What's the book corporate America doesn't want you to read? Find out now -- or you could get scammed.

Are travel agents worth the extra money?

February 25, 2008

Hardly a week goes by that I don’t recommend the services of a competent travel agent in one of my columns. And the conventional wisdom — which is that a real travel agent can make your trip better — has gone unchallenged for years, if not by me then by my readers. Until last week.

Bob Barstow, a long-time reader of my stories, e-mailed me to question the validity of that claim.

In many, if not most of your columns, you give an impression about travel agencies that I just have not found to be true.

You imply that the business is full of agents dedicated to the travelers well-being, and will go out of their way for their customer. In all my years of traveling, both business and personal, I have yet to meet this agent.

Barstow suggests agents just book trips — and not always as efficiently as you can online.

Every single one I have worked with has done their job of arranging my booking — no more, no less.

For example, no agent has ever done a recommendation on which resort property I might like better. They have never asked what my interests are. I have even told them what I am looking for, and the best I get is a list of hotels that “would work for me.” When a flight has been messed up, no agent has ever done more for me than I have been able to do for myself on site.

He cites his most recent trip as an example.

Barstow used an agent to book a trip to Hawaii. “I asked him to look for flights that I could use my miles to upgrade to First Class,” he remembers. “He said he couldn’t do that, that I would have to handle it. Which I did, but when I made the arrangements, the Northwest Elite contact asked me why my travel agent didn’t do it in the first place. When I asked my agent, he said he couldn’t do it because it was travel agency policy not to use miles.”

Then, on the ground, his disappointment with his agent deepened.

Both properties were Sheraton – on Hawaii and Oahu. I gave the agent my Starpoints number so I would get credit for the stays. He said, no problem.

Upon arrival at both properties, neither had the number in their system. I am still arguing with Starpoints for the credit. Because I paid the travel agency for the reservations, I am having difficulty getting credit for the stays. My receipts from both properties only show incidental charges, not the full amount I paid.

When contacting the agent, he has been no help. I get the impression that he really doesn’t care — we’ve taken the trip, he’s gotten his commission, case closed. He’s polite when I call, but gives the impression it’s not his problem.

Barstow’s question — and I think it’s a valid one — is, where can he find the go-the-extra-mile service travel agents are supposed to offer?

Are there any agents out there who care to answer?

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

Tagged as:

78 comments

← Older Comments
  • Bea Oates

    I went to Sydney, Australia last summer for 16 days, arrange my travel on my own, paid total $1,600 for backpacking and airfare. It is so hard for one to travel solo. I want to go to Four Scandinavian Capitals for at least 18 days backpacking and airfare for $2,000 USD from Honolulu. I know it can be done! Denmark,Norway,Sweden,Finland I also have frequent flyer miles to use with Northwest and United. Northwest offer part way with frequent flyer miles how about other airlines doing the same?

  • http://www.decaturtravelagency.com Michael

    In reply to Kay B, and Mindy M, here are some other questions you might ask:
    Are you a destination specialist in [area/city/type of travel you want go]?
    Most places that have a Tourism Board (or analog) offer a training course that allows one to be a destination specialist in that area.

    Another good way to weed out the fraud/lazy/incompetent travel agent is to ask what GDS (s) they use. If they don’t know what you’re talking about hang up the phone. If they don’t use any of the major players (Travelport, World Span, Amadeus, Saber, Apollo, Galileo, [System 1- a little old]) then you shouldn’t necessarily exclude them, but they deserve much closer scrutiny. In the interest of full disclosure I use World Span and Amadeus for the most part.

    On a personal note, I have only been a travel agent for little over a year. When I decided to continue as graduate student in my studies I needed a flexible side job, and travel had always been interesting to me. Before becoming an agent I had traveled extensively, and like many others, only used travel agents for very complex itinerary. I always let my clients know that being a travel agent is a part time job for me, but I have only let 18hrs pass before contacting a client once. I also make myself available to my clients well after business hours.

    For those that think the business has gone way of the milk man, I couldn’t disagree more. To someone who is dedicated and intelligent you can quickly learn a great deal about the travel industry through the doors of an IATA number. In a scant one year’s time I have picked up 8 legitimate certifications (and two that I found to be sub-par), and have learned a great deal that I am always eager to pass on to my clients. I have a policy that if a client asks me to help him/her with a region I am unfamiliar with, I will give that person top priority and research all I can about the region. I then follow up with the client after the trip. This has been an effective and easy way to expand my knowledge base and help my clients.

