You're right, I guess all of the heavy travelers I know are just stumbling around in the dark and don't know what's going on.
I've used a bunch of them for corporate travel, and at no point has it been a breeze.
Knowing what fares are available on specific flights, seat assignments, etc. lets me get exactly the experience I want, without 'hoping they got me the seats I like' or anything.
For hotel bookings I don't see what advantage they have over either the basic hotel websites or calling my status hotline for assistance in tricky situations.
In all cases the travel agency removes my agency to work directly with the airlines or the hotel to fix issues.
>You're right, I guess all of the heavy travelers I know are just stumbling around in the dark and don't know what's going on.
If they're corporate travelers spending somebody else's money this is usually the case.
>I've used a bunch of them for corporate travel, and at no point has it been a breeze. Knowing what fares are available on specific flights, seat assignments, etc. lets me get exactly the experience I want, without 'hoping they got me the seats I like' or anything.
It sounds like you've just worked with the big shops that offer a terrible service.
>For hotel bookings I don't see what advantage they have over either the basic hotel websites or calling my status hotline for assistance in tricky situations.
Because of programs like FSPP, STARS and MO fan club you're essentially always going to get better value by booking through a travel agency the hotel has a relationship with.
>In all cases the travel agency removes my agency to work directly with the airlines or the hotel to fix issues.
In all cases the travel agency is in a far stronger negotiating position to fix any issues. If the hotel screws up something I'd much rather have my travel agent yell at them and arrange compensation for me than spend time dealing with it myself, the outcome will always be better this way because his business is worth much more to the hotel than mine.
>> the travel agency is in a far stronger negotiating position to fix any issues.
Maybe, but that assumes that the travel agent is actually working for you. What kickbacks does the agency get from the airline/hotel? That is the longer term relationship, far longer than any one-time customer-agent relationship. The agency would probably rather drop or mistreat a customer than damage their relationship with the airline/hotel.
The agent doesn't get kickbacks from the airline or the hotel. The agent gets a kickback from the distribution system, which itself charges a fee to the airline. Airlines don't want agencies, they tolerate them because they still bring the vast majority of traffic (except for some lowcosts, e.g. SWA, Ryanair)
AFAIK if they're in a partner program like FSPP the kickback will come directly from the chain, and these are exactly the bookings where travel agents can offer the most value.
We'll just have to continue living in different worlds. That's never been my experience, ever.
If they're not a big shop, they're going to have even less leverage with the vendors than I do as the valued customer. If they are a big shop with leverage, they're not going to give a shit about me.
And are you confusing 'better experience' or 'save money'? Sure, I'll definitely grant you that it might be cheaper booking through an agent, especially if you buy a package/etc.
That's not, in my experience, ever a better experience. The goal is to not suffer, not safe a few hundred bucks.
Most of my holidays are in the mid 5 figures range, shorter work trips tend to average around 2k/night. I'm not looking for cheap deals, but for a better experience. I don't buy packages, I mostly design my own itineraries.
I work with a boutique agency with around 10 staff, their yearly volumes with the chains I frequent are in the tens of millions. There are lots of agencies like this, you only need a couple of billionaire clients making regular 500k bookings to have a plenty of leverage.
I always thought travel agents were bullshit until I found out about the perks offered trough the Four Seasons preferred partner program and figured I'd give it a shot for a single booking. After check-in the agent called me to make sure everything went smoothly, I pointed out a tiny issue regarding the check-in progress that I would've immediately forgotten about if not for the fabulous service recovery arranged by the agent. After that this agency has had all of my business.
I've used a bunch of them for corporate travel, and at no point has it been a breeze. Knowing what fares are available on specific flights, seat assignments, etc. lets me get exactly the experience I want, without 'hoping they got me the seats I like' or anything.
For hotel bookings I don't see what advantage they have over either the basic hotel websites or calling my status hotline for assistance in tricky situations.
In all cases the travel agency removes my agency to work directly with the airlines or the hotel to fix issues.