Pushy travel agents...

[RM2016]

Not only pushy but factually incorrect, all flights are most definitely not out and if it’s for Summer it will still be some time. Looking at the refund experiences of many on here it’s easy to see who has handled the pandemic in the best possible way and those are the companies I’ll be using in the future.

[Disney0210]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

My travel agent is the DIBB.

I get loads of ideas from reading about the actual experiences of forum members.

I ask lots of questions and they almost invariably reply with good information.

They give me great indication of where I should fly too, which hotels are good to book and at what price.

When things go wrong, it is clear that advice is prompt, generally very good and also that there is real enthusiasm to help out.

Why on earth would I consider a formal travel agent who will doubtless have their own agenda as regards where I should fly, where I should stay and how much I should pay?

It also seemed to me that in the chaos of 2020, it was the DIYers who had spread their risks across numerous suppliers, often booking direct that were the most successful and importantly, quickest in getting their money back. Cutting out the middlemen completely (TA’s ) made refunding very much easier.. certainly in my case.

See more...

Well said! I love the dibb ❤️

[LizzyBear]

Misinformation like this is rife, I know they have their own agenda but as a customer I wouldn't want to deal with a company like that. I'm not against travel agents or packages but would always compare to putting the components together myself. Can always book a flydrive and refundable accommodation to reduce risk.

[SteveyJ]

Ocean Florida are horrendous. I got a price from them for a couple of nights Royal Pacific, just out of curiosity, and they hassled me for days. It wasn't even near to being competitive either.

[sha9]

Originally Posted by Disney0210

Isn’t it awful? Someone who doesn’t have a clue would probably believe this TA. I corrected him on my reply, and this was his response...

Virgin are selling holidays all the end of 2022 but no worries I will close your file.
Was only trying to save you money.

Kind Regards

See more...

That reply is just horrible.

[tspill]

Glad I DIY.

[123]

Most travel agents are just used car salesmen or estate agents who weren't good enough to "hack it" in the pressurised sales environments of those roles.

So they become "experts" in travel and sweet talk naive people into giving them money for things they could do easily themselves.

Remember there is absolutely no formal qualification needed to be a travel agent, one day you can be a butcher/baker/candlestickmaker the next a travel expert with no questions asked.

I used to give them some leeway because of the protection they offered, but COVID showed this "protection" was in many cases completely worthless

[sha9]

Originally Posted by 123

Most travel agents are just used car salesmen or estate agents who weren't good enough to "hack it" in the pressurised sales environments of those roles.

So they become "experts" in travel and sweet talk naive people into giving them money for things they could do easily themselves.

Remember there is absolutely no formal qualification needed to be a travel agent, one day you can be a butcher/baker/candlestickmaker the next a travel expert with no questions asked.

I used to give them some leeway because of the protection they offered, but COVID showed this "protection" was in many cases completely worthless

See more...

Agreed. I think there are genuine travel consultants out there who do have some expertise and take a lot of the stress out of booking for some people but I’ve read so much on here about misinformation and problems booking through TAs that I generally avoid. I may book a hotel for a few nights with one but for the most part I’d rather do DIY and book direct.

[NewtoOrlando]

We’ve booked a Virgin fly drive for august 2022 because we were happy with the price for our dates & duration but everything else I am doing myself. I can remember getting a price from Charter Travel when we had our first trip & they tried telling me that prices direct on the website for virgin were incorrect, when I literally had it in front of me ready to push the book button! Never bothered getting a quote from a travel agent since.

[tspill]

Originally Posted by sha9

Agreed. I think there are genuine travel consultants out there who do have some expertise and take a lot of the stress out of booking for some people but I’ve read so much on here about misinformation and problems booking through TAs that I generally avoid. I may book a hotel for a few nights with one but for the most part I’d rather do DIY and book direct.

See more...

I agree. The vast majority of generic agents are poor. Very poor. Only interested in selling you something and get your money.
There are some very specialist travel agents that put together very complex holidays to less common areas. These agents often do bespoke research to help you with a holiday. They can be expensive - but you are paying for their knowledge, expertise and contacts - often in-country.
This is the one exception I will make for using an agent. We have one locally with a very high reputation and I know some that have used them. But they are for niche bespoke individualised trips.