Are Travel Agents of Any Value?
Sep 7, 2014, 3:36 am
#61
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
Sep 7, 2014, 8:48 am
#63
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
Well, fast forward to 2014...TAs can provide a lot of value on a simple car booking.
Example: AutoEurope, a company based in the Northeast US. I use them for all my clients needs. They're global, with Toll Free #'s worldwide.
1) They guarantee best available rates, period. No hoops to jump through, no filing of claims. If I find [or my client finds] a better rate on the same type car anywhere, AutoEurope will match it. Period. They also will call you if they find a better rate and will immediately refund the difference.
2) They have global [free] telephone service. I had a client standing in line in Catania, Sicily at the Hertz location. They get to the front and the woman was having trouble finding their reservation because of last name spelling [client was newly divorced and I booked under married name, not knowing she changed it]. My client called me frantic, I called AE's 1-800 # while my client was on the other line, and they faxed & emailed over confirmation information in under 3 minutes. The whole thing was so flawless and easy it was jaw dropping.
3) Not only do I get best available rates for my clients, but those rates include zero deductible insurance. Always. Also, AE covers third-party drivers, even if the parent company [Avis, for instance] says no coverage for 3rd party drivers. In essence, AutoEurope's coverage rules and will cover you despite discrepancies between the local company and AE.
4) Free GPS included. Always.
5) In my experience, booking a best available on a Priceline or Hertz is fine, but I'd end up getting to the counter and it would turn into a nickel and dime situation. AE cuts that out of the process. What you pay to AE is what you pay, period.
And more reasons...
*I get no kickbacks for recommending AutoEurope [I obviously get commission for booking clients there]. While I'd obviously recommend using a TA [it's easier to have your TA do the booking & deal w/ any issues that may arise - see above Catania example], I'm giving you their name w/ the expectation that others will bypass a TA & book w/ them directly. That's how good they are, where I'm recommending them knowing I'll inevitably lose a few bookings.
Anyways, that's just one of the dozen or so companies I work with.
Transfers: I work w/ companies that only do transfers. I also work with on-sites [DMCs] who have wholly owned subsidiaries that do transfers. [I can think of numerous examples in Paris, or L.A., right off the top of my head.] As good will gestures, I've had many transfers for clients done for free [for example, because I work with an on-site in Paris, and I send business their way, they often throw me free transfers, which I pass off to clients].
Last edited by pricesquire; Sep 7, 2014 at 8:53 am
Jul 3, 2015, 10:51 pm
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,082
Costco agents vs independent TAs
I spoke to a TA recently and he said that TAs can NOT compete with Costco cruises, as far as prices go (this was a European river cruise with Viking). The services they (TAs) provide may be superior to those that the online Costco agents provide. Check out the differences for yourself. I'm still deciding.
Jul 18, 2015, 9:41 am
#65
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
We use two or three on-line discount travel agencies, ones that specialize in cruises. Been doing that for 11+ years now and our average savings is 12% off the published fare. We don't need or want a lot of handholding from an agency/agent. We do our own research and planning and by the time we contact an agency/agent we already know itinerary, ship, cabin, pre/post cruise hotels, transfers, and our air travel. Certainly a good agency/agent can provide a lot of service but since we don't use those services we see no point in paying for them.
Jul 25, 2015, 6:59 pm
#66
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,432
We use two or three on-line discount travel agencies, ones that specialize in cruises. Been doing that for 11+ years now and our average savings is 12% off the published fare. We don't need or want a lot of handholding from an agency/agent. We do our own research and planning and by the time we contact an agency/agent we already know itinerary, ship, cabin, pre/post cruise hotels, transfers, and our air travel. Certainly a good agency/agent can provide a lot of service but since we don't use those services we see no point in paying for them.
A good travel agent can save you even more then 12% as many who specialize in certAin cruise lines receive group discounts without having a group. The group discount is a minimum 5% additional discount and sometimes more, they also get overrides from cruise lines they do a lot of business with (which is sometimes passed on to the client) and booking incentives for their clients such as shipboard credit.
Jul 25, 2015, 8:11 pm
#67
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,142
I'll bite. [Full disclosure: I'm a Virtuoso agent.]