    All that said, I often run into potential clients (as in many people who never end up giving me a dime) who have outragious expectations from travel agents. Almost never can I find a flight from the US to Asia for $400 (USD). Taxes alone are often in that range. TA can frequently save you money on international flights (by using consolidators), but you should only consider that to be a % off what you find as published fare. Domestic flights are almost always more expensive to use a travel agent as the travel agent is pulling from published fares.

    I have never once been undercut by a valid fare publicly available online. As someone mentioned above, I have recommended clients book tickets themselves because I could only match the price. But you should look for online rates and bring them to your agent. I call up vendors all the time and use these prices as barging tools. In the end I will use a commission over-ride to lower my price if nothing else works.

    Yes, that’s right commissions. I have never made a decision about where to send someone based of commissions, but that is where the majority of my income comes from in this job. But like a good finical planer I offer a fee-only service (to the tune of $75 per $1000 of trip cost). Surprisingly few travelers take me up on this offer, even though the few that have saved hundreds of dollars in the end (given that the average commission for a product these days is floating around 10%, and for those of you who don’t care do the math, $75 on 1k is 7.5% giving you an average savings of 2.5%). I think it’s because people are more willing to pay a good institution than a good worker.

  • http://conversationsatintersections.blogspot.com/ Jill

    I’ve linked to your MSNBC artilce in my blog, http://conversationsatintersections.blogspot.com/
    as I too was trying to make the point that travel agents can be a real help, especially when things have taken an unexpected turn.

    I’ve lived in Zimbabwe and New Zealand for the better part of the last 23 years, with frequent trips back to the US. I’ve had smooth trips and bumpy ones, but what a comfort to know that one call to an emergency # provided by my agent was all I needed to sort things out.

    I’ve had super travel agents assist me, people I knew and grew to call friends over time. Maybe that is part of the equation, the old time idea of relationship in our transactions. My travel agents know what I like in the planning stages and how I like to travel. They fit their arrangements to suit me and usually come in with a competitive fare. They know my preferences and represent me to the airlines.

    I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve chucked a few of my best tips and links on my blog and added your conversation to the mix.

    http://conversationsatintersections.blogspot.com/

    Cheers from NZ.

  • FreqFlyr

    I fly over 150K miles a year. I only use a travel agent – first because my time is expensive, and I don’t want to waste it surfing the web for net fares and second, because my travel agent makes my leisure and business travel easier. The key is to find the great travel agent, as many above have noted – and that isn’t easy. One thing to note – you will have a better chance at getting an agent to go the extra mile for you if you try and build a good working relationship. This may mean you pay a $20 fee for frequent flyer bookings, for example – but later, when you are stuck in Hong Kong airport with a ticket problem when it is 3AM back home, and your TA picks up the phone to deal with the ticket staff – you will see the benefit.

  • Carson Watson

    If you have no integrity, I don’t care what profession you’re in, the results will not be pretty. I’ve been in the travel business for only 2 years but I’ve lived in Spain, Italy, Venezuela, Ecuador and Mexico for more than 20 years. I know the problems that someone can confront in their travels.
    I have empathy and I take seriously what my job represents. I care about people. If you’re a doctor and have no empathy, you’re a nobody in my book. We live in a corrupt world and if you doubt that pick up the paper and see who our president is unless you’ve been on Mars for the past 7 and one half years.
    There are a lot of ignorant consumers who have no idea where any place is and when you tell them their air to Europe from California will cost more than $1500 per person and they have a total budget of $2000, they seem appalled. People where do you live? Do you read? Do you know anything about what’s going on in our world? Currencies? Political situations? A true professional, which I consider myself, will do everything to make the trip right. The clowns outnumber us by a large margin. I’m proud of what I do. Oh, and we’re expected to work for nothing, afterall we’re just above a used car salesman, right?

