What's the point of a using travel agent?

[Safety Squirrel]

The "online cruise agency in New Hampshire" we used provided paid gratuities and an upgrade from classic to premium beverage package for our next cruise. We were very happy with how they helped us with our first cruise too. Google is your friend.

 

Wpgcycler

 

I choose to use a local TA and a company who pays local business taxes and helps keeps the economy running. If we all went to on-line TA's particularly in other countries where would these businesses be!!! I may not get some benefits like wine or OBC; however, it is a personalized service and I can phone anytime and the TA does not charge me for booking. Just my opinion

[Max Circus]

DISCLAIMER: My wife is a travel agent - so I understand my views will be partial.

 

Outside of our own travel (which she books), I see what she is able to do for her clients. On a cruise booking, she is constantly monitoring cruise fares after the initial booking to see if her clients can benefit from a new offer or a reduced fare. Could you do that yourself? Sure - but I know I wouldn't have time. That's the biggest benefit to me.

[teecee60]

 

I usually book directly with the cruise line. Our last cruise reservation, however, was transferred to an online TA after booking with the cruise line. He was able to lower our fare, and get us some nice OBC. We were worried about it, but all worked out.

 

When we returned home, we called the same TA to book our next year's cruise on Celebrity. This time, no lower fare, and just a modest OBC. Hardly worth giving up my control of the reservation at Celebrity.

 

So.....I'm wondering......Would I have received more incentives to transfer rather than just booking directly with the TA? (Please don't flame, any saving is better than nothing. I surely appreciate even a small amount, as I know this comes from his commission. I will not look elsewhere. I just want to know what to do next time!)

 

 

I agree with you completely that any savings is better than none. For that reason alone, you SHOULD look elsewhere! ALWAYS!

 

Some cruises that suffer from low demand will have lower prices and/or more bennies. :)

 

Other cruises that are in high demand will command high prices with little or no bennies. :(

 

If your t/a was able to lower your fare AND get you OBC, that sounds good enough for me to stick with that t/a at least until you can find an even BETTER deal. ;)

 

I really do not understand the "control of the reservation" comment. :confused:

 

What kind of control? Control of what? :confused:

 

What you should do "next time" is, read cruise critic, educate yourself, shop around, and get the best deal for what YOU want.

Edited July 17, 2014 by teecee60

[wpgcycler]

Wpgcycler

 

I choose to use a local TA and a company who pays local business taxes and helps keeps the economy running. If we all went to on-line TA's particularly in other countries where would these businesses be!!! I may not get some benefits like wine or OBC; however, it is a personalized service and I can phone anytime and the TA does not charge me for booking. Just my opinion

 

I'm glad you've found a model that works for you and delivers the value you seek. I personally do not find any extra value in using a TA just because they are local - I too can phone anytime and I was not charged for booking (I don't understand what you mean by personalized service as the agent I spoke to called me by name and was most personable).

 

As for my support of local business, I provide plenty - I just choose to support those businesses that provide a service that has some value to me. I arrived home from business travel last night to a freshly mowed lawn as I choose to pay a local business to provide that service. Today however I watched my neighbor sweat for a couple of hours while he maintained his own yard - he on the other hand chooses to book his travel using a local agent. I now have time to put in a respectable number of miles on my bike before heading out to support a local restaurant followed by supporting the local football team and the various businesses affiliated with it. My model works very well for me too. :)

 

(oh, and I'll be taking along a donation tonight to support the local food bank)

[HLR]

I am STILL having terrible problems with the Travel Agent I am using for an upcoming European cruise...the latest being: They did not give ChoiceAir my full name for the airline ticket and my middle name as listed on my Passport is NOT on my airline ticket.

 

Now most people say "the middle name is not important as long as the first and last are correct" however calls to ChoiceAir and United Airlines don't seem to agree. Both say I should book a new ticket forfeiting my first non-refundable and very expensive ticket RT to Istanbul.

 

A) Is this middle name thing REALLY a problem?

 

B) Who pays for the new ticket if I do indeed need one?

 

HLR

[PoppyandNana]

I am STILL having terrible problems with the Travel Agent I am using for an upcoming European cruise...the latest being: They did not give ChoiceAir my full name for the airline ticket and my middle name as listed on my Passport is NOT on my airline ticket.

