Using a Travel Agent or Booking Travel Online

[Melhog]

I'm planning a trip to Cancun and wondered if anybody had any advice on whether it made sense to use a travel agent or book it myself??  I basically have the hotel picked out and know when we are going. I thought the main advantage would be we could call the TA if we had any problems with the hotel when we got there.  Does anybody know if booking through a TA could cost more versus using Expedia, etc. or do the TA's sometimes have deals they can offer?  Thanks for the help.

[razorshark]

I'm planning a trip to Cancun and wondered if anybody had any advice on whether it made sense to use a travel agent or book it myself??  I basically have the hotel picked out and know when we are going. I thought the main advantage would be we could call the TA if we had any problems with the hotel when we got there.  Does anybody know if booking through a TA could cost more versus using Expedia, etc. or do the TA's sometimes have deals they can offer?  Thanks for the help.

Online your basically on your own, whereas with a TA you have a contingency plan if anything goes wrong.  Its a roll of the dice and online is less expensive but if you want to take chances its the way to go. 

[Melhog]

Online your basically on your own, whereas with a TA you have a contingency plan if anything goes wrong.  Its a roll of the dice and online is less expensive but if you want to take chances its the way to go. 

THanks for the advice. Just not sure what is the best way to go.  Appreciate the help.

[mcrabtr81]

Check with both for prices.  Last trip we took to Costa Rica, we recieved a fly one get one free promotion through Delta. It was about a $1000 savings by going through a travel agent.  We would not have even known about it otherwise.

[Melhog]

Check with both for prices.  Last trip we took to Costa Rica, we recieved a fly one get one free promotion through Delta. It was about a $1000 savings by going through a travel agent.  We would not have even known about it otherwise.

Thanks that's good advice. Can anybody recommed a travel agent in NWA??

[BA Hogwild]

I took my wife to the Bahamas. I first went online and seen how much it would cost then i called a TA and they told me their quote. They were 50 dollars more so i went ahead and used them just in case anything went wrong then i could pin it on the TA.

[oldfart]

i have traveled the world for the last 40 years or so, therefore i consider myself something of an expert in this field.  i would suggest using a good travel agent when possible because online bookings sometimes have a way of fouling up.  but make sure its a good agent, i got in trouble once because she booked me on a fare class that i was not qualified for and wound up costing me a lot more than it should have.  get a good one and stick with them.

[Melhog]

Traveled the world for 40 yrs??? Wow oldfart you are old. hahaha Thanks for the help guys.

[oldfart]

Traveled the world for 40 yrs??? Wow oldfart you are old. hahaha Thanks for the help guys.

i told u i was an old fart

[Melhog]

In case anybody was interested, I ended up using a travel agent to book our trip to Cancun.  It was several hundred dollars cheaper than I could have booked it myself so I would recommend at least checking with one to see what deals they have when traveling. Thanks to those who responded.

[Doebuck]

Online your basically on your own, whereas with a TA you have a contingency plan if anything goes wrong.  Its a roll of the dice and online is less expensive but if you want to take chances its the way to go. 

I agree totally...

[ErieHog]

I'll be a voice of dissent on this thread;  I  travel a *lot*, for private and work related, and I have yet to find a better deal through a travel agent than I could scrape together online myself with a little dilligence;  I regularly keep cross-checking with TAs, just from the standpoint that it will always be worth my while to d so, but I've logged nearly 200K of air-miles in the last 3 years without ever opting for a TA package.

[HootieHaterfromALA]

Agree Erie ...I have taken 5 trips to the Caribbean in the last 4 yrs.....only one was messed up...the one the TA booked for me. I have used expedia several times without any problems.

[Melhog]

Agree Erie ...I have taken 5 trips to the Caribbean in the last 4 yrs.....only one was messed up...the one the TA booked for me. I have used expedia several times without any problems.

I have used Expedia, Travelocity etc. as well and not had any real problems. I think if you use those places, you get the leftover rooms in some cases. Last time we used Expedia I got not an ideal room. It wasn't horrible, but I think we got what was left.

[ThreeHogNight]

If you have never been to where you are going then I would suggest a TA.