  • http://www.tripswithgeorge.com George Estelle

    Some of us are professional agents that take pride in going the extra mile for clients. My satisfaction is when clients return home and note they had a prolem free vacation and got just what they wanted; this means I did my job. Anyone can book an airline ticket; arrange a car or find a hotel; it is the travel agent tht takes your requests into consideration and uses their experience and knowledge to make sure it is a seemless transaction.

  • http://www.newfusion.co.za Tertius Bester

    There is a common thread that runs through travel related problems; The Internet is automating everything to the point where it all can be seamless, or disastrous. The information age is changing the face of business to such an extent that it can be a bit daunting at times to deal with information overload. Nobody has time to reference all of it, although it appears to be worth it financially.

    As so many of the authors pointed out, do some research and take advice from friends or colleagues. Do plan your own trips if that’s what you have time to do, but do take care you are dealing with the correct individuals. Qualifications are great to have too, but be mindful that you connect with this person. This can be a simple as a couple of mails/phone calls.

    Business boundaries are disappearing fast, and dealing with reputable companies via telephone and e-mail is becoming a lot more acceptable. There will always be a place for the traditional travel agent though. What I am experiencing is that there is a growing demand for people wishing to deal with the in-country service provider. This is certainly the case for niche travel.

    There are a lot of people who go beyond the scope of service fee or duty. A regional airline went bust a week before a honeymoon couple arrived. Seven airlines went to the wall in this period as a result of high costs.

    I probably dealt with this differently to the norm, but customer satisfaction was the only thing that was really important. Without customers you are nothing!

    Tertius Bester
    New Fusion Trading
    1 La Camarque, Royal Ascot, Milnerton, Cape Town
    Tel: +27 21 555 1600 ; +27 82 555 0423
    Fax: + 27 86 654 1216
    Skype: New Fusion Trading
    http://www.newfusion.co.za
    info@newfusion.co.za

  • JODI

    This is so disheartening to hear that people have had such bad experiences with travel agents. I know that there are horrible agents out there, in fact, I sit beside one, but there are some of us who really do care.
    A Travel Agent should not “cost you more”. In fact, part of their job is to qualify what kind of travel you are doing, the sort of ticket most beneficial to you and the budget that you are working with. We find out what you are looking for by asking questions, so make sure that you have time when you call or go to the office for a few questions. Most of us will work using e mail, and so all of this can be done on your time and in your space.
    There are some people that travel very little, and some that travel all the time, so it helps to know that as well. But do be aware, that some people will tell us that they are well-traveled in order to look knowledgable, and then vital facts can be missed because they have told us that they are aware of rules, regulations and changes at airlines, hotels or car rental companies. Because of all the constantly changing rules and regluations, take the time to ask rather than assume that you know, because sometimes we have to look them up, as they change so often.
    What I am trying to convey, is please don’t give up on us. There are those of us who love what we do, and we do go the extra mile to give the service. Ask your agent where that last place she went was, or where her favourite place in the world is……and if you have an agent that truly has PASSION for the job, you will find yourself wishing that you went with her, just by the way she describes it!!!
    No travel is without glitches, and we all have had to learn to be more relaxed and easy-going travling in this day and age, but, whether it is business or your 40th birthday you saved all your life for…..there are those of us who really do care about your travel!!!!

  • http://www.travellers-inn.com marita

    Sorry for all those with bad experiences!
    Try me next time…

  • shannon

    I am a travel agent in a small city and our clients know we go the extra mile. Because our area is more rural, I believe we have not been as greatly affected by the internet as other agencies. That’s not to say we don’t see the effects of “the net” because we still get a few calls a day saying, “Can you beat this price?” and to be quite frank, I have no want or need to spend my time trying to “BEAT” an internet price…especially on an airline ticket.

    We are providing a service just like any other business and with all due respect to the gentleman who in essence said we’re a washed up, worthless industry I can say without hesitation, “Put up or shut up!” I have the education and expertise to back up my travel planning and working for an airline does not qualify you as an expert. Most of the agents in our office have over 25 years of experience and have traveled to some of the most amazing places on earth. I have a bachelor’s degree in Geography and have traveled to over 20 countries. Contrary to popular belief, we do not travel “all the time” because we have to make a living. We go on familiarity trips and study tours when possible but the motto in our office is if you have not been to the area you are working on do the research and educate yourself.

