When you think of a travel agent in today’s world, you probably think of the early 80s and 90s when people would actually go to one to find a deal.  With today’s Internet growing faster than ever, many are just doing all the travel booking themselves to save money. 

Did you know that there are still travel agencies out there that can help you book flights, hotels and more?  Yes, there are still advantages of getting one and let me point some of these advantages out.

They have close relationships

Unlike your online travel agent companies, a local travel agent is going to have closer ties with the airline companies, cruise companies and more.  When they have close ties, they know exactly who they can get ahold of to get you the best deal.  When you shop online, you’re going to find that you get one rate that’s not negotiable.

Personal one on one consultation

It’s a lot nicer to meet someone in person and discuss your needs rather than go on a website and do all the searching yourself.  Since most travel agents are free and work on commission, they will be more than happy to find you the best deal and recommend places that you should stay at.  Many people prefer the travel agents because it is more personal able.

They may have a better deal

I’ll be honest, I love to book tickets online and yes, I used to use a travel agent but as of late, I kind of forgot about them.  The other day I did call one up and to my surprise, they were able to get me a better deal on a ticket than I could find online directly through the airline.  The lesson learned here is that it doesn’t hurt to call one up.  Most of the time, they can give you a quote right over the phone.

Know of the hidden deals

If you’re going to go on a trip and book everything from your hotel to your rental car, they will be able to spot some combo deals for you that you may not know about.  When you go on vacation, agents will recommend that you do book all of it at the same time because you can see some discounts because most companies have relationships with each other.  The more you book, the more you save.

In the end, you have to remember that a travel agent is free and it doesn’t hurt to get a quote.  You have nothing to lose and if you like saving money, I would recommend you check for one in your area and call the next time you want to save.