Honeymoon Discussions

Travel Agents

Is it worth it to use one? What is their job anyway? I have never used a travel agent before and am finding it very difficult to get what we want from mine. I gave her a detailed list of things we wanted to see and do on our trip (Even providing links to websites and youtube videos so she knows what I am talking about) Yet only some items appear on intinerarys she provides. I specifically told her multiple times we dont need to be staying in 5 star hotels that look like something we can stay in here at home yet every intinerary includes 5 star hotels. There are more examples but you get the point. Do they get higher kick backs for booking us with specific hotels and tour groups?

Re: Travel Agents

  • Ditto to what Sleeper said. Travel agents get paid commission from the hotels booked and that commission amount is based on the total cost. So, the higher the cost, the more commission. However, a good travel agent won't care about that and will assist you with your package no matter the cost, as long as they are able to offer what you are asking for. I know a lot of times agents do not always have access to every type of activity, so they can't include it, but they should tell you they can't include it and why. Good travel agents also know that if they stick to what the client wants and provides good service, it leads to referrals and possibly more sales later down the road from you, so a bigger commission now means possibly less business for them later. I recommend finding an expert in the area you are looking to travel to (can be found through tourism boards or travel websites, like T&L or Conde Nast) and contact those agents instead.

     







  • edited January 2013
    Agree with the previous poster. Find a new Travel Agent. We booked a trip to Mexico with a local travel agent and he was great. When we started talking to him about Europe he wasn't helpful at all. I ended up booking it on our own because trips like that with multiple things just seemed like a pain.

    I am not sure where you are going and what you are planning but it would probably be cheaper and a little easier to do. Are you having your travel agent put together your schedule as well and just telling her what you want to do and put together a price with tickets and activities? Most of the time the people I have known that have used Travel Agents only had them do the Airfare, Transfers, Hotel and basic things. I don't think they usually do all the activities and schedule and all of that. Not sure if this is common or what.

    Where are you going? And what is your budget? You might be able to find a pretty great package without a travel agent.

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    06.09.2012

  • We are going to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This will be our first big trip to a destination where English is not the first language. We dont exactly have a budget but would like to spend around $12 thousand for the 2 of us.
  • Now that I see your destination, I remember your original post. In that post, I recommended to find a specialist for those areas and provided a link to a supplier site that lists experts. For example, when I booked my first HM to Tahiti, I used a Tahiti Tiare specialist with an agency that specializes in Tahiti. For Fiji, you would work with a Fiji Matai specialist. I am sure that there are specialists for these areas. Not every agent is equipped to book a trip to a certain destination. Most agents are more familiar with Caribbean destinations and can easily plug in dates and such to spit out a price for those destinations. For this type of trip, you need to work with someone who has been there, has trained for it, and frequently books trips to that region.

     







  • I agree with the other ladies: Find a new travel agent. Yes, they are paid on commission from the resorts/hotels. FI and I knew where we wanted to go, we found someone that specialized in where we were going and it has all been very smooth planning.
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  • KatWAGKatWAG member
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    edited January 2013
    I think I have commented on your Thailand/ HM posts before. For 12k, you can definately stay at 5 star places in Thailand. If you are unhappy with your travel agent, I can give the name of mine. She planned our 2 week hm to Thailand, Our trip went perfectly. PM if you want more info.

    Edit: I agree with PPs, if anything you need a travel agent who specializes in that region.
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  • Ditto PP's on a specialized travel agent.

    When we went to Egypt and Kenya last summer, we used Big Five Travel Agency. They organized EVERYTHING, and I mean everything from airfare to scheduling all sightseeing and museums, booked an armed body guard in Egypt, hot air balloon rides, and much more. It was so nice to have a guide who was with us the whole time who kept us on schedule and our different activities.
  • I'm a travel agent NOT here to promote myself, but to give my opinion to the OP. You definitely need to find a better agent, one that will listen to what you want and is happy to help you plan the perfect honeymoon.

    Yes we get paid from commision, however that's not what's going to keep a client coming back to us. It is more important for us to give our clients the dream vacation they want, because a satisfied client is always better than a disappointed one and is more likely to book with us again.

    You deserve the dream honeymoon to start off a new marriage, so don't settle for an agent who isn't willing to go above and beyond to give you what you ask.

    GOOD LUCK and happy planning!
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