for you.
Oh, and did we mention that they are actually experts too? They’ll be able to bring a whole lot more to your trip than just booking it.
2. THEY CAN LOCK IN THE COST OF YOUR FLIGHT
Travel agents are able to hold in your flights at a certain price point and give you anywhere from 24 hours to 7+ days to pay for it in full.
This then prevents the price from going up whilst you’re thinking about going ahead with the booking.
Some travel companies also have a flight guarantee in place now, whereby even if your flight goes down in price after you’ve booked it, you’ll get a refund for that portion. Cool eh?
Sure beats rushing and then regretting booking a flight online.
3. AGENTS GET ACCESS TO SPECIAL RATES
The huge bargaining power of travel agencies means they are able to negotiate better rates on flights and hotels compared to online booking websites. They can often offer exclusives and last minute deals too that online sites aren’t even able to access.
This means you’ll be able to get the same airline and hotel combination at a cheaper rate – and probably a few extras thrown in too!
4. THEY’LL SAVE YOU FROM MAKING COSTLY MISTAKES
Have you mistakenly booked your flight from Melbourne, Florida instead of Melbourne, Australia? Or perhaps you didn’t realise you needed a visa for your holiday in Vietnam?
These mistakes that happen all the time in the online booking world. But by using a travel agent instead, you won’t make any of these costly (and embarrassing) mistakes.
5. THEY CAN TELL YOU ABOUT UPCOMING SALES
Talk to a travel agent and they’ll be able to tell you about current or upcoming sales that will save you coin and bag you cool extras and upgrades.
Again, agents get access to special deals that aren’t available online.
6. THEY CAN ALWAYS GIVE YOU A DISCOUNT
Travel agents have a little wiggle room when it comes to the price, and it doesn’t hurt to ask for a wee discount if you’re booking a massive package with them.
Try asking for a discount online…
- READ: TRAVEL HACKS: 4 steps to finding the right Travel Agent for your holidays
- READ: HOLIDAY HABITS: 3 key reasons people still use Travel Agents
- READ: VISIT A TRAVEL AGENT: Helloworld the TV show premieres on Sunday with a message for viewers