Travel Agency or Book Your Own Trip

[CDGator]

In the past I've always booked our own trips from the airlines, hotel down to the rental cars. I've used Costco Travel once for a cruise because of the added benefits they offered. Because of potential covid restrictions etc I'm leaning towards using an agency for an international trip.

Would you book it yourself or use an agency with trip insurance?

 

[bradgator2]

Always book myself

 

[Nalt]

for personal travel Mrs. Nalt typically always makes all the arrangements. I would do the same for my work travel but my corporate requires that I use THEIR travel agent. They also REQUIRE that I use the corporate credit card as well. At least I can use my rewards # for flight, hotel, and car rentals so I can reap those benefits...

The one benefit that I can see to using the travel agencies is that many of the bigger hotel chains reserve rooms that they allow agencies to sell so even though a hotel might not show any availability for me, it will through the agencies.

 

[Detroitgator]

for personal travel Mrs. Nalt typically always makes all the arrangements. I would do the same for my work travel but my corporate requires that I use THEIR travel agent. They also REQUIRE that I use the corporate credit card as well. At least I can use my rewards # for flight, hotel, and car rentals so I can reap those benefits...

The one benefit that I can see to using the travel agencies is that many of the bigger hotel chains reserve rooms that they allow agencies to sell so even though a hotel might not show any availability for me, it will through the agencies.

For a lot of international work travel, I love some agencies. I loved @TheDouglas78 company's agency. They could see and do things you just cannot do and see as an individual, and Delta tickets had a 40% corporate discount.

 

[CDGator]

To follow up, I called Costco travel and it was an hour wait to talk to someone. Went to AAA and he gave me a couple of magazines to look through on Costa Rica and told me to pick out some hotels a s come back to see him. I already knew where we wanted to go so he wasn’t any help. Came home and booked it all online myself and decided on AirBnB instead. Played around with the dates a little on the airline tickets and they went from $600 down to $400.

Travel agency for families is a dying industry.