I always use a travel agent (and I am quite a ways away from 60)!

She plans everything perfectly and I get perks that I wouldn't otherwise such as upgraded rooms gratis. I do not pay her. I give her a brief outline of what I am looking for and she comes up with several options. Every trip she's helped me with has been outstanding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

You are absolutely delusional if you think people can't VIP themselves.

Keep believing you can. You represent one booking at a hotel, resort, cruise, etc. TAs represent thousands.

Anonymous wrote:AAA. Included in the membership. Terrific deals, full-service. Tons of options.

Is AAA better than the Costco service?

Anonymous wrote:Travel agents are like interior decorators. They don't work for a flat fee, they work on commission based on what you spend, and the additional costs are rolled into what they offer you, so it's opaque and you'll never clearly know that you paid more.

I work for a major local hotel company. (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, etc.) The rates we sell through travel agents are 10% more than what you get by booking it directly, because they make a commission on those sales and doing the booking/bundling leg work for you.

Use tripadvisor forums for good advice on where to go (free) and then just book it all online yourself. If you search for airfare for your dates via Google flights, and then accommodations based on a major chain, that's 70-80% of the trip planning. The rest is food and activities which can be booked much closer to the travel date.

I'm a travel agent. I book the higher-end Mariots and Hyatts all the time and always check my rate against the retail rate, so I don't know what you mean. It's always the same (not 10% difference, as you say), and I my rate gets my clients free amenities like breakfast or resort credits. As for the people saying you don't like the idea of only going to the type of places that give travel agents commission, that's literally everywhere. The only things that don't pay commission are VRBO situations and usually airlines. So this doesn't affect my clients at all, since they aren't usually looking for me to do either.
I get that some people enjoy the research and planning, but I have more business than I can handle from people who don't have the time/interest in it.

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

You are absolutely delusional if you think people can't VIP themselves.

Anonymous wrote:I have been planning trips on my own (we do two big trips a year), and always end up with an awesome itinerary but its taking a toll on me (I am in my 40s), and I feel I spend too much time which is time away from exercise, work, kids, dog etc. Would love recommendations for some travel agents you use!

I use smartflyer.
I agree with a lot of the above posters. I’m only using them for a trip for a destination that is complex, a place I don’t know and generally luxury and high-end. If I’m staying at the Hilton or Marriott or Airbnb I book it myself.
A well planned fantastic vacation with all transfers arranged, seamless pick up from the gate at airports in Asian countries, whisked away very quickly through customs/immigration and then five star guides and walking tours and off the beaten path places. A good travel advisor (TA) understands what interests your family and the kind of things you like to do and whether or not you like to immerse yourself in a local culture… We do and the TA will recommend the right tour guides/destinations/hotels that give you the experience your family needs. They have people on the ground a phone call away.

At a 5star hotel the manager brings you personally to the most upgraded suite(gratis) and periodically sends a cocktail or treat for kids when hanging in lobby. They know we have a nut allergy and would never bring nuts…etc.

Anyway not for everyone - but works for us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

Highly doubtful in this time and age. Most tourist excursions and experiences want to attract customers and will be on the internet in one way or another.

You are just so wrong about that. Most bespoke experiences do not need Google. You won’t find some travel agents online and their phone numbers are not listed.

I have been planning trips on my own (we do two big trips a year), and always end up with an awesome itinerary but its taking a toll on me (I am in my 40s), and I feel I spend too much time which is time away from exercise, work, kids, dog etc. Would love recommendations for some travel agents you use!

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

Highly doubtful in this time and age. Most tourist excursions and experiences want to attract customers and will be on the internet in one way or another.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

Tell me you're poor without telling me you're poor.

Tell me you didn't already say that on page 1.

I'm not poor and have never and would never use a travel agent. Part of the joy of travel and spending money on travel is being able to do the planning yourself.

I agree! I have no interest in using a travel agent, although I have several family members who use them, and they love to talk about them. “My travel agent said xxx” or “My lady put me up at xxx” lol!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

Tell me you're poor without telling me you're poor.

Tell me you didn't already say that on page 1.

I'm not poor and have never and would never use a travel agent. Part of the joy of travel and spending money on travel is being able to do the planning yourself.

Maybe to you. Don’t you think it’s possible that some people find this stressful and not joyful?

I think it depends on where you are going and what you are doing.

We used an agent for planning a milestone birthday party with college friends. Agent was great about identifying convenient location, hotels, etc. There were too many variables and opinions without his help.

We also used agents for certain experiences - getting French Open tickets, etc. Things that can be a pain to organize logistically.

When we want to stay in a particular hotel and it’s part of something like the Virtuoso network, we have an agent book it for us. It usually isn’t cheaper but you get upgrades (spa/meal credit, keepsakes, etc) for the same price I could book myself. If I’m trying to stay at a regular Marriott or something, I do it myself.

My understanding is certain agents are crazy helpful for cruises too - but that’s not my speed.

Best local to DC agent we have used is CJ White at McCabe World Travel in McLean.

Also really liked Scout Ski (based in Australia) for helping narrow good accommodation options for ski trips. Info on her website is amazing too.

I won’t use an agent for flight booking. They don’t get paid for it and I’ve found I’m as fast or faster in rebooking flights (due to status) when something goes wrong. Plus I want to be in charge of the decisions. I also like to book things like lift tickets for skiing directly. But agents really can be valuable with advice and perks. To other posters points, not for budget vacations though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

Tell me you're poor without telling me you're poor.

Tell me you didn't already say that on page 1.

I'm not poor and have never and would never use a travel agent. Part of the joy of travel and spending money on travel is being able to do the planning yourself.

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

I appreciate that you are good at your job.

OP, I can handle all those things listed above. I might not get the special champagne dinner somewhere exotic, but our family trips have been superb.
Use a travel agent if you don't want to worry about anything and are generally happy with most accommodations. Otherwise, you can find all the info you need as long as you have a good wifi connection.

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

Tell me you're poor without telling me you're poor.