Why use a travel agent?

[Leia78]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmill130 Our guests are paying 362.00 per night.... some have booked, some have not... I can't get anyone to answer my calls.... I am so angry! I know the value of a TA, but mine has been in meetings... I call and someone says call back in 30 minutes, I do and she's still in a meeting! There is a $500.00 differnece! I don't know how to explain this to my guests! If she would answer the phone they would have booked by now and not be looking on line... HELP!

i'm so sorry to hear that...that's so frustrating!

[TammyWright]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmill130 Our guests are paying 362.00 per night.... some have booked, some have not... I can't get anyone to answer my calls.... I am so angry! I know the value of a TA, but mine has been in meetings... I call and someone says call back in 30 minutes, I do and she's still in a meeting! There is a $500.00 differnece! I don't know how to explain this to my guests! If she would answer the phone they would have booked by now and not be looking on line... HELP!

jason, have you tried emailing? sometimes i get back faster to people that email than call because i can respond to emails if i am doing a phone meeting or on hold...

[rodent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmill130 Our guests are paying 362.00 per night.... some have booked, some have not... I can't get anyone to answer my calls.... I am so angry! I know the value of a TA, but mine has been in meetings... I call and someone says call back in 30 minutes, I do and she's still in a meeting! There is a $500.00 differnece! I don't know how to explain this to my guests! If she would answer the phone they would have booked by now and not be looking on line... HELP!

is it too late to switch TAs?

[TammyWright]

i made an error...the rate is $362 in august. the $350 rate ended in july and you were right on the border.

 

the orbitz rate is $381 per night.

[rodent]

where are you finding it $500 cheaper? have you checked if that is pretaxes/ fees?

[jmill130]

yes, comparing the same exact 4 nights and flights between :

 

1) Booking 4 nights with TA and booking flights on continental.com

-VS-

2)Booking 4 nights and same flight #'s as above with travelocity.

 

The flights prices are pretty much in the same range no matter which site you go on. Maybe $10-$15 different but..

 

Both packages are after all taxes and fees, its over $500 difference for some guests depending on what airport they fly out of.

 

I know theres no guarantee with these major travel sites online but this is a huge difference.. I could be more than understanding on $100. Plus the transfer fee from the airport to hotel is only $60 roundtrip for 2 guests compared to the $70 from the TA.

 

This is frustrating, i definitely value a TA and thats why we decided to use one. I dont mind paying a little more to have the expertise of the travel agent but i am not really getting any expertise here. Guests are emailing and calling me telling me they are finding way better deals online. I dont understand the large gap between prices. Everything ive read on this forum says TAs usually get the best deals or at least the best value and service combined.

 

I am doing all sorts of work now because so many of my guests have not booked because they do a quick check online and find a huge disconnect between prices from the TA and the travelocity.

 

I dont want to screw all my guests, i want them to attend and some of them have already said they are not coming because they couldnt afford to come, but now.. They might have considered coming...

 

Has anyone else been through this before.. What do you do

 

I want guests to come and i thought i truly worked hard and felt having a TA would be the best way to go to avoid all these price conflicts and avoid being the middle man...

[boscobel]

Just found this and thought it deserved to be bumped!

[AishaB]

This thread is great! I didn't have a clue about TA's or room blocks or anything before reading this. I travel a lot but I have always made my own travel arrangements. However, we discussed it early on and decided that for our wedding and honeymoon we would be using a TA so that we can get the best possible deals and any other perks that maybe available. I am finding that this is the best way to go. Thanks guys for the great informational discussions.

[taylorwd]

Admittedly, I haven't read the whole thread yet, but I just want to say, TA TA TA TA TA!! Get one if you don't have one!

 

Planning a DW is stressful enough without having to negotiate prices, get your guests to book, figure out their travel arrangements, coordinate their travel info, and most importantly, fix the hiccups that will definitely arise between you and the resort or last minute changes in your guests' travel plans.

[JQLong]

Is it possible to use a TA if you have already booked the block of rooms with the hotel?  My wedding is over a year away and we wanted to make sure we had our rooms blocked but I am still unsure about the airfare.  Would it be possible to use a TA instead?