    I would like to stress the point made by Mr. Elliott…not all travel agents are professionals but those of us who are provide an invaluable service. We are not a fly by night operation who takes just anyone’s credit card over the phone.

    It surprises me how many people think that their computer makes them a travel expert. Just because you go on Expedia, Travelocity or Yahoo that does not mean you know everything there is to know about the travel biz. Our business changes daily (just look at the airlines if you need a good example) and I can’t even begin to count the number of times something has gone wrong or been changed with an online booking engine and the person ends up calling us for help. If at all possible we try to help because 9 times out of 10 we get their business the next time.

    Here’s the example I use when I’m tired of hearing about how it’s “free” to go on the net and book travel. When a client asks why they should use me I simply say, “You do not go into the doctor’s office and say, Dr. X said he can take out my appendix for $500.00 can you beat that price?” If you do you’re certainly not searching for the best “quality” physician but the bargain basement kind…good luck with that. We do try to save our clients money because it’s the right thing to do…bottom line.

    We do provide most of our services for free because of the commission structure but not all of them. Our clientele range from lower income, hard working people who have saved for that one special vacation to more affluent retirees that travel many times a year. We treat each and every one the same because that is how we would want to be treated.

    I have clients who have never flown, cruised or even left the state and I want their experience with me to be the same as the clients who spent $20,000 with me on a cruise last week. I love what I do and it shows. When my clients send me flowers and post cards from abroad it’s great. But the best part of my job is that I got to be a part of making their trip special.

  • Nicole

    You have to ask around, don’t just pick anyone to plan your travel. There are many agencies that know there is plenty of competition with the internet so they have to go the extra mile. An example of our extra service: a client was going to meet her husband (a soldier) in South Africa, he was killed in the line of duty 2 weeks before she was to go. There was no insurance taken for the trip, our agents made many phone calls and worked very hard to get as much of her money back as they could and succeded. I would call that the extra mile. How many internet companies would do that?

  • Siddhartha Chandiramani

    For a truly luxury holiday, look no further. All of the personal at Travel Counsellors are dedicated to finding luxury holidays for all of our clients, ensuring they make the most of their free time. From sumptuous surroundings to top class dining experiences, luxury holidays are guaranteed to exceed expectations and they will arrange every detail. No matter what the destination, luxury holidays are their speciality.

    And luxury family holidays are also a breeze. They can take the hassle out of organising a luxury family holiday with young children in tow and strive to ensure that the whole family will enjoy the experience. From kids clubs to babysitting services and a whole host in between, luxury family holidays can go without a hitch.

    From luxury beach holidays to elegant city breaks, their selection of holiday destinations can meet your needs

    Take a look at their regularly updated luxury holiday offers for inspiration on decadent hotels around the world to suit all budgets, whilst our top ten index of destinations can help you decide exactly where it is you want to go.

    So to ensure that your ideal luxury holiday or luxury family holiday is planned to perfection, trust Travel Counsellors to organise every detail of it for you.

    Contact them on:
    Travel Counsellors (Head Office)
    C/San Pedro Alcantara 11,
    38002 Santa Cruz de Tenerife
    Spain.
    Tel: +34-922-245050 / 151169
    Fax: +34-922-281996
    e-mail: counsellor.travel@gmail.com

  • Mary

    I’m not sure where you are located, but you if you are anywhere in the Wisconsin area I would HIGHLY recommend Fox World Travel agents. I have booked both river cruises and vacation packages to Mexico and Europe through their Oshkosh office and have had nothing but excellent service. The agent I was working with had actually been on five different cruises and was able to recommend a carrier, destination and excursions that fit my interests. It was well worth it. What’s better, I was able to first research vacations I thought I was interested in on their web site http://www.GoFox.com/promos/wisconsintravelagent.php, and then brought those interests to my agent. It worked out great! I’ll even go back to the site to just book my any hotels online too.

    I think they have locations all throughout Wisconsin, so go for it! I’m all about using travel agents!

  • Daniel

    I don’t understand why anyone needs a travel agent in the information age. It seems like a lot of people who use travel agents are boring old people. “please plan my trip entirely before I go.” You guys are boring and this website sucks. Grab a Lonely Planet book and a laptop and go where you want to go. I don’t mean on tours either!!! Travel Agents will be an extinct profession in the future once gen Y becomes the old people.

