When it comes to booking holidays, there are more options available to consumers than ever before; using a High Street travel agent, a home based travel agent or doing it all yourself online.
For the purpose of this article we’ll look at booking with a home based travel agent as opposed to the more traditional High Street travel agent branches.
Listed below are some of the main points to consider when thinking about booking your next holiday, and who to book it with.
” Level of service
Using a home based travel agent may result in a better level of customer service than going through a High Street travel agent.
Many High Street travel agents branches are extremely busy and if you have a question regarding your booking you may struggle to get through on the phone or get an answer to your email.
A home based travel agent is likely to have a smaller, more focused set of clients and be interested in building an ongoing relationship, rather than treating yours as a one-off booking.
” Cost
On the face of it you might think it’s logical for High Street travel agents to offer cheaper prices than their home based counterparts, but this isn’t always the case.
A ‘bricks and mortar’ travel agent branch will have a lot more overheads than a home based travel agent. Many holiday advisors working from home are part of a bigger group, so may still have access to the bulk buying power and lower prices that the travel agents branches do.
” Future holidays
The more information a travel agent has on your likes/dislikes and interests, the easier it is for them to find you the right holiday.
With a High Street travel agent, you may find you’re dealing with a different member of staff each time you go in, which means starting from scratch each time.
A home based travel agent however, will make it their job to find out more about you so they can provide tailored and personal recommendations for holidays each time you contact them.
” Advice
Home based travel agents will typically have more time to spend on the phone with you to make sure you get the holiday you really want.
They may also go the extra mile by giving you first-hand advice and information on things like what restaurants to visit and the best time of day to visit particular attractions.
Some High Street travel agents may be able to do the same, but it’s often down to luck what advice you’re given, depending on who you speak to when you book. A home based travel agent will generally have more time to chase up any information they don’t have to hand as well.