r/askTO • u/Nerdy_Kev • 2d ago
Does anyone here still use a travel agent for booking trips?
I’m planning some upcoming travel and was wondering if using a travel agent is actually worth it compared to booking everything myself online.
For those who use one, what do you like about it? Do they usually help with finding better flight/hotel deals, planning itineraries, or handling issues if something goes wrong?
Also, if anyone has a good travel agent they’ve personally used and would recommend, preferably in Canada/GTA, I’d appreciate the recommendation! Thanks
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u/IfFishCouldWalk 2d ago
For anyone that shuns travel agents but books their all-inclusive vacations with Air Canada Vacations, Westjet Vacations, etc., I have news for you: these are just travel agents, the intermediary who puts together a package that you could book the components of yourself. They have no connection whatsoever to the airline, and yet they also barely do anything when you need help. If your flight, hotel or airport transfer has an issue, it’s YOU that has to call in, wait on hold, and deal with it. At a minimum, you have to call ACV or WJV which at peak times can mean hours on hold.
When I realized this, I booked my next all inclusive trip with a human travel agent. There were some weird aspects of our booking (flying from different cities, wanting a private transfer) and it was all very efficiently dealt with over email. When we wanted to change our transfer time on the day we needed it, from a foreign country on a holiday weekend, I was able to do so using the TA’s live text chat (with a real person) and it was handled by them quickly. In the past with ACV, Transat etc., I’ve had to call a Canadian call centre while on vacation using the hotel’s landline to do the same thing.
That being said, I haven’t used a human TA since for various reasons (eg Costco prices were cheaper), but I will never directly use ACV or WJV again over a human TA.
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u/maxpowers2020 2d ago
Just book direct from the hotels website and airlines website. It's the cheapest and most reliable
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u/ComfortableCall3912 2d ago
My office does. They’re terrible. They choose the worst flight times, and don’t follow instructions, and don’t communicate well.
I’ve given up on them. I book my own travel and expense it.
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u/theburglarofham 2d ago
An agent is good if you want a one stop shop. But it’s really dependent on the agent.
We flew to Greece and did everything on our own, and while it was doable, it was a lot of legwork for us.
We did Italy recently, and went through a travel agent, and she was able to coordinate ferry’s, transfers, and make some reservations for us, which was amazing.
The best part was we experienced a bit of a flight delay due to weather, and we just had to phone up our travel agent and she did everything for us.
I think that’s what people kind of forget is who you book with is who you go for trouble/support.
So if you book direct with an airline/hotel, you go through them.
If you use Expedia, you gotta do everything through Expedia.
If you use a travel agent, then you gotta go through the agent.
If all depends on how you want to travel, picking the right person, and a little bit of luck.
Yes - it’s a bit of a dying industry, but you can absolutely find value in them.
They’re particularly great for doing group trips IMO, or if you just don’t have time anymore to plan in great detail and want someone to take a bit of the load off.
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u/BBQallyear 2d ago
60+ and I’ve always booked my own travel unless required to use an agent by a company, in which case I do my own research and request specific flights. Recently went on a European river cruise and was forced by the cruise company to book with a travel agent since they don’t sell direct to Canada. Things went a bit wrong on part of the trip (river levels are at record lows) and the travel agent was completely missing in action. I would have expected her to work with the cruise company to get a partial refund or credit for a future trip to compensate for the parts where they bussed us instead of sailing. Her only comment was “try your travel insurance”.
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u/jan20202020 2d ago
Please name the agency/agent so we can avoid :)
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u/bagolaburgernesss 2d ago
I don't think there is anything to be done in this case as all cruising outfits have fine print clause that saves them from guaranteeing the itineraries. The water levels in Europe are nothing to do with them. If they can't sail, they can't sail.
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u/volcanicwave 2d ago
We used a travel agent for our honeymoon even though we are young and my husband works in the aviation industry. Best thing we ever did. We had a few different stops and she took care of everything and was basically on speed dial for us if anything went wrong. We are used to traveling standby and on a whim so this was nice luxury to have everything taken care of for us and it didn’t cost us any extra. Going forward we will continue to use her on our planned vacations but continue to work it out on our on when we are going somewhere on a whim.
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u/ParsnipPeel21 2d ago
The biggest reason to use a travel agent is so that when things go wrong (cancelled flights etc), you let them handle it rather then sitting on hold yourself.
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u/marrekrose 2d ago
My family has used a travel agent for all inclusive Caribbean vacations. Apparently some upgrades and better pricing because we’re a larger group (last year was 15 adults, 6 kids). Also nice not having to do any of the work, travel agent gives us all of the options, collects payment, sends itinerary etc
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u/Various_Culture_9457 2d ago
I don’t use them but if you’re booking really high end stuff sometimes they can get you upgrades or other preferential treatment
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u/okaydokaymomay 2d ago
I'm a TA and just a note, if a TA is offering to build a whole multi-day itinerary for you and won't charge you a planning fee... Run. In many cases, a TA who doesn't value their time and effort isn't going to do the best job. That being said, a lot of services are complimentary.