1) Virtuoso is built on interpersonal relationships between agent and supplier. A "booking" goes way beyond typing in code into GDS. For me, it's literally personal. I'm not being hyperbolic - I'm serious. When someone books a hotel through me, for example, I'll either email or call the General Manager of the hotel. Why? Because I've met the GM of almost every hotel in the Virtuoso network, and want to let he or she know I have a client headed their way. Not only do I maximize perks for the client [that upgrade on availability may move to an upgrade on arrival] - but I keep an ongoing relationship with the hotel. The same works for cruises, safaris, cars, insurance, etc.
2) This one is a little more basic. Virtuoso has the best network of preferred suppliers on the market. I truly believe in our vendors and our product, and any good Virtuoso agent would feel the same way. When you (1) know what you're selling, and (2) love what you're selling, it's a really, really good combo for the consumer. Even when I'm traveling personally, and going to a hotel/cruise incognito [they don't know I'm a Virtuoso agent - essentially, I'm mystery shopping] - I still stick to our network.
3) Numer 2 aside, I'm willing to book a non-Virtuoso product if I feel like that product is better than the comparative Virtuoso product. Example: we have one hotel in Charleston South Carolina. I don't like that hotel. Therefore, I book other [non-Virtuoso] hotels. I love my product, but I'm not blindly loyal.
4) Virtuoso agents - oftentimes - get the inside track on information. Another bit of anecdotal evidence: I just got a client $500 extra in resort credits at Miraval in Arizona [a destination spa] despite that offer not being public for another 1 month. I've also gotten numerous perks for clients on cruises on offers that, quite simply, weren't publicly available.
5) I've seen how storefront travel agents work. There are some very good ones out there. Very, very good. But, more often than not, I think storefront agents are too focused on the financial aspect of travel and are too obsessed with getting bottom line pricing. Don't get me wrong - pricing is really important! But sometimes deals come in all shapes and sizes. To some people, getting a best available rate + hundreds of dollars in additional perks is more of a "deal" than getting best available rate minus a few bucks. It all depends. Furthermore, storefront agents just aren't linked into some of these great networks [like Virtuoso, even Signature Network or AMEX].
The list goes on. The above applies to any good Virtuoso agent, not just me. If you've had bad luck with a previous agent, find a new one and give it a shot!
Best,
Ben
1) Virtuoso is built on interpersonal relationships between agent and supplier. A "booking" goes way beyond typing in code into GDS. For me, it's literally personal. I'm not being hyperbolic - I'm serious. When someone books a hotel through me, for example, I'll either email or call the General Manager of the hotel. Why? Because I've met the GM of almost every hotel in the Virtuoso network, and want to let he or she know I have a client headed their way. Not only do I maximize perks for the client [that upgrade on availability may move to an upgrade on arrival] - but I keep an ongoing relationship with the hotel. The same works for cruises, safaris, cars, insurance, etc.
2) This one is a little more basic. Virtuoso has the best network of preferred suppliers on the market. I truly believe in our vendors and our product, and any good Virtuoso agent would feel the same way. When you (1) know what you're selling, and (2) love what you're selling, it's a really, really good combo for the consumer. Even when I'm traveling personally, and going to a hotel/cruise incognito [they don't know I'm a Virtuoso agent - essentially, I'm mystery shopping] - I still stick to our network.
3) Numer 2 aside, I'm willing to book a non-Virtuoso product if I feel like that product is better than the comparative Virtuoso product. Example: we have one hotel in Charleston South Carolina. I don't like that hotel. Therefore, I book other [non-Virtuoso] hotels. I love my product, but I'm not blindly loyal.
4) Virtuoso agents - oftentimes - get the inside track on information. Another bit of anecdotal evidence: I just got a client $500 extra in resort credits at Miraval in Arizona [a destination spa] despite that offer not being public for another 1 month. I've also gotten numerous perks for clients on cruises on offers that, quite simply, weren't publicly available.
5) I've seen how storefront travel agents work. There are some very good ones out there. Very, very good. But, more often than not, I think storefront agents are too focused on the financial aspect of travel and are too obsessed with getting bottom line pricing. Don't get me wrong - pricing is really important! But sometimes deals come in all shapes and sizes. To some people, getting a best available rate + hundreds of dollars in additional perks is more of a "deal" than getting best available rate minus a few bucks. It all depends. Furthermore, storefront agents just aren't linked into some of these great networks [like Virtuoso, even Signature Network or AMEX].
The list goes on. The above applies to any good Virtuoso agent, not just me. If you've had bad luck with a previous agent, find a new one and give it a shot!