 

Now most people say "the middle name is not important as long as the first and last are correct" however calls to ChoiceAir and United Airlines don't seem to agree. Both say I should book a new ticket forfeiting my first non-refundable and very expensive ticket RT to Istanbul.

 

A) Is this middle name thing REALLY a problem?

 

B) Who pays for the new ticket if I do indeed need one?

 

HLR

 

Who pays if you need a new ticket? Don't know but seems to be just a change, not a new ticket per se. If a new ticket does have to be issued you pay. It is your responsibility, not your TA, not the cruise line, not the airline to make sure the names on your passport agree with the ticketing information. Is the middle name really a problem? Absolutely. Your passport and ticket have to absolutely agree and agree absolutely.

Edited July 17, 2014 by PoppyandNana

[PoppyandNana]

I'm glad you've found a model that works for you and delivers the value you seek. I personally do not find any extra value in using a TA just because they are local - I too can phone anytime and I was not charged for booking (I don't understand what you mean by personalized service as the agent I spoke to called me by name and was most personable).

 

As for my support of local business, I provide plenty - I just choose to support those businesses that provide a service that has some value to me. I arrived home from business travel last night to a freshly mowed lawn as I choose to pay a local business to provide that service. Today however I watched my neighbor sweat for a couple of hours while he maintained his own yard - he on the other hand chooses to book his travel using a local agent. I now have time to put in a respectable number of miles on my bike before heading out to support a local restaurant followed by supporting the local football team and the various businesses affiliated with it. My model works very well for me too. :)

 

(oh, and I'll be taking along a donation tonight to support the local food bank)

 

I have used an online TA for our last five cruises. Fares are more than significantly less than Celebrity or any other online TA. There are no booking or cancellation fees. I can get him on the phone very easy anytime except on the weekends. We don't get a ton of extras like free speciality dining, bottle of wine and the like. However, we saved $1,200 over Celebrity's number for our next cruise. Whether they are less than a brick and mortar TA, who knows although I have a feeling my TA would be less.

[sanjoseca]

Who pays if you need a new ticket? Don't know but seems to be just a change, not a new ticket per se. If a new ticket does have to be issued you pay. It is your responsibility, not your TA, not the cruise line, not the airline to make sure the names on your passport agree with the ticketing information. Is the middle name really a problem? Absolutely. Your passport and ticket have to absolutely agree and agree absolutely.

 

Then why use a Travel Agent in the first place if they are not going to do due diligence and make sure that the client understands and gives the correct information. TAs profess to be experts on booking travel and that they look out for clients. Not all clients know the rules. You should be able to count on a TA to prevent issues like this.

[Sue L]

Who pays if you need a new ticket? Don't know but seems to be just a change, not a new ticket per se. If a new ticket does have to be issued you pay. It is your responsibility, not your TA, not the cruise line, not the airline to make sure the names on your passport agree with the ticketing information. Is the middle name really a problem? Absolutely. Your passport and ticket have to absolutely agree and agree absolutely.

 

middle names are very easy to fix on most tickets. should not be a reissue, ask for a resolution person at choice air , this really isnt that big a deal

 

and Yes I am a TA

[PoppyandNana]

Then why use a Travel Agent in the first place if they are not going to do due diligence and make sure that the client understands and gives the correct information. TAs profess to be experts on booking travel and that they look out for clients. Not all clients know the rules. You should be able to count on a TA to prevent issues like this.

 

I agree except don't lots of people book directly with the cruise line? A mistake could occur there as well in terms of names, passports and the related pitfalls. My point is and always has been: it is your vacation and your money. YOU (the individual not you per se) have to take responsibility for all aspects of your cruise. If you rely and assume you are bound to be disappointed. The airline doesn't care that your TA made a mistake. Nor does the cruise line. It's you who will be denied boarding not your TA.

[sanjoseca]

I agree except don't lots of people book directly with the cruise line? A mistake could occur there as well in terms of names, passports and the related pitfalls. My point is and always has been: it is your vacation and your money. YOU (the individual not you per se) have to take responsibility for all aspects of your cruise. If you rely and assume you are bound to be disappointed. The airline doesn't care that your TA made a mistake. Nor does the cruise line. It's you who will be denied boarding not your TA.

 

Yep, you're right, which just reinforces the fact that you can't rely on a Travel Agent to look after your best interests, so why even let the TA have the business in the first place. According to what you are saying, they serve no purpose.