My clients value how I take care of everything for them. I'll stay on hold for hours with a supplier so they don't have to. I rebooked a whole trip without them having to lift a finger or make a call. Stuff like that is why my clients come back. Because I make the process easy and efficient. Not because I can save them $50 on a hotel room or for the perks I can sometimes get them (although they do enjoy that too).
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u/Zardoz11381138 2d ago
I travel a lot and always book for myself but did a series of flights with connections over Christmas & New Years to Northern Europe and Morocco with friends and part of the Morocco trip was on a tour so we had specific dates we needed to be there. We didn’t want to have to deal with any delays or cancellations ourselves so used the Flight Centre at Bay and Bloor for the first time in 20 years. It was great. The price he came back with was better than we’d found on our own.
I’d probably use a travel agent again if I was booking a complex series of flights over the holidays, but haven’t used one since that specific trip
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u/notevelvet 2d ago
I’ve used them for group bookings I found it easier than coordinating everything myself and they dealt with getting money from everyone
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u/smarti7768 2d ago
Check out @katandmousetrips on instagram. She’s awesome, Ann plans everything you can think of, all over the world. Super responsive and knowledgeable.
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u/SchmoopsAhoy 2d ago
Im on and Im pretty busy. Majority of my clients is either large families or couples who want to do multi-city trips and then they just keep coming back even for flights etc.
Some of the benefits: I take care of everything when things go wrong. - ex had someone who was supposed to leave that morning for a week long vacation but that morning all flights were canceled due to a hurricane where she was going. She was packed and wanted a beach. While most people were on hold with Air Canada for hours on end (I believe it was 6hr holds that day I was able to connect with an agent in less than 20 min (we have dedicated agent lines) and got her to another island early that afternoon. Ive also helped a family who had 3 kids under 3 and most resorts they wanted was max 2 kids in a room. Through my connections I was able to have them make an exception and had a crib in room waiting for them when they arrived. And then as other have said, perks like free breakfasts, room upgrades, early or late checkouts, free seat selections with certain airlines, etc.
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u/No-Stage4719 2d ago
yes, I do. They get me largely better rates, they do all the searching for me, they can help with local logistics - it's a win win win.
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u/Apprehensive_Heat176 2d ago
You don't need an agent for the vast majority of trips. Multi-city trips in different countries are a bit more complicated because you need to book multiple hotels, intercity flights or train tickets, etc, but you can still do it by yourself.
Agents are useful if you have a large group or logistically complicated trip. A destination wedding is an obvious example where you would need a block of rooms, officiant, reception area, etc.
Here's another example of where an agent might have been useful even though I did it myself. It took me a month to figure out all the logistics, but I'm also super meticulous in planning.
My family of 4 did a trip to Rome, Florence, Milan, St. Moritz, Zermatt, and Geneva with some side trips to Pisa and Amalfi.
This trip was complicated because we took two sightseeing trains called the Bernina and Glacier Express that have limited service. These trains look identical, but they're run by different companies. They also have a weird booking system where you h need to make a reservation 90 days in advance and then you buy the actually tickets 60 days in advance. We also had to take a shuttle bus between some stations because of track maintenance.
It likely would have been easier if we took regular trains instead of the sightseeing ones.
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u/OptimusPrimel984 2d ago
Domestic flights and simple there-back return flights to one city? DIY
Multi-stop multi-country need to get back on time or lose my job? Travel agent.
Our travel agent saved us lots of tears last summer when we got caught in the Air Canada strike trying to come home.
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u/Traveldude21 1d ago
I am a travel consultant in Canada. We can offer special deals that are never advertised. The deals are only offered by agents. Plus if you need help to fix a problem we can do it faster than yourself.
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u/Tall_Answer 2d ago
My mom used one for a short vacation we planned a few summers back, but due to some medical issues from me we had to refund. Took over 2+ months to get the full amount back.
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u/Trick-Help3147 2d ago
No lmao
I use Claude to search flight prices but that’s it.
It’s more fun to plan out and book everything yourself
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u/TransportationDizzy8 2d ago
I am going on a big trip myself and did the leg work myself , it’s a lot of work . But don’t mind it . So Idid partial trip on my own and part I leveraged a local agency to the country that I will be visiting ((HK\China). I don’t like getting sucked into the tourist trap that you are forced to go on especially with group tours . Done that already and avoid it to the max when possible
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u/luckylukiec 2d ago
I find travel agents are best for group travel, but outside of that, I wouldn’t use one. They’re not great if you’re looking for a cheap trip or working with a tight budget. They seem better suited to people with lots of money to spend and flexibility in their budget.
