Traveling is an important aspect of life. Not only do you gain new experiences but you also get a better understanding of diverse cultures and lifestyles. There are two common ways of travel. One involves using a travel agent for booking flights and hotel rooms reservations and the other involves Do-It-Yourself travel hacks.

The Importance of Using a Travel Agent

The role of a travel agent is to help you plan, choose and organize your holiday. Booking a flight can be a complex task under a tight work schedule. A travel agent can easily plot out your trip and allow you to make the best of your vacation. The amount of time spent in planning your vacation is significantly reduced and your travel tickets are scheduled in advance. The benefits of hiring a travel agent are quite weighty and include the following:

Ease of Booking Your Holiday

If you lack the time and know-how on arranging a holiday trip by yourself, a travel agent is your best bet. Travel agents are keen on researching every aspect of your trip to prevent a disaster vacation.

Reduced Stress

The most you have to do after hiring a travel agent to plan for your vacation is to choose your destination. Travel agents have quick access to vital contacts and resources that may not be readily available to you.

Added Value Discounts

Travel agents have great deals with hotels and exclusive partner offers. Such discounts cannot be available to most individuals who don't use travel agents.

Resolution of Uncertainties

A travel agent has your back covered in handling problems that may arise during your vacation. You will be availed with contingency plans in case of any problems with accommodation or missing connection flights.

The Demerits of DIY Travel Hacks

In as much as meeting the unpredictable on your trip may be exciting, it's often not worth the risk. DIY travel hacks are very time-consuming especially when you have to meet the minimum requirements. The travel hacks also involve a lot of stress which sits heavily on anxious travelers. Which should not be the case since the vacation is meant to help you relax. If there is a problem in booking your flight or accommodation, it's all up to you to fix things up. Below are some demerits of DIY travel hacks that are best avoided by using a travel agent:

No additional travel perks

The competition is stiff among travel agents to gain bookings as characterized by offering travel perks. If you decide not to use a travel agent, you would have to incur some extra costs to enjoy such travel perks.

Overlooking some important aspects

It's very easy to overlook some critical details of your trip when you use DIY travel hacks. Which is however not the case if you use a travel agent who strives to guarantee you a seamless vacation.

Unrefined knowledge

DIY travel hacks are merely based on what you know which is at times not enough. On the other hand, expert travel agents will get down to the finer details of places you intend to visit.

What Makes a Travel Agent Useful?

Planning and organizing a travel is not a task for the faint-hearted. A travel agent applies both logic and experience in making each travel beneficial. Here are some characteristics that make a travel agent really useful:

Knowledge

A travel agent has expertise in the travel industry and has first-hand information on airlines, destinations and hotel reservations.

Professionalism

A travel agent knows just the right questions to ask in order to get your requests customized for you. Efficient processes are also put in place to manage your booking of flights. Which saves you any agony in case your flight is cancelled.

Enthusiasm and People Skills

Travel agents are excited and passionate in serving their clients. They pay attention to your subtle communication cues even when you're unable to fully express your travel wants.

Integrity and Resourcefulness

A travel agent is upfront and honest about fares, inclusive costs and regulations. The connections and referrals made by a travel agent can only be achieved by high standards of integrity.

Conclusion

Booking a flight using a travel agent saves you time, money and a lot of stress. DIY travel hacks can be tiresome and unpredictable which makes them quite risky. It is better to use a travel agent for booking flights and hotel rooms rather than booking them on your own