Travel Agent vs. Booking Direct: The Skinny

I got asked recently; ‘Is it more cost-effective to use a travel agent for booking vacations, as they claim to offer cheaper prices than online searches?’

Ignore the phrasing and grammar as I’m directly quoting here. In short, my answer is a controversial one given my industry, but the truth is no. It’s not always cheaper. At least not in my experience having been on both sides of the fence. However, it depends on the type of vacation you’re looking to book as sometimes that answer is a resounding yes.

Here’s the much longer answer though and a look beyond the price tag. If you choose to read it, just keep in mind that this is my take on it, and not necessarily travel industry gospel.

Prices can be somewhat cheaper booking directly with suppliers online when it comes to City Breaks, All Inclusive Package Holidays or Flights Only, but only mildly, and often come without the perks and assurances of booking through a Travel Agent. Such as personal customer care and direct 24hr emergency access. A Travel Agent is also your personal researcher and spends the time it takes finding you the perfect holiday and filling out all the online forms you need to actually get your vacation booked.

The amount of time a Travel Agent can save you is incredibly invaluable in comparison to the slightly higher price you might pay on some holidays. For example, you have 1000s of options to sift through in todays saturated market, and you have to guess at if you’re choosing a good option for yourself. Travel Agents take that stress away by asking the right questions and narrowing down your options to better suite you. A good agent wouldn’t allow you to book a bad option, or one that doesn’t quite match your needs. A good Travel Agent will also do all the legwork for you to ensure your vacation fully ticks your boxes, such as emailing the hotel to ask if they have hypoallergenic pillows or offer fragrant free shampoos. A Travel Agent will also immediately know what’s possible. Don’t want to fly more than 4 hours, need a Mosque close to the hotel and can only afford a certain price range? A good agent won’t waste your time offering you things that don’t tick your boxes. They’ll instantly tell you it cannot be done, and you can decide whether or not you want to explore less restrictive options or walk away.

Not to mention the instant relief of using a Travel Agent should something go wrong. Your agent immediately answers the phone or returns your call quickly to help work on a resolution for you. Here in the UK at least, we also often pool together as a unit when things go wrong. So, in a pickle, you tend to have a whole team of agents thinking of a solution for you. Not just the one you booked with. We have a sense of comradery, and we utilise each other’s experience and connections. Next time you’re in a travel crisis where a large number of passengers or guests may be affected, look around you. Those that seem relaxed and are smiling, and get sorted out the quickest are the ones working with a Travel Agent. Ask them who they used.

Every so often Travel Agents can offer an incredible deal on these types of vacations that you won’t find anywhere else, so it’s worth finding one you like and following their social media to keep an eye out for these offers. They are often limited to the dates you can travel though and from which departure airports. All the stars must align for those unbeatable deals, so if you’re flexible, then a Travel Agent will save you a ton of money over booking yourself online. More often than not, these types of deals will also be to incredible places. Think 5-star luxury at 3-star prices.

When it comes to more luxurious vacations, cruises and worldwide tours then using an agent will usually either cost you the same as it would booking it yourself, or sometimes less. This is because those markets generally have what we term ‘price parity’. The price you see direct online is generally the price you’d pay through an agent, and it comes with all the additional perks mentioned above. So, you’d be silly to book it yourself online. It’s a no brainer really.

Travel Agents will generally also be cheaper when it comes to more complex trips involving multiple locations or difficult to access destinations, and they shine when it comes to sports or events travel. They can put a whole package together for you for less than you likely could do it for yourself, and definitely a whole lot less stress. Want to watch the Grand Prix in Dubai? No problem. A Travel Agent can organise your flights, your accommodation, your stand access and tickets, and your transfers to get you around every day. You don’t have to worry about how much to put aside for taxis because an agent can prebook it all for you.

In conclusion, some vacations are cheaper to book directly online, and others are not. However, cheap doesn’t always mean good. What may save you a few pennies initially could end up costing beyond what’s reasonable later down the line. When it comes to travel, like with everything else in life, you get what you pay for. High ticket spending such as travel should be more focused on value.

After now knowing all of this, hopefully you can make a more informed decision as to whether to go it alone or use an agent, but I will ask you consider two things:

1. Don’t use a Travel Agent to be your personal travel advisor/researcher and then undercut them by booking directly online anyways after they have done all the legwork for you. That is effectively the same as stealing and it’s just not cool. Not to mention you’ll ruin it for everyone else who enjoys using theirs because you’ll force the market into a place where agents must take a deposit just to begin looking into options for people. Don’t be that person. Travel Agents don’t want to have to do that and neither do people that use them loyally.

2. Don’t play agents off against each other or enter into price wars. It’s also not cool. Rather quietly book your vacation yourself and leave the agents to focus on those who value them.