Travel agents

I always book directly with the airline. However if you have a complex itinerary then an experienced travel agent should be able to help you.

We don’t use travel agents any more … book everything direct online now
AFTER … WEVE DONE A TON OF RESEARCH

That’s key
To saving money

It’s ok for us tho … we enjoy the research almost as much as the vacation itself
Besides … we are retired and have the time

If you don’t have the time for independent research
Or the inclination
Or the desire to look at dozens of options that might not be presented under one tour operation umbrella etc
So you can plan a trip that’s truly customized to yourself
And prefer to stick with the middle of the road … and more often than not a “pre packaged” option
Then travel agents are great
(Remember most Travel Agents are only as good as WHERE THEYVE BEEN / WHAT THEYVE DONE … or sadly … what they are pushed to promote or get commissions on )

The world is bigger than that in my experience

These days we use CAA for travel needs we find that are easier packaged …
Particularly … their FREE Passport Photos
Travel Medical Insurance
Trip Cancellation Insurance (including for Rental Properties)
And Roadside Assistance

For that stuff … CAA is amazing

PointsHubby wrote: ↑ We don’t use travel agents any more … book everything direct online now
AFTER … WEVE DONE A TON OF RESEARCH

That’s key
To saving money

It’s ok for us tho … we enjoy the research almost as much as the vacation itself
Besides … we are retired and have the time

If you don’t have the time for independent research
Or the inclination
Or the desire to look at dozens of options that might not be presented under one tour operation umbrella etc
So you can plan a trip that’s truly customized to yourself
And prefer to stick with the middle of the road … and more often than not a “pre packaged” option
Then travel agents are great
(Remember most Travel Agents are only as good as WHERE THEYVE BEEN / WHAT THEYVE DONE … or sadly … what they are pushed to promote or get commissions on )

The world is bigger than that in my experience

These days we use CAA for travel needs we find that are easier packaged …
Particularly … their FREE Passport Photos
Travel Medical Insurance
Trip Cancellation Insurance (including for Rental Properties)
And Roadside Assistance

For that stuff … CAA is amazing

I don't even drive and I have CAA for the hotel discounts.

We are extensive world travelers...been doing this for almost two and a half decades now! Honestly haven't used a travel agent in probably 20 years, back in the era of paper tickets.

It is simply too easy to do everything yourself online now. Air tickets are booked through Air Miles or the airline's website. Google Flights or Expedia allow you to compare many carriers and options at a glance. Once destination and flights are set, we prebook our accommodation through Booking.com. The ratings and especially the photos of a hotel's rooms and common areas are so helpful in making decisions. After that, ground transport (train or bus tickets) can be booked through the railway or bus line website.

We just got back from a trip to Europe. We prebooked it all at home through this very PC, and printed off confirmations of everything. Stacked it up in a neat little pile and kept it in a carry-on bag and whipped it out, one after another, as required...airline bookings to show immigration (as required), hotel information to show the taxi driver, train tickets to show the conductor. All smooth as silk and pretty much everything went like clockwork, even in these COVID times.

There is just SO much information online, that questions you once needed to pose to an experienced travel agent can now be answered in seconds through a Google search. Pretty much anywhere you want to go or anything you want to do, you can look it up and see a step-by-step travel report from someone who's done it.

There are so many great resources online. Take for example The Man in Seat 61. This is an INCREDIBLE website that tells you anything and everything you could possibly want to know about train travel anywhere in the world. Step-by-step guides, itineraries and timetables, and even photos of train carriages and seating. The level of detail on sites like this enables you to thoroughly prepare yourself for travel even if you're flying solo.

donttoewsmebro wrote: ↑ I don't even drive and I have CAA for the hotel discounts.

Yup … CAA Hotel Discounts combined with the Hotel (any Hotel) Loyalty’s Program perks are awesome

Direct booking using these 2 things … can meet or beat any third party website there is

Travel agents can be very useful in getting flight discounts you can't get on your own. Certain agents for certain destinations.
Example: If you are looking at flights to Vietnam or the Philippines. Go to the Vietnamese or Filipino ethnic enclaves in your city and find the hole-in-the-wall travel agent. This agent will have no website or online presence, yet sells so many tickets to expats looking for cheap fares to visit family at home that the airlines give the agent a volume discount. This agent can get you lower fares than you can ever get by yourself by booking online. So it's definitely worth checking in to local travel agents for flying to certain destinations.

The only time I can recall using a tour/travel company is when I want to do a specific activity or set of activities since sometimes those specifically require a tour (maybe due to requiring permits/limits) or I just want someone else to handle the logistics of that specific activity.

Haven't used them for flights or hotels in years though.