If you’re anything like me, once the idea of travel makes its way onto the table my internet history is a collection of accommodation websites, tour operators, flight and accommodation aggregators and everything in between.
But when the proposed departure date looms closer and there still haven’t been any bookings made the idea pops into my head, should I just consult and book with a travel agent?
It’s from here that I propose the question, should you book your holiday on your own or through a travel agent?
In the blue corner: Travel Agents
Recently, I’ve been planning my next getaway and after an afternoon EDM from a national travel agent I was pulled into the wormhole of contacting an agent.
A friendly woman doing all she can to help me plan my upcoming trip, I was amazed at how quickly she packaged together my 7 day getaway. The thing I wasn’t impressed with, was the price.
It comes with the territory, itineraries planned and booked through travel consultants can be more expensive, but they definitely are easier.
After a few back and forth emails I was almost ready to hand my money over and lock it all in. That was until my boyfriend and I decided to do a bit of the hard work and started planning it ourselves.
In the red corner: DIY
Expedia was our aggregator of choice, searching flight and accommodation packages for the best and best value options.
Things we took into consideration were the inclusions on the room, the airline carrier we were to fly with and of course, the specific destination within the country where we were going to stay.
On top of that, there were no hidden fees which meant we were paying for exactly what we got (I think).
Despite us needing to do our research, I found this to be the better option.
The winner: DIY Travel
A lower price meant we could use that money saved on in destination experiences (yay!). It also meant we were in full control of our bookings and should anything go wrong we have all the necessary information to make it right.
While I appreciated all the work put in by the travel agent, I felt as though I was being pressured into a sale that I didn’t want to fulfil.
I believe it all comes down to how much time you’re willing to invest. If you can sit down to plan and compare you’ll reap the rewards by saving money at checkout, but if you’re time poor, a travel agent might be your best option.
What do you prefer? Let me know in the comments below!
