The Benefits of Using a Travel Agent

Before the information super highway was so heavily traveled, the brick-and-mortar travel agencies were the recipe for booking travel arrangements and finding deals on airfare. These "live" agencies, often in the neighborhood, were (and still can be) the traveler's personal concierge for planning trips, booking flights, hotels, and car rentals, and other travel necessities like tours.

With the ever-increasing efficiency of the Internet and travel search engines, it's good to be reminded about the benefits of travel agents.

Online Agencies

Traditional travel agencies still do a great deal of business with travelers and are a viable solution to booking travel arrangements. However, busy office professionals can use online travel agencies as a quick and convenient solution to finding airline tickets. Online agencies often charge a lower service fee, thus saving you dollars right off the top.

Conventional agencies are also establishing travel web sites to cater to individuals looking to quickly search for and book flights. This gives the office professional a viable and convenient alternative to booking vacations or business trips.

Your Personal Travel Agent

The old saying that "the best laid plans of men and mice often go awry" aptly describes travel plans. Virtual (online) travel agencies and travel search engines simply cannot replace a live agent, especially when it comes to service.

If you've booked online, who are you going to call when a flight is delayed? Or the hotel doesn't have your reservation on file? Or the rental company has no idea who your boss is?

Although many online agencies do have a customer service line, you could be just one in thousands of customers. Your personal travel agent has a stake in keeping your business, and face-to-face service is what keeps them in business. In the event of itinerary changes, travel agents can intercede to make alternate booking arrangements.

Other advantages:

• Travel agents have more resources. They use a variety of published and computer-based sources for information on arrival and departure times, fares, quality of hotel accommodations, and group discounts.

• Travel agents often have personal knowledge of destinations, hotels, resorts and restaurants, so they are able to evaluate and give personal recommendations based on their experiences or those of colleagues or other clients.

• Travel agents are expected to know about and be able to advise travelers about their destinations, from weather conditions to local ordinances and customs to attractions.

• Agents can also provide information for international travelers on customs regulations, required papers (passports, visas, and vaccinations), travel advisors, and currency exchange rates.

• Customized service is a travel agents middle name, and handing over a complex itinerary will take a load of stress off the office professional. If your plans include specific interest, remote destinations, adventure travel, or other attractions or demographics, many travel agents specialize in researching and booking these trips.

• Agents who specialize in personal tours are in the business of keeping up with the latest trends, deals, and hot spots.

• Travel agents often offer last minute sales of unsold pre-packaged tours.

Find a Travel Agent

• American Society of Travel Agents - ASTA is the world's largest association of travel professionals. Its 20,000-plus members include travel agents and the companies whose products they sell such as tours, cruises, hotels, car rentals, etc.

• National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA) is a trade association for professional independent travel agents, including home-based independent contractors and outside sales agents.

• Specialty Travel Agents Association (STAA) is a group of travel professionals and specialty travel agents and business, special interest and destination specialists.

Office professionals tend to forget about travel agents because Internet websites can be so efficient these days. But travel agents have access to trade publications not available to the general public and they often monitor press releases for new hotels and good values.

Online bookings may give you instant gratification and can save you money, but when something goes awry during your travels (as it often does), the availability of a live travel agency to call can be well worth the additional fees.