When can a travel agent probably get you better fares than the Internet? "Travel agencies," says Patricia Blanche, owner of La Cañada Flintridge Travel in La Cañada, California, "have access to...
"Travel agencies," says Patricia Blanche, owner of La Cañada Flintridge Travel in La Cañada, California, "have access to exactly the same data bases as online travel services such as Expedia and Orbitz. Such websites, in fact, are essentially virtual travel agencies that are accessible 24/7 by consumers who have the time to spend sitting in front of their computers and browsing for the best fares. Most people, however, don't have the time to be wedded to their computers on the off-chance that a miraculous fare will suddenly pop up for them."
"The way that agencies such as ours work," she explains, "is that we contract with various air lines and with cruise lines and are able to negotiate better deals for our clientele than individuals who are trying to make all of their own arrangements. This especially comes into play, for instance, if they are traveling abroad or their itinerary involves multiple destinations."
"People are often misled," she goes on, "when they read the travel section of the local paper or go online and see a price quote and assume that this is an across-the-board deal that they can take advantage of at any time they feel like calling up. Because they're not aware of the fluctuating fares and the various conditions that are attached to the purchase of tickets, they could actually end up paying more than if they had gone through a reputable agent."
While it's entirely possible for someone to find a better fare on the Internet, Blanche points out, the trade-off is that an Internet site is not going to be as responsive in the event of an emergency. "We often have people come into our agency," she says, "who are concerned about a reservation they made online that doesn't seem to be fulfilling their expectations. If, for example, a schedule change has been made or a flight has been cancelled, the chances are that they're not going to find out about it until they're actually at the airport. Likewise, if they are utilizing multiple carriers and one of the flights gets delayed long enough for them to miss their connection, the Internet isn't going to be of much help to them, much less rescue them from a bad situation. What I always tell people is that even if they are able to find a lower fare online, they need to consider (1) was all the time that they spent online looking for this particular fare really worth it and (2) if a problem develops, what's their confidence level in the website to trust that disputes or problems will be resolved? My personal feeling is that I'd rather know that my travel agent was with me 100 percent and that I'd have a real person to go to if there was a problem that needed fixing. Sure you may be able to save a few dollars by doing everything yourself but if you were to be stranded - as was the case of many of our clients during 9/11 - wouldn't it be worth it to you to have the home phone number of someone who could figure out how to bring you safely back home?"
