Booking Through Agent or the Web?

Knottie4387472

My family is trying to decide whether or not to book through my travel agent or through websites such as travelocity/orbitz/etc. Any suggestions?

Jells2dot0

Did your agent secure special perks as part of a group package? If so, then any guests who do not book through your group block will not have access to these perks.

Plus, it's always nice to have one person to go to when an issue arises. If you book with an online agency like Orbitz or Travelocity, you'll get a different person each time and they will most likely not have any destination knowledge.

princessleia22

My family would typically book online by themselves.  Although they still had that option, I requested that they book through our agent for our DW... at least for the cruise (we did a cruise wedding).  For me, everyone wanted different hotel & flights, so they booked those independently.  Using the agent ensured that they booked the correct trip, our bookings were all linked, and it gave them someone OTHER THAN ME who could answer their questions about all the little details. I had enough on my plate with planning a wedding, I didn't need to be their travel agent also. It was nice having someone else knowledgeable that they could contact with questions.  If there are portions of the trip that you need/want to have linked or coordinated bookings, have them go through the agent. If you want everyone flying together or around same time, having an agent to coordinate could be useful. For hotel, if they aren't booking directly through the hotel, the agent can be nice.

 

Also, depending on number of people you have booking, the agent may be able to secure lower prices or some added perks.

rosevincent39

Ditto to what @nicoann said. I used an agent and it was the best decision. Easy and stress free.

Latillo

All of my guests with the exceptio of one couple is booking through our travel agent on our wedding website. This way our agent reviews all of the transactions before they go through which I like. Also, she is making a guest list for us so that every time someone books we know who it is and for how long they are staying.

BreMR

I definitely recommend using an agent.  I don't know if it's true for all online booking sites, but I have heard some resorts will over-book and the first people to get bumped are those who booked on travel webs

ites and not through an agency.   Also, just because I'm all about saving money, every time I've travelled I have price shopped between what I could get on my own through orbitz/travelocity/expedia or through an agency and every time my travel agent has beat what I've found.

princessleia22

Latillo said:

All of my guests with the exceptio of one couple is booking through our travel agent on our wedding website. This way our agent reviews all of the transactions before they go through which I like. Also, she is making a guest list for us so that every time someone books we know who it is and for how long they are staying.

Oh yeah... I forgot about the benefit of them telling you when people book.   In July, we had told our guests to book the cruise ASAP so they can get the early rates, which come with price guarantee.  A few weeks later, nobody had booked.  The early rate usually ends about 6 months prior to trip, so as that got closer we bugged people more.  Of course, by the time they all booked, they had all missed out on the early pricing.  The posted rates didn't change much, but right before the wedding rates dropped a few hundred per person, so they could have all taken advantage of that and been refunded about $300/person.  But, it was nice to have agent let me know when people had booked, so I knew they were taken care of and I could stop pestering them.

And we also had one person (who wasn't going on cruise) that waited until last minute to book hotel & flights. Prices had gone up enough that they could no longer afford to come... I found out the day before the wedding.

msuprincess04

Hardly any of my guests booked through our agent. There were few perks if you did, and the agent's quoted price for just about everyone was a lot more than all the discount travel sites. So, it really it depends on the situation. 

Knottie56612621

I am having the same problem myself. I think I would at least like to talk to an agent and see what they have to offer that online booking wouldn't. I have e-mailed one destination wedding travel company this morning but haven't heard back yet.

Knottie41786461

So if you purchased a wedding/reception package at the resort and some of your guests booked through a travel site/not through your travel agent - do they have any issues being a part of your wedding/reception - or do you just tell the resort wedding coordinators "this is how many people are attending" and it doesn't matter that they didn't go through your travel agent who helped coordinate the whole wedding? Sorry if that's confusing! But just wondering! Thanks in advance! I'm not too great with all this stuff and trying to figure it all out fro my DW at the end of this year!

CMGragain

ALL ONLINE TRAVEL SITES ARE TRAVEL AGENTS!  This includes Expedia, Travelocity, Sam's Club, Costco, Priceline, VacationstoGo, Etc.  Check the small print.  The only difference between your local travel agent and an online site is that you can talk to your travel agent and ask questions.

I use a large travel site to book my cruises, but I have used the same agent for six years.  We have developed a good relationship over the phone, and he knows what I expect from his agency.  If you are not an experienced traveler, I recommend a local travel agent.  There is no cost to you.  The agent (and the website) is paid by the vendor.  Most local travel agents belong to a consortium that gives them the same discounts as any mega-online agency.

Jells2dot0

Knottie41786461 said:

So if you purchased a wedding/reception package at the resort and some of your guests booked through a travel site/not through your travel agent - do they have any issues being a part of your wedding/reception - or do you just tell the resort wedding coordinators "this is how many people are attending" and it doesn't matter that they didn't go through your travel agent who helped coordinate the whole wedding? Sorry if that's confusing! But just wondering! Thanks in advance! I'm not too great with all this stuff and trying to figure it all out fro my DW at the end of this year!

There may be some instances where this is true. Example- you arrange a group rate/package with the resort or with a particular travel agent. As part of that specific package, you receive a complimentary welcome cocktail party. Or maybe for every room booked with your particular group code, you get a free night. Anyone who books outside of the group (aka with Expedia) will not be "on the list" for the welcome cocktail party or won't count towards your free night. They weren't booked with your special group block code.