This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy.
Planning a vacation is a complicated and time-consuming process. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of using a travel agent to help plan and book your family travel!
Having a professional help with the planning and logistics of your travel plans can have a big impact on how much you spend on — and how much you enjoy — your family vacation.
As travel becomes more and more complicated, and your vacation time more valuable, let’s take a look at the 7 reasons to use a travel agent to book your travel in 2022 and beyond!
This post contains affiliate links, which means that we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. For more info, see disclosure.
What is a Travel Agent?
A travel agent is an individual who both provides and arranges travel or tourism-related services to the general public. This is done so on behalf of the travel agent’s accommodation or travel suppliers.
Travel agents simplify the travel planning process by booking flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events.
They offer vacation and accommodation suggestions based on their experience and research as well as work within a set monetary budget if desired.
Most importantly, travel agents are invested in their clients’ happiness and satisfaction.
They work to make sure that each and every detail of your trip is accounted for in order to help ensure that you have a memorable, hassle-free family vacation!
Benefits of Using A Travel Agent
In order to help explain the undeniable benefits of using a travel agent to book your future travel, I’ve partnered with Sandy Haddick, owner of Dreams are Forever Travel.
Sandy is a passionate travel agent based out of Rochester, Minnesota who consistently goes above and beyond to meet the travel needs of her clients both near and far.
Together, we’ll explain several travel agent benefits, as well as review reasons why to use a travel agent instead of booking online.
1. Travel is their expertise.
The #1 benefit of using a travel agent when it comes to booking your family travel is because travel is their expertise.
Much like you would hire an electrician to handle a wiring issue, or a financial planner to help manage your money, you should turn to a travel professional when you’re in need of assistance with your travels.
Travel agents are trained to know, understand, and adapt to all different forms of travel.
They research information on their client’s travel plans and relay important details including travel advisories, recent news, weather conditions, and required documents for your destination.
We discuss your travel desires and craft the perfect vacation just for you!
Likewise, we listen, suggest, adjust, and understand.
We also give you valuable tips before you leave on your vacation that you may not have thought of on your own!
Sandy
2. Destination knowledge.
Travel agents uncover new destinations and are constantly on the lookout for the best trips and travel recommendations.
Likewise, they are the best resources to contact when looking to book unique places to stay in the USA and beyond!
Not only do travel agents travel the world to serve as a resource for their clients, but they have an abundance of other travel-related resources to answer your questions quickly and correctly.
Their recommendations cater to various travel purposes, whether it be family, group, or multi-generational leisure or business-related travel.
I often use the hashtag #WeKnowBecauseWeGo because it’s true!
We travel so we can see destinations, resorts, and excursions first hand in order to help our clients make informed decisions on what they can expect.
Sandy
3. Convenience.
Travel agents offer the convenience of having every aspect of your vacation or trip pulled together in one comprehensive plan.
This includes researching and suggesting destinations, as well as arranging for flights, accommodations, airport transportation, and excursions.
By doing so, all of the guesswork is taken out of these selections and your final details will be available in one hub of information provided to you by your travel agent.
We know your time is valuable, so we seek out all of the answers to your questions so that you don’t have to waste your precious time researching.
Sandy
*For additional travel convenience, click the following image to get your FREE family vacation packing list that is both customizable and printable!
4. Cost savings.
Many people might be hesitant to work with a travel agent because they think it will cost them extra money.
They may also assume that they’ll spend more money working with a travel agent than when booking vacations on their own.
The fact is that travelers do not pay more for vacations when working with a travel agent and instead, often save more money than they would if booking online.
Not only do travel agents have access to exclusive deals, but they keep track of current vacation promotions, can advise you on the best time to book, as well as calculate the value of what you will receive.
We have relationships with tour operators and resorts that can gain our clients better travel perks.
Likewise, we can actually save you money as we are privy to discounts you may not know about.
Last, there is no fee to use Dreams are Forever Travel. We get paid by the tour operators, hoteliers, rental car companies, etc., and not from our individual clients.
Sandy
5. Relationships.
The relationship you’ll form with your travel agent, as well as their relationships with other agents, are two of the benefits of using a travel agent.
Through getting to know you, a travel agent will honor your personal vacation requests and hand-pick its details to tailor to your needs.
The relationships that travel agents have with properties and other travel professionals will get you into incredible experiences and save you from unknowns.
Often times, room preferences, dietary needs, and other special requests can be seamlessly accommodated by the benefits of using a travel agent and their connections.