  • Tony Azpeitia

    If you want a professional travel agent, call me. Why? I have completed the following: a college degree (AS) in World Travel Management, Certified Travel Associate, Associate Cruice Counselor, Master Cruise Counselor and Destination Specialist (over 100 Specialist Certifications from all over the world). Also I don’t change fees. I don’t just book clients, as a travel consulant, I do vacation planning in partnership with my clients. Thje best part is only the saving my clients have enjoyed, but the value they receive. This is what you don’t get from the internet. That why my business grows every year. Happy Travel!

  • http://www.vipdistinct.com/trav/ Sean

    There are travel agents that will go the extra-mile for you, you just have to get the right travel agency. For example I know of an agency (my name is linked to them) that provides some great services. They actual do cater to your needs rather than just “book and hook”. I’m sure if you look hard enough you can find some real quality travel agents that do provide real agency services. You just have to make sure you get the right company I guess?..

  • Renee

    Can somebody help or give me some ideas on what to do. Here is what happened. I went through this traveling agent to book a flight to Africa. she got me a low fare ticket at the last minute which i took. however there was a miscommunication about my departure date. The flight i was supposed to take was a day a earlier. I went to the airport the next day and i was told that my flight was ‘yesterday’. I was in shock. the ticketing agent told me she could book me on another flight but it was going to cost me more. so i called my agent and she flat out told me “there is nothing i can do for you”. she refused to listen to me and would not even allow me to finish a sentence. she said she cannot get me on another flight and even at one point told me i was beginning to piss her off. Somebody please tell me what to do. I can’t just loose that money like that.

  • http://www.Retrograde.Smugmug.com Mathew L Poolman

    Sadly, there are terrible agents out there. I’ve personally had only helpful agents deal with my flights abroad, finding a ticket thats priced well, on a decent date.
    And yes, I could find the same thing online, but I’ve been helped out by my agents before when I’ve been in trouble.

    Unfortunately I’ve met some awful agents too, mostly in the states when trying to get my girlfriend a ticket back to S. Africa.

    Maybe Barstow draws these bad Agents by “expecting” bad results?

  • http://www.foresttravel.com DaniaG

    I sympathize for those who’ve had bad experiences but luckily we’ve had no bad reviews ( http://www.foresttravel.com ). If there are any south floridians interested in travel agents, we can definitely go the extra mile. We also work together with Prive Jets (http://www.privejets.com) … We’ve worked for ambassadors and prime ministers and they’ve loved the service we’ve provided. Unfortunately there are those who do their job badly, but we do our best so that you have your best experience :)

  • http://inlefkastravel.com Hrisa

    Being a home based travel agent has really had its ups and downs, it’s a really hard business to be in.
    My clients come to me year after year because they know that they can trust me, when something goes wrong I fix it, when something brakes I fix it. If they ever traveled on their own they wouldn’t be able to fix anything and they would go go home with an empty pocket and unhappy. This is the reason why its worth having your own agent.
    The stuff you mention on here are really great, it makes people realize that it’s worth going back to the old style and booking a trip with a professional other then doings it on their own with the web.

  • Ms Bait and Switched

    If you have been; overcharged, mishandled or simply SCREWED by FAREBUZZ!!!…
    Try calling one of the big heads at (888) 808-4123 ext 138, good luck and expect to be ignored as well!!!

  • MsBaitandSwitched

    If you have been;
    overcharged, mishandled or simply SCREWED by FAREBUZZ!!!…

    Try calling
    one of the big heads at (888) 808-4123 ext 138, good luck and expect to be
    ignored  as well!!!

  • http://www.travelplanner.com.sg Holiday planners

    I totally agree with you, some travel agent is really bad. They just wanna get your money and then throw you into some forest and let you die there.My god!

  • Pingback: Planning Your Mexico Vacation | Travel & Leisure Articles

  • Pingback: Travel Agencies In Chicago Illinois | A Travelers Life

  • Pingback: Online Travel Agents vs. High Street Travel Agents | Travelling Information Tips and Resources

  • Pingback: Is Travel Insurance Really An Essential? | Travelling Information Tips and Resources

  • Pingback: Online travel agency donates 100% of profits to charity | Gadling.com | Dr. Travel

← Older Comments

Previous post:

Next post: