Verified answer

The reason the prices are better is that they buy in bulk from the hotel.

Points to consider: (good and bad mixed together)

>unless your "walk- in" travel agent has PERSONALLY been to the hotel she is sending you to- she will have the same knowledge of the trip as Travelocity.

(This is what makes a good "brick and mortar" agent, they have physically been where you are visiting)

>Travelocity is 24/7- is your Travel agent open 24/7?

>Your travel agent is probably more skilled then the average person who answers the phone at the call center.

>Your travel agent is usually automatically more expensive- BUT this is not always a bad thing!!

Their knowledge is what you are paying for- Are they knowledgeable? They can steer you away from bad travel decisions.

>Insurance does not help you when something bad is happening at the time its happening. (Medical coverage WILL! Legal coverage WILL! But out of pocket expenses are replaced AFTER the trip, not during.

Insurance is not the “end all” safety net.

 Travelocity’s policies are “We will work with our travel partners until we make it right- right now” or something to that affect… meaning: If the hotel doesn’t care about you, there is not much Travelocity can do.

When it gets down to: your vendor (hotel, airline, Car Company) is the scummiest company on the Earth; the Travel agent- NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE cannot force them to refund your money. At that point the travel agent has to determine if they are ready to eat the cost/ part of the cost/ of your trip just to make you happy.

I can’t say that Travelocity has a FANTASTIC track record (call center agents are always less experienced) - but they are by no means planning to desert you in your time of need.

You pay for what you get:

Walk in: Experience, personability, costs more

Travelocity: less experienced workers, different person each time you call- much less expensive.

Without a doubt i would go with the travel agent. If ANYTHING at all happens, Travelocity will leave you 100% screwed. You pay extra for a travel agent because of the knowledge and service they provide, and when traveling abroad, I always feel better knowing someone has my back. Ive heard too many times about Travelocity and the other online ticket brokers leaving customers totally on their own if there is a problem, including when its their own fault (like misspelling the name on the tickets)!

Also, unless you have a previous relationship with this travel agent, why not shop around and ask a few other local agents what rates they can offer? Not all are the same, some are much more knowledgeable about deals than others and can secure better rates than any online booking engine. I'm sure you can find a few with good recommendations from friends/coworkers if you ask around. A good agent should be able to explain their prices and services, and have the ability to totally allay any and all of your fears/concerns, not to mention be able to advise you to the best place to stay (and know where/what the deals are!)

Yes travelocity and the other sites can get Much better deals often than agents. For a relatively simple trip like to Mexico I would certainly be fine with Travelocity. Ive used them for at least 6-7 trips. If I were going to explore the Sahara I would use an agent....Make sure u get the insurance etc and enjoy the $600 savings....

I agree with the previous person, I would definitely use a travel agent. Traveling within the United States is one thing using something new but outside of the US, especially now that they have begun to enforce the more strict identification policies, I don't think it would be worth the risk. Shop around but definitely find someone who knows the area you are staying in and can even tell you the best place to eat, shop, etc.. They should have that knowledge. Good Luck - sounds like fun.

That's right

Thx for the answers everyone xx