[HLR]

middle names are very easy to fix on most tickets. should not be a reissue, ask for a resolution person at choice air , this really isnt that big a deal

 

and Yes I am a TA

 

The agent at ChoiceAir put me on hold saying she was contacting a resolution person...then came back and said "Though it is not necessarily a problem with the airline..it may be a problem with the TSA screeners and will not allow me to board" and that "with a non-refundable ticket the only resolution is to cancel the booking and make a new booking" That is what I was told.

 

I sent a strong letter to my TA attaching the email I had sent to them that specifically says "Here is my MIDDLE NAME for the airline ticket as it appears on my Passport".

 

I received a very apologetic letter back from my TA saying that after speaking on the phone with Celebrity they know it is Celebrity's fault and Celebrity's resolution department will have an answer for the TA within 48 hours...but whatever the outcome that the TA will make this right!

 

We shall see!

 

HLR

 

P.S. Yes, I feel if I had NOT used a travel agent I would not be having these problems!

Edited July 18, 2014 by HLR

[HLR]

middle names are very easy to fix on most tickets. should not be a reissue, ask for a resolution person at choice air , this really isnt that big a deal

 

and Yes I am a TA

 

So how do you get a middle name added? United Airlines said No...ChoiceAir said No...I call the TA who said "Don't worry, I've got you covered" and it wasn't originally changed...

 

What is the secret to this?

 

HLR

[janed1031]

My middle name has been on my passport forever and never on my ticket -initial only(UAL almost exclusively). I fly a fair amount and no issues. I also have a Global Entry card that is not aligned with my passport, used it last year to CPH-ORD with no issues.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

[travelpeon]

So how do you get a middle name added? United Airlines said No...ChoiceAir said No...I call the TA who said "Don't worry, I've got you covered" and it wasn't originally changed...

 

What is the secret to this?

 

HLR

 

The secret is - knowledge that it can be done and the willingness to call back until you get someone who knows how to do it. To be fair, some things can't be changed by the airline and No really means No. I find asking experienced flyers at flyertalk, similar to cruise critic, is an valuable resource for researching when to pursue and how vs graciously accept that the resolution I want isn't likely. There are many members who are frequent fliers with plenty of premium status and butt in seat miles which translates to real experience. And with air travel, that can also mean real experience when things go hay wire.

 

@HLR - Echoing Sue L here. It totally is possible to get the middle name fixed http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1550733-middle-name-problem-my-united-redemption.html check post #8.

[Sue L]

So how do you get a middle name added? United Airlines said No...ChoiceAir said No...I call the TA who said "Don't worry, I've got you covered" and it wasn't originally changed...

 

What is the secret to this?

 

HLR

 

no secret they just add it in what is called the back screen, we NEVER put middle names on the front of the ticket just for this reason. they are in the TSA back screen and easily changed.

[PoppyandNana]

Yep, you're right, which just reinforces the fact that you can't rely on a Travel Agent to look after your best interests, so why even let the TA have the business in the first place. According to what you are saying, they serve no purpose.

 

Not at all. Travel agents provide a valuable role in the travel world. Lots of newbies need the expertise of a good TA. Good ones are invaluable to the cruise passenger. Our online TA has provided us excellent service and gives us access to group rates that can be hundreds if not thousands less than cruise line rack rates.

 

Still does not change the primary premise, at the end of the day it is the passenger's responsibility to check, double check, audit and re audit every travel document that comes their way.

 

Bears repeating: it's YOUR vacation and your money. It's YOU who will be denied boarding if documentation is not in order, not the TA.

[HLR]

The secret is - knowledge that it can be done and the willingness to call back until you get someone who knows how to do it. To be fair, some things can't be changed by the airline and No really means No. I find asking experienced flyers at flyertalk, similar to cruise critic, is an valuable resource for researching when to pursue and how vs graciously accept that the resolution I want isn't likely. There are many members who are frequent fliers with plenty of premium status and butt in seat miles which translates to real experience. And with air travel, that can also mean real experience when things go hay wire.

 

@HLR - Echoing Sue L here. It totally is possible to get the middle name fixed http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1550733-middle-name-problem-my-united-redemption.html check post #8.

 

I looked at that post #8...Very Interesting! Sounds like exactly what I am going through:

 

--> [1) The first time I called, the representative said "tough luck, the ticket has been issued. There is nothing we can do. You will have to contact Thai Airways and ANA the partners to change it, as they will be the ones issuing the tickets.

