Comparing Online Travel Services To Your Local Travel Agent

Sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity claim to offer the best price – sometimes even guaranteed. They may even claim to offer the best rates on a luxury world cruise, a trip that travel wholesalers publicly prefer to be sold by agents. The emergence of online travel sites have put many agencies out of business, and claim to have conquered the consumer base by offering quality product at a lower cost. When you call your local travel agency and ask for a price quote on an air and hotel luxury travel vacation package, most consumers will check against one of the more popular travel websites to see what prices better. True, two thirds of the time, you will find that the Internet will beat the travel agent price by about $150. The travel website will assure you that it is the same package. The resorts and hotels are aware that you are going to be in the most unfavorable rooms, in fact, that is why they sold them to the Internet travel site at a discounted rate in the first place.

Travel service sites proudly proclaim that they are able to further save customers money by selling large volumes of travel and collecting a smaller fee. Orbitz and Travelocity do have a large volume of travel reservations made, but what little they make in commission they make back in changed or canceled reservations. Most travel agencies offer a travel insurance that covers you and your travel companions if you should have to cancel for a medical or personal emergency.

American Express Travel offers a cancel for any reason insurance that even covers your airline tickets. These Internet booking engines are now beginning to offer “insurance,” but it rarely covers cancellations in full. Your local travel agent is there to offer the customer care you need back at home while you’re traveling abroad. When it comes to planning luxury travel vacation, you are truly better off using a travel agent. If you don’t like your room, your travel agent can have it fixed in a matter of moments. Travel agents are not focused on quantity, but quality. So travel safe, not sorry, and call a travel agent to hear more benefits that each agency offers their clients