5 Reasons Why You Should Use a Travel Agent

Last updated on 6 July 2024

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There are plenty of reasons why you should use a travel agent for your adventures.

There are plenty of reasons why you should use a travel agent for your adventures. The short version: it’s free, they get you deals you couldn’t get yourself, and they’re the person you call the moment something goes wrong.

When I tell people we have a family travel agent, their first reaction is “what, don’t travel agents cost heaps of money?”, followed by “wait, you have a family travel agent?”. To answer both: no, and yes.

I don’t know what it is, but very few people I know actually use travel agents, and I think they are so key to a stress-free holiday. As an extended family (grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and my immediate family), we have used the same travel agent since my first overseas trip when I was about 18 months old. And now I wouldn’t use anyone else.

We contact him for big trips like my holiday trip with friends to Japan in 2015, and for little trips, like over to Australia for a conference. I got him to help me book flights all the way to London in 2024 when I went on Contiki.

I thought I’d share with you 5 reasons why you should use a travel agent (or at least consider using one) for your next adventure.

5 reasons why you should use a travel agent

1. It’s free

It’s one of the first questions that people ask me: does it cost to use a travel agent? The answer is no.

Travel agents are usually paid by commissions from the companies they book through, and through fees which are in your overall cost for the trip. In some sense, you’re paying them, but because they find the best deals for you, you end up saving a lot of money even if they have a fee rate in and around it.

2. The sweet sweet deals

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and travel agents know people. They have connections. They’ve built up relationships with airlines and hotels and tour groups. So much so that they can get you the best deals for the best prices. This makes such a difference if you’re travelling on a budget.

They can even work with companies to get you better deals on things like flights, accommodation, tours and more.

I flew from New Zealand to England, via Singapore in 2012. The two best options to get to England were through Singapore or through Dubai. I was happy either way, but I was moving countries, rather than just visiting, so my travel agent talked to Singapore Airlines and managed to get a cheaper ticket than Emirates and bump up my luggage allowance. I wouldn’t have been able to negotiate with an airline like that.

3. They know what’s worth it

…and what’s not. A good travel agent tells you what’s worth booking early and what you can just wing it on.

When my friends and I headed to Tokyo for a week, we looked at a few big things that we wanted to do. Our travel agent suggested that we book the Mt Fuji day trip from New Zealand, in good advance before we left, but said that Disneyland was something we could either book online when we got to Tokyo, or we could just rock on up at the gate.

Our travel agent also booked a great hotel for us, and even though it was a little more expensive than some others, it was still cheaper getting one room with four single beds than 2 rooms with two singles. It was right on the edge of one of the busiest suburbs, and it was the perfect location, right near the train station and some of Tokyo’s greatest spots. We wouldn’t have been able to find it by ourselves. It was definitely worth it.

4. If it all goes wrong, they’ll fix it

While none of my solo trips or travel with friends has gone awry, in the early ’90s when I was just a young child, we ran into some strife regarding flights and airports while we were in Asia.

We rang our travel agent back in New Zealand, and he managed to fix the entire thing and made sure that we were back on track. They are your back-up, your guide, your fixer, and there to make sure you a) have a fantastic time, but also b) get to where you need to go.

5. They become your friends

Especially if they’ve been the same travel agent you’ve had for your entire life.

After a few years, they know you so well that they feel more comfortable suggesting tours, sites to see, and routes to take. They can make suggestions, and because you have that relationship and you trust what they’re doing, then you know that they aren’t suggesting something because it costs more or because it’s more beneficial for them; it’s because they want you to have the best time you can possibly have.

Our travel agent is so fantastic that he’ll ring up simply to make sure that everything is okay before you fly, double-checking that you have everything you need, and asking if we have any questions about the trip or the flights. He gives recommendations if he himself has been to an epic place, and asks us to tell him all about our own trips when we get back.

So, is having a travel agent worth it?

There’s something exciting about just booking your own flights and winging it. But if you’re someone who likes a bit more order and certainty in your travel plans, it’s worth looking into an agent. I wouldn’t do a trip without ours now, and it’s such a comfort knowing exactly who to call if things go wrong. It’s cheap, easy, and well worth it. What have you got to lose?

Have you ever used a travel agent for your travel plans?

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Do travel agents actually cost extra?

Not usually. Most travel agents are paid through commission from the airlines, hotels, and tour operators they book through, rather than charging you a separate fee on top. That’s why the price you pay is often the same, or even better, than booking it all yourself.

Is it worth using a travel agent for a simple trip?

It depends on how much you value your own time versus theirs. For a straightforward flight or a short domestic trip, booking it yourself is usually just as easy. Where an agent really earns their keep is on bigger, more complex trips, multiple flights, accommodation, tours, and everything needing to line up.

Can a travel agent really get a better price than booking myself?

Often, yes. Because they book in volume and have existing relationships with airlines, hotels, and tour operators, agents can sometimes access deals, upgrades, or flexibility that aren’t available to the general public.