Why Use a Travel Agent Instead of Booking Online

Pic via Flickr - CollegeDegrees360

Internet-based travel aids have made it easy for do-it-yourselfers to plan vacations online without the personalized assistance that a travel agency can provide. Having used various online-based travel sites for the booking of flights, cruises, all-inclusive resorts, and other vacation packages, many of these DIY'ers return to their former travel agents or seek out new ones as they become aware of the advantages of arranging travel with the help of a travel agent:
 
Convenience
Most travel agents will let you be as involved in the trip planning process as you would like to be. If you are busy and do not like to do much travel planning on your own, you can simply give a travel agent a few basic details about the trip that you would like to take and he or she can create an itinerary that you can tweak until you find it appealing. When you use an online booking service, you will likely have to conduct countless searches for each leg of your journey and you may find it difficult to get in touch with someone to answer your questions.
 
Experience
When you book a vacation online, you are more or less on your own in terms of researching your options, as well as your destination and the activities you plan to partake in while you are there. When you use a travel agent, you can benefit from his or her extensive trip-planning experience and knowledge of the region in which you will vacation.
 
Start-to-Finish Planning
Booking a vacation with a travel agent is like visiting a one-stop shop for all of the desires and needs you have for a week, month, or however long your vacation is. An agent can book point-to-point transportation for every leg of your trip, lodging, recreational and sightseeing activities, and possibly even your meals.
 
Savings
It is clear that a travel agent can save you the time and energy that DIYers invest in tweaking searches and comparing itineraries and prices when booking online. But did you know that booking with a travel agent can actually save you money? Even though travel agents require a commission in order to earn a living, their expansive travel networks enable them to find unbeatable deals for their clients.
 
The next time you are looking to book a trip, remember that the hassles associated with online booking are entirely avoidable. To work with the travel industry’s finest in St. Louis, call Brentwood Travel at (314) 439-5700.

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