Travel agents are not a search engine or an anonymous voice from a call center.
Instead, we are professionals who happen to love travel and who truly care. We want you to have an experience, not just a trip!
Sandy
Additional recommended reading: 9 Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy While Traveling
6. Travel assistance.
One of the best benefits of using a travel agent is the travel assistance that you will get in working with an actual person, versus the Internet.
During our recent family vacation to Mexico, our travel agent was able to help our large group deal with last-minute flight changes and staggered arrival times.
The personalized attention that we received was an essential component to the success and overall enjoyment of the trip.
Quite simply, when working with a travel agent, they take care of everything.
From the moment you set foot in the destination to the moment you touch the ground back home, dedicated travel assistance is an undeniable benefit of using a travel agent.
The Internet doesn’t call you back, but we do!
During times of crisis (hurricanes, Covid-19, etc.), you make one call, text or email and we handle the rest.
We are there for you 24/7 while traveling. I’ve had clients call at 2 am because they couldn’t get into the vacation condo and I was able to pick up the phone and solve their issue.
Sandy
7. Decreased stress.
Another one of the top benefits of using a travel agent is that they always have your back!
Travel agents exist to assist their clients in making travel as smooth and as stress-free as possible. In the rare case that something on a trip doesn’t go as planned, travel agents are there to resolve the problem, so that you can continue to relax and enjoy.
Not only that, but self-directed internet searches provide overwhelming amounts of information.
To make a trip extra special it’s best to have someone who knows how to connect all that information and turn it into an itinerary that is seamless and stress-free.
You can start your vacation with peace of mind knowing every detail has been accounted for.
Once there, you can focus on the fun knowing that your agent has handled everything for you!
Sandy
Benefits of Using A Travel Agent – About Our Guest
“Hi! I’m Sandy Haddick, owner of Dreams are Forever Travel!
I have been planning travel from a young age.
My first memory as a Travel Planner is when I was 8 years old. I asked my mom if I could map out our route to South Dakota from the west coast.
After that, I was hooked!
As I grew up, I became the “go-to” person for friends and family when it came to travel.
At Dreams are Forever Travel, I specialize in leisure travel for families, couples, groups, and solo travelers. I help my clients by crafting the perfect vacation to suit their needs & desires at no additional cost to them.
When I’m not making travel dreams come true, I love to travel with my own family.
I enjoy visiting different destinations to gain valuable first-hand knowledge for my clients.
Please, visit my website or contact me to plan your next adventure!”
If you liked reading our Top 7 Benefits of Using a Travel Agent, click here to check out our Related Posts:
- Top 10 Tips for Planning a Family Road Trip (And Enjoying it Too!)
- How to Plan and Choose the Perfect Family All-Inclusive Vacation
- Top 16 Tips for Flying With Kids & Ways to Keep them Calm
- The Ultimate Guide for International Travel with Kids
- 8 (Unexpected) Benefits of Traveling With Kids
*Before leaving, be sure to check our Travel Resources Page to find our exclusive travel discounts and to book hotels, rental cars, and guided tours.*
Great tips to hire a travel agent!
Thank you so much! They are oh so important now in this season of cancellations and changes 🙂
#7 really speaks to me here! I always get into so much analysis paralysis and decision fatigue I just wish someone would make the choices for me and have it be perfect! Thanks for all this insight 🙂
Dayla, thanks for reading! I like your term ‘analysis paralysis’. So true!!
I couldn’t agree more with using a travel agent, maybe a bit biased because I’m a travel agent too. Ha Ha!
Honestly, Travel Agents are skilled, experienced and active travellers. I think the biggest misconception people have about Travel Agents is thinking they are expensive however this is not the case, Travel Agents have access to suppliers that provides pecks like hotel upgrades, complimentary spa sessions and lots more.
Awesome! I did not know that you were a travel agent! Thanks for sharing…and good luck with your travel endeavors. You rock!
Interesting perspective. I’m often hesitant to use a travel agent when booking a holiday from home, but I’ll happily use tour companies on the ground while on holiday!
Thanks for reading! I think that travel agents are an especially great option for people that don’t particularly like spending the time researching a particular destination or itinerary.
We’ve used travel agents a few times randomly but these are all great tips on why you’ll benefit from them!! Thanks for debunking some of the myths!
You’re welcome! I love to use travel agents when traveling with big groups or several different families as they do such a great job of coordinating flights, arrivals, etc.