Travel Agents

Travel agents connect those who have some form of “travel product,” such as an airline seat, a hotel room or a space on a tour, with the potential buyer. A travel agent is a resource that you should at least consider; they can provide you with far more information than you could possibly gather on your own and, barring a major fare war, you’ll never find the cheapest airfare without using some kind of agent. The price structure for agents is set up so that using an agent will not cost you more than booking a ticket yourself.

Travel agents can be a blessing or a curse, and it is up to you, if you choose to go this route, to find one that you feel comfortable with. They can always make travel easier for you, and they can usually make it cheaper, but it is up to you to make decisions based on the information they provide. Your agent should assist you, not direct you.

As with any major purchase, shop around. Don’t simply go to the local travel bureau and assume that they will give you the best service and get you the best price. Go with one that deals with budget travel and/or students regularly, preferably daily. Any agent will be happy to fly you to Europe, but if they’re used to book-ins ten-thousand- dollar/’one-month luxury trips they may not be able to serve your needs. You certainly don’t want them to reinvent the budget travel wheel in booking your trip. Some agents deal almost exclusively with students and/or budget travelers, and with these places the distinction between travel agency and consolidator (see below) can sometimes become blurry.

If you are booking an ultra-cheap seat somewhere, you should be prepared to give the budget/student agent you use the same scrutiny that I advise in the next paragraph. Before going to an agent, you should have at least a basic idea of where and when you want to go. Don’t just walk in and say: “I want to go to Europe, but I don’t know where.” Make it easy on them by deciding when you want to leave, where you want to start out in Europe, and how long you want to stay. Then work out a rough itinerary. Once you have these issues decided, you and your agent can take it from there. Basics #5 has a list of recommended travel agents.