2) I contacted Thai airways, they are really helpful. However hard they tried to change, they can't as the names were given to them by the united.

3) I contacted United again, they said they will have to cancel the existing tickets and reissue new ones. I might not be able to get the flight that I want, based on its availability.

 

Then of course we have 99 out of 100 people saying "It's no problem"...but ONE person saying...."It is a total problem...The ticket and Passport must match exactly".

 

The bottom line...my travel agent has said "We will make this right!"...so we shall see how things transpire.

 

HLR

Edited July 18, 2014 by HLR

[sanjoseca]

Not at all. Travel agents provide a valuable role in the travel world. Lots of newbies need the expertise of a good TA. Good ones are invaluable to the cruise passenger. Our online TA has provided us excellent service and gives us access to group rates that can be hundreds if not thousands less than cruise line rack rates.

 

Still does not change the primary premise, at the end of the day it is the passenger's responsibility to check, double check, audit and re audit every travel document that comes their way.

 

Bears repeating: it's YOUR vacation and your money. It's YOU who will be denied boarding if documentation is not in order, not the TA.

 

 

You keep saying You, You, when it should be They, They if you have a TA. Look at what HLR has had to go through to try to resolve his issue. The TA should have jumped on this at the very beginning. If I have to do all the checking to insure the TA does the right thing, then I don't need them in the first place.

 

When I had Travel Agents, I too felt like I had to do all the checking. I had to monitor pricing myself to find price drops or upgrade opportunities, I finally came to the conclusion that I am better off doing it myself. I miss out on perhaps a cheap bottle of wine or a few dollars in on board credit, but I now am in control and can make sure things are done right directly 24/7.

 

It's not hard to make reservations yourself and when you do, the Cruise Line will actually talk to you instead of you having to go through an incompetent.

 

I'm glad that you feel you have a good TA and that you get value from him /Her and obviously you should continue. I am only telling you my opinions and feelings and in no way saying that a TA should not be used. however, My way works for me.

Edited July 18, 2014 by sanjoseca

[phoenix_dream]

I will continue to use my online TA when the extra perks and/or room price savings are significant. If not, I will just handle it myself so as not to deal with the negatives like cancellation fees. I would love to find a local, land-based TA that would give me perks like I get with my online TA but they don't even come close and the couple of times I have used one they not only did not add value, they steered me in the wrong direction in one case. There are good ones out there I'm sure - I just wish I knew one near me who would at least come close to what I could get with an online one and who knew his/her cruise business.

 

I read the comment about shore excursions. If you have a travel agent of any kind who is really familiar with the Celebrity shore excursions then you have found a rare gem and I would never let them go. I really don't expect them to have that level of detail, but boy it must be nice to find one who does! I agree the website doesn't tell you enough - but there is alot to find on the Celebrity and Ports of Call boards that can give you that info.

[PoppyandNana]

I will continue to use my online TA when the extra perks and/or room price savings are significant. If not, I will just handle it myself so as not to deal with the negatives like cancellation fees. I would love to find a local, land-based TA that would give me perks like I get with my online TA but they don't even come close and the couple of times I have used one they not only did not add value, they steered me in the wrong direction in one case. There are good ones out there I'm sure - I just wish I knew one near me who would at least come close to what I could get with an online one and who knew his/her cruise business.

 

I read the comment about shore excursions. If you have a travel agent of any kind who is really familiar with the Celebrity shore excursions then you have found a rare gem and I would never let them go. I really don't expect them to have that level of detail, but boy it must be nice to find one who does! I agree the website doesn't tell you enough - but there is alot to find on the Celebrity and Ports of Call boards that can give you that info.

 

I have stated many times on various threads that there is not a TA in the world who has personally been on every cruise line in the world, to every port in the world and on every excursion offered by every line. Preaching to the choir but while the TA can provide guidance I firmly believe it is the responsibility of the traveler to do their own research. Between the internet, public library and Barnes and Noble there is more than enough material out there for a cruise (or any other type) passenger to research the line, the itinerary and the excursions, both ship's and private.

 

We use an online TA to book our cruises because we get great deals on pricing. We don't get a lot of extras with them, maybe $50 OBC, but we save hundreds and in some cases thousands over the cruise line fares. We do in-depth research on the ports and the tour options. When we call our TA it is to tell him to book A line on B date, on C ship departing from D port. He tells us his best price for the category we are looking for and the cabin availability. We then pick our cabin, dinner time and table size. When we get our confirmation we go over every word for accuracy. Just before final payment we book our insurance. Our TA offers great discounts on GSA policies. Again, when we get the policy we read every word in the fine print. We know what is covered and what is not.

