Short answer: you don’t.

More accurate answer: you don’t, but you’re using one anyway. So why not make it a good one?

I have no doubt that you are more than capable of doing all the research of planning and booking your trip for yourself. You might even find it fun – I sure do! But the reality is that all of those sites you’re using to compare flights, and hotels, and tickets, they’re all acting as your agent, and getting a kickback from whatever you book. Every travel product has commission built in already. If you book a hotel through booking.com, agoda, or hostelworld, they will get paid that commission. If you book a flight through skyscanner, or Expedia, they will get paid that commission. You don’t pay any extra for this; it is already included in the price of the hotel or flight. If you book these things through a more traditional travel agent, like me, then I get paid these commissions, without it costing you anything.

So, when you ask why you need a travel agent, my question to you is, if you’re already paying for one anyway, why not make it a good one? Using me as a travel agent means getting personalised advice, recommendations based on experience, and somebody who’ll actually take care of you if you need anything. Instead of booking each component of your trip through 10 different online agents, you can have all of your plans in one place, with someone who knows you, and wants your whole trip to be amazing. Often this can actually get you a better rate, when all the components are packaged up into a single price. And you get all of these benefits for free. You don’t pay me, the hotels and services I book for you do.

I will never charge you more than what you could find yourself, because I don’t have to. Having said this, sometimes the contracts in my system can’t match the price you’d get online, particularly if you have a membership discount, such as booking.com’s genius program, or airline miles to use. On those occasions, if you would end up paying more through me, I’ll tell you. Even if we spend hours planning out your trip in detail, if when I put it together for you it turns out booking.com would actually be cheaper this time, I’ll let you know. My advice is free, because I genuinely love talking about travel. I can’t always price match, but when that happens I won’t make you repeat the whole research process to check my work and find something better, I’ll point you in the right direction and wish you all the best. I hope that you will have appreciated my service and come back to me next time!

Even now that you know it won’t cost you anything, you may still think you don’t want a travel agent. And while I could simply ask you to allow your bookings to benefit me rather than Expedia, I would rather help you see how a travel agent would really benefit you. A travel agent truly is an expert. We’re extremely well-travelled ourselves, as well as having years of experience booking for other people, which means knowing what all different kinds of travellers want. That includes knowing the right questions to ask you, if you’re not even really sure what you’re looking for. We can get to know you in a way that online booking sites can’t, so that our recommendations for your trip are truly personalised, and our service throughout the booking process is personalised too.

While the destination recommendations are things you can easily find online and this research is often the fun side of booking travel, there are parts of booking trips that aren’t so fun. Travel agents are skilled in figuring out the logistics of even the most complex itineraries, much quicker than if you tackled it yourselves, saving you time and stress. We know where to cut costs if budget is a concern, and we also know what’s really worth spending a little more on to make your trip smooth and enjoyable all the way through. We have feedback from clients on hotels and tours all over the world, and a community of fellow travel agents who are always happy to share their expertise too, should there be anything we haven’t encountered before.

And travel agents aren’t just helpful for planning your trip. We are here to support you throughout the whole booking process, while abroad, and on return. I hope nothing goes wrong on your dream trip, but if it does, this is often when the value of having a personal travel agent becomes most apparent. Fixing problems when they arise, sometimes even before you’re aware of them, is part of our role. We will keep in direct contact with you, so that you know what’s going on, and we can work together on the solution that’s best for you. If multiple aspects of your trip are affected, having it all booked together saves many hours of work and stress trying to contact multiple sources. Should you need anything at any time, there is a 24 hour customer service line based in the UK to assist, resolve and reassure.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of a travel agent is one I hope you never have to encounter: when your money is at risk. I work with a large and trusted company which allows me to provide an extremely high level of financial protection on every penny you spend with me. If a flight is delayed and you miss a connection, or aren’t able to make use of a hotel night, that money would ordinarily be lost if booking everything separately. It’s not booking.com’s fault if you can’t check in, so they won’t refund you. Booked as a package through an insured agent, if one part of the booking directly affects another you are automatically covered, and any component missed through no fault of your own is refunded to you. We do not spend a penny of your money until you are home from your trip and satisfied, so should a refund be needed it can be processed immediately.

A travel agent is not necessary. But a travel agent is an incredible resource. A good travel agent can save you time and money, keep the planning process exciting and stress free, and curate a personalised trip based on genuinely knowing you. Should a problem occur at any point, an agent is a powerful ally to have in your corner, resolving any and all issues quickly and clearly, giving you peace of mind throughout your trip. And the services of a good travel agent will cost you no more than the trip itself. So why not?

Send me a message and start the conversation. My advice is free, my rates are comparable, and my excitement about your travel plans is genuine. I look forward to connecting with you!