Best,
Ben
The last time I used a travel agent was about 30 years ago, back in the day when one did airline bookings with them. It was a local agent, and I got frustrated with their tardiness in getting me a booking. I realized then that I am more obsessive than most, and like things done on my own time schedule. So, no more TAs for me....Until Now?
Fast forward to now. Should I use a TA or not? I still have the same dogged obsessiveness and impatience. But, perhaps a good TA can complement that? Since I am cruising a lot, perhaps they can really earn their keep in my eyes?
As I said, you make a good case for a TA. What are some of the downsides of using a TA, and are some people not suited for working with one?
Many thanks!
Jul 26, 2015, 6:47 am
#68
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
You don't pay a travel agent for their services. The cruise line pays them. There are a few cruise agencies that may charge a service fee but most do not.
A good travel agent can save you even more then 12% as many who specialize in certAin cruise lines receive group discounts without having a group. The group discount is a minimum 5% additional discount and sometimes more, they also get overrides from cruise lines they do a lot of business with (which is sometimes passed on to the client) and booking incentives for their clients such as shipboard credit.
A good travel agent can save you even more then 12% as many who specialize in certAin cruise lines receive group discounts without having a group. The group discount is a minimum 5% additional discount and sometimes more, they also get overrides from cruise lines they do a lot of business with (which is sometimes passed on to the client) and booking incentives for their clients such as shipboard credit.
I have to say I'm really not against TAs. My wife and I are probably not typical travelers in that we have and do travel extensively for business and pleasure. I'd be the first one to tell a newbie traveler say going to the Med for a land tour or cruise to find a good TA. On the other hand, in my case, what is a TA going to do or help me with in say Venice where I've been a dozen times? I hardly need a map to get around and I certainly know the better hotels, transfer services, restuarants, etc. Same really for cruise lines and ships. Been there done that for 22 years now.
Last edited by Randyk47; Jul 26, 2015 at 7:06 am
Jul 26, 2015, 10:10 am
#69
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,142
My wife and I may be a bit toward your end of the spectrum, at least aspirationally. Could you kindly provide more insights on finding these types of agents and how to realize rebates? Many thanks.
Jul 26, 2015, 11:47 am
#70
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
Jul 28, 2015, 3:03 pm
#75
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,432
And just where do you think the cruise lines get the money to pay the TAs their commission? From the customer. One way or the other the consumer is paying for the service and I'm not paying for parts of the service I don't want or need. The standard commission is 10-12% and that's included in the basic fare. Certainly there are some TAs and some lines that run incentives, group rates, etc., etc., and that's why I advocate shopping around. Just happens that we've been cruising on a smaller luxury line lately and they're less likely to participate in those programs so I look for the TA who will give me the best rebate. Got a nice cashier's check for $2,600 from our last Med cruise.
I have to say I'm really not against TAs. My wife and I are probably not typical travelers in that we have and do travel extensively for business and pleasure. I'd be the first one to tell a newbie traveler say going to the Med for a land tour or cruise to find a good TA. On the other hand, in my case, what is a TA going to do or help me with in say Venice where I've been a dozen times? I hardly need a map to get around and I certainly know the better hotels, transfer services, restuarants, etc. Same really for cruise lines and ships. Been there done that for 22 years now.
I have to say I'm really not against TAs. My wife and I are probably not typical travelers in that we have and do travel extensively for business and pleasure. I'd be the first one to tell a newbie traveler say going to the Med for a land tour or cruise to find a good TA. On the other hand, in my case, what is a TA going to do or help me with in say Venice where I've been a dozen times? I hardly need a map to get around and I certainly know the better hotels, transfer services, restuarants, etc. Same really for cruise lines and ships. Been there done that for 22 years now.
BTW, I do know where the TA commission comes from. I have attended a number of conferences with cruise line execs and the topic of cruise lines going completely direct and cutting out travel agents comes up frequently. I can assure you the price of a cruise would not come down even though that "cost" of commission would be gone. Cruise lines would have to hire new employees and pay the extra salaries and benefits as they would need the extra staff to handle what travel agents handled. That "cost" would be greater then the current commissions. It is not a road they want to go down because the cost/benefit analysis of such a move is not in the cruise line's favor. This is not me saying this its people like Larry Pimentel, Pam Conover, Rick Meadows and Vicki Freed.
In any case I wish you calm seas and blue skies as my friends who work on cruise ships say.
Last edited by cruisr; Jul 28, 2015 at 3:12 pm