 

BTW, our online TA does not charge booking or cancellation fees. They also have a tour division that we have used on occasion for special situations. Years ago we used a friend of the family for travel. It was nice to sit down to chat about some trip ideas we had. But over time, as our expertise out grew the agents, we started doing our own research. When she left we never sought out a local brick and mortar TA. We felt more in control doing our own research. When there were questions about a port or particular excursion provider there was/is more than enough resources out there to answer any questions we had.

[fleckle]

Yep, you're right, which just reinforces the fact that you can't rely on a Travel Agent to look after your best interests, so why even let the TA have the business in the first place. According to what you are saying, they serve no purpose.

Different people use travel agents for different reasons, and some TAs are more likely to look after a client's best interests than others.

 

We use them for the additional benefits we get from them, on top of whatever perks or discounts we can get from the cruise line.

 

If a TA cannot provide us with a significantly better deal than we can get on our own, to us it is not worth the hassle of involving a middle-man or woman.

 

But we are willing and able to make our own travel arrangements and check for price drops or possible stateroom changes.

 

 

Some use a TA for the hand-holding, or because they are not experienced travelers and don't want to deal with the details of making the arrangements themselves.

Others simply don't have the time or interest.

 

Some frequent travelers use the same person who books their business trips, and knows their preferences, to book their personal trips as well.

 

Some use a TA who is a family member or personal friend, just so that person will receive the commission from the cruise line.

We hear statements like "She is not very good, but she is my sister, after all, so I can't use a different TA."

 

We know one very sociable guy who just enjoys visiting and chatting with his local TA. He doesn't mind that he gets nothing more from his TA than a bottle of wine.

Even knowing that he could get a better deal elsewhere, that is just the way he prefers to do it.

 

[dh1drill]

We prefer T/A due to the having there card as needed for any issues while traveling our agent has always been there for us in need we tried booking thru internet one time and oh boy try getting hold of the internet in need good luck travel agent all the way:D

[Nebr.cruiser]

We sometimes book direct, depending on the deal, but usually TA's offer perks that make it worthwhile. On our upcoming cruise the price was the same, but we got the 123 promotion and $425 in OBC from the TA; the OBC from Celebrity, if we had booked direct, was something like $75; we would have gotten the 123 promotion as well.

[DinaS]

Wpgcycler

 

I choose to use a local TA and a company who pays local business taxes and helps keeps the economy running. If we all went to on-line TA's particularly in other countries where would these businesses be!!! I may not get some benefits like wine or OBC; however, it is a personalized service and I can phone anytime and the TA does not charge me for booking. Just my opinion

 

Once upon a time, several years ago, I tried using a local TA. There are two local TAs within about 20 minutes of my house. One is a "chain" and the other is a local storefront on a main street.

 

The chain basically handed me a brochure and told me that they could book ANY cruise I wanted. No assistance with recommendations, no advice, nothing that I couldn't do in 5 minutes with a brochure in my hand.

 

The other local TA has no interest in booking a cruise for us lowly regular cabin folks. They happily booked a very expensive suite for my boss' family when they cruised, but showed NO interest in booking a balcony cabin for us. Seriously - I heard the calls he placed/received to his TA, and when I called them, it was like they were talking to a lepper. (I found out later that the likely reason they even exist is that they do lots of corporate travel for some of the larger companies in the area.)

 

So THAT is why I went online and will continue to book online through a mass market TA who clearly wants EVERY customer they can get. They don't charge cancellation fees, or change fees, and when I need to call or email, I can. I generally get a response back from my agent within a couple of hours (business hours).

 

I also get a significantly lower price and extra OBC. This upcoming cruise, our oceanview cabin is about $100 less per person than Celebrity's website, and we also have free beverage packages, free gratuities, and $100 OBC from our TA.

 

It's a win-win for me, and a lose-lose for the local TAs who simply don't offer the service they should.

 

Glad that you found a local TA who could provide the service you like. Not all of us have that.

 

Oh, and I also patronize local business whenever I can, but not if I have to pay significantly more, or get inferior service or quality.

Edited October 31, 2014 by DinaS