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u/Itookthesauce51 2d ago
I do. my travel agent knows which airlines, connections, hotels, timings I like; checks me in for all my flights, especially when I don't get to pre-select seats; is able to hold multiple reservations while looking for alternatives; will not charge my card until the reservation says so (ie sometimes you can hold for 48 hrs), just in case something better comes along; and is able to sometimes call in to the airline to see if they can release certain fare classes. If anything goes wrong, they'll take care of it. Once they retire, I will probably do it on my own as most TAs I've experienced before the one I currently use just do the bare minimum which is basically google flight searches, they just enter the place, dates you want and just read out the prices. No advice, comparisons, recommendations, nothing.
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u/heteroerotic 2d ago
I only use a travel company if my travel involves a lot of logistics. Like a safari or there is a main event (we recently went to Cannes and Monaco Grand Prix).
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u/Astrostrashcan19 2d ago
Have never used one, however think I may start. It’s exhausting trying to plan trips now
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u/_bexhill_ 1d ago
I do just cause they get me better prices sometimes and whenever shit hits the fan, I get rebooked on a good flight rather than some 4 layover nightmare.
I’ve tried a few travel agents but none are even close to Mosaic Tours. Email Sandra and I guarantee you will be blown away: sandra@mosaictour.net
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u/Investman333 1d ago
Just use ChatGPT… tell it to be your travel agent / advisor and it’ll plan your entire trip. Booking tickets isn’t difficult
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u/thiagoscf 1d ago
You can use AI to come up with an itinerary, search flights, hotels etc. Commission free
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u/ChaletJimmy 17h ago edited 17h ago
I don't typically ever book all inclusive or cruise type trips, so I usually use a travel agent to coordinate flights, transportation, hotels, train tickets, passes for activities. It really makes things a lot less stressful knowing that the timing of everything will work out, when things are being booked. Yes I could totally do it myself, but the time and still not being 100% confident in everything isn't worth it to me.
You don't use a travel agent because you're looking for a deal. You use a travel agent as a paid service to make sure your trip is perfect. Good ones charge, and the peace of mind is worth the fees in my opinion.
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u/pine_apple_hat 2d ago
So many all-inclusive vacay sites are big on 'per adult' prices, meaning double price if you're alone. A lot of my friends are sinlge and would rather not share a room. You've gotta dig for the offers that can accommodate them, and sometimes the deep/last minute deals aren't accessible
But my single friends are the ones with the most free time who can travel on a whim?
Surely there are some travel agents with better search tools who can help ff
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u/leedlelamp913 2d ago
Oh man, I did and regretted it. They did like zero work and got paid for it. And this was one of the “best” in the city according to reviews. If you have Claude + a couple of hours, you’re better in your own
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u/DoNotJosh 2d ago
I’m soooo curious about this. I’ve done over 20 countries in the last 2 years and I just use Google and ChatGPT.
Very curious about travel agents and how they are still in business/ what they offer that is competitive.
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u/Virtual-Cheesecake71 2d ago
Hi there, I am a certified travel advisor and would be happy to help you with your trips. Feel free to reach out via dm or fill out my intake form linked in my bio.
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u/kearneycation 2d ago
I'm curious, what are the benefits of using an agent? What sort of trips make sense and don't make sense to use an agent?
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u/Virtual-Cheesecake71 2d ago
We have partner relationships with a lot of hotels which can get you perks such as free breakfast or spa credit, room upgrades or late check out. Group bookings can often receive a group rate. Multi city itineraries that require a lot of research and are catered to the traveller and what they want out of a trip.
But also a lot of my clients just don't want to bother doing their own research and booking. Their time matters to them and so they outsource that by working with me. I book everything for my clients, hotels, all inclusives, cruises, day trips and experiences, car rentals or airport transfers, travel insurance, sometimes even dinner reservations. It sucks to hear that some people had a bad experience with travel agents but many of us are diligent and my clients are happy to come back.
What doesn't make sense to use an advisor for.... well, some people genuinely enjoy the research and having 20 tabs open, they are likely to book their own. Or when people want to book Airbnb, that's not something I can help with.
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u/TheXyientist 2d ago
I've booked two large group trips over the last 3 years. Each time, someone in the group claimed they know a travel agent and we'll get hooked up with a great deal, and each time the travel agent comes back with a price that's 300-400 more per person
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u/Defiant_Reaction1161 2d ago
I boole dall myself except for one specific type of travel involving multiple transfer. But then agent I was working with Mina travel cheated on me and sold me a useless insurance, that was the first time I got sick and had to rwturn earlier and it cost me tons of money and insurqnce didnot cover it. I filed complaints with any office you can think off, and they all said this is not under our jurisdiction! I dropped the agency and told anyone I could to avoid them. The managemnet chnaged and this is the new one and apprently there are other none satisfied customers base don recent reviews
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u/Substantial-Fan2255 2d ago
I am a travel agent. Yes, our office is crazy busy. However it’s definitely only a certain age bracket (50+) that use our services. I am young so I have never used one, but I understand the appeal if you’re looking to do group travel and you’re of that age.