cordelli

Many websites offer the ability to do a direct widthdrawal from your bank account, it's usually built into the merchant software. I would guess that many sites that do not offer it have had to turn that feature off.

They get charged way less usually then credit cards, so they tend to push it.

I agree though, I would never do it, but they are really hoping more and more people do. From Amazon for example:

Amazon.com benefits as well when customers pay using their checking accounts. When compared to credit cards, our costs are lower when customers pay directly from their checking accounts. As more customers pay directly from their checking accounts, we'll be able to pass along the savings to customers in the form of lower prices.

BurBunny

Another biased TA here , but I'd add that a "local" TA may not be just local to you. With the internet, a "local" TA may have a national and international presence. Many are affiliated with large national companies so you can check reputation and stability. You can deal with an individual, experienced, true TA online and by phone, even if you're not local. You're not restricted to just call center agencies when you're looking for booking assistance and price competition.

OfficeGlenn

Yes.. I called around to 5 different local TA's. A couple would not match online prices at all. A few asked me what my lowest online price was, and lowered their quote, but still could not come close to matching it. The lowest local TA quote was still $1400 more than the quote I went with.

yscleo

If a local TA has a brick & Motar store to maintain, that costs. Many online TAs don't have that. They don't have a storefront, to deal with walk ins, displays of brochures, etc. They can have agents working from home, or their offices in a rural warehouse.

tcook052

Thanks for the input, though gotta say that number makes me curious because unless you're booking a penthouse suite on a 150 day Cunard world cruise no TA commission would even approach that amount so it must be some combination of a lower, possibly group, price plus a rebating of the commission to get to that amount. 95% of the time as a TA I can match the online guys and if it means getting something rather than nothing will usually do it.

At any rate I hope from here on it it is smooth sailing for you.

BEAV

As a former TA that worked in a storefront agency at the corner of 1st & Main in Anywhere, USA, I can and do understand your justified bias probably better than you think!

I think the bottom line of this discussion is that you'll find good and not-so-good agents on both side of the fence ("Internet" vs brick and mortar).

As to the brick & mortar vs Internet debate, I personally know of two different TAs who have switched from storefront to "at home" operations. There was a time when their client base was predominately local customers, however that eventually changed to become a base that stretches all over the US and Canada. It no longer made sense to pay rent for storefront property, especially when 95% of their customer contact was now being done via phone, email & fax. So by their switch from storefront to home operation, should they rightfully have to bear the stigma that goes along with being labeled an Internet agency?

BEAV

Some friends of mine last week used CruiseCompete for the first time to obtain quotes. They were looking at a 19 day sailing on Crystal in a non-suite category. The quotes they received varied by as much as $1,000 between the lowest & highest. (As a side note, the lowest quote was from an agent who still maintains a storefront agency in addition to networking via CruiseCompete.)

So OfficeGlenn's $1400 savings doesn't seem to me to be too far out of line. $1400 savings could also be easily obtainable if someone was buying more than just one stateroom, like for a family cruise or something along those lines...

Tiki

CruiseCompete saved us $500 each off the normal price of our Panama Canal cruise for 2011. I just noticed it's gone up by $100 for new bookings. Best Price Cruises had the best price and a B+ rating on the BBB so I figured they were safe enough.

tcook052

Nope, OP only travelling with one other person: (my bold)

BEAV

Just so there's no misunderstanding, I wasn't insinuating that OfficeGlenn had in fact purchased more than one cabin to obtain a $1400 savings. But rather anyone could easily obtain that savings even if they were on something as short as a 7 day cruise booking multiple staterooms.

I am basically trying to refute what I believe to be an exaggeration that a $1400 savings can only be obtained by booking something extravagant like a World cruise in a suite. (see below)

500 miles at a time

Just did some research on a 10 day Mediterranean Holland America cruise for my parents and the potential savings was pushing $700/person - so I would agree that you don't have to book something extravagant to get these savings.

tcook052

Then I guess I'm here to refute the impression I feel that's being given that the savings expressed represent online discounters rebating their commission because $700 per person is well more than any TA AFAIK would make on a 10day HAL in a regular non-suite category stateroom. There has to be some group or consortia rate plus a commission rebate that's being added together to get that amount. Any TA can take advantage of similiar if not identical group or consortia rates so to me the only real difference comes down to willingness to rebate a portion of the comission, which obviously and unfortunately in OP's case none were.

cordelli

Lets just put an end to the speculation. Just list out dates, destination, and category so people can do their own clicking. Is a $700 savings possible? On a three day cruise on a major line, probably not. On a two week in the president's suite, maybe, but without something to go on they are just random numbers.

I used the websites listed to compare my brick and mortar cruise agency prices for an upcoming cruise. The price was actually higher over what I was paying, and I know the rates have dropped a bit since I reserved, so the links mentioned will be even more money.

Yes you can save money on cruising, but you really need to compare apples to apples to see if you are saving money, or getting taken by a quote that is way higher then you should be paying.

500 miles at a time

Noordam, Holland America
October 8th, 2010
10-DAY MEDITERRANEAN ENCHANTMENT
2 people

Per Cruise Compete (Crown Cruise Vacations) - $2,882.14 + $100 OBC USD (Category K) or about $3,000 CDN net.

Per Holland America - $4,031.40 CDN (Category K) (Excls. $427.20 in transfers so we are comparing apples to apples)

That works out to a difference of $1,000.

I guess when doing my comparisons earlier, I must have included the transfers in the Holland America pricing. A 25% discount is still pretty good.

ak333

I don't normally do this on FT, but what the heck.

There is a little bit of rebating/discounting in that quote.

The rates I show (we have group space on that sailing) for the Category K is USD $1499 plus $90.75 in taxes for a total of $1589.75 per person. There is OBC offered at $75 per person.

So yes, rates vary wildly.