You’ve probably thought about going through a travel agent before, but in the end you chose to book online yourself. Then you realized you’d booked the wrong dates, and now you have to wait on hold for hours to sort it out… Here is our top 10 list of reasons to consider booking through a travel agency, so that next time, planning your trip is simple, efficient and fun!
1. Save time
When you buy your trip through a travel agent, whether it’s flight and hotel, all-inclusive, cruise, group travel, etc., you’ll definitely save a lot of time. We travel agents are used to searching for trips for our clients: it’s our profession, so we do it every day (or almost).
Also, did you know we have search engines that save us from running the same search on Air Canada Vacations, WestJet Vacations, Air Transat Vacations, etc.? So you get fast service and avoid plenty of headaches! We’ll be able to find you the best value for your budget, and quickly.
2. Save money (cheaper than or same price as online)
The popular belief is that booking with a travel agent will inevitably cost more than booking online yourself. FALSE! For all-inclusives, suppliers have agreements with Québec travel agencies and the commission is included.
That means you’ll pay the same price at an agency as online… In other words, you get the travel agent’s service for free! Why say no? Now all that’s left is finding the right agent for you, the one you “click” with best.
3. Office de la protection du consommateur coverage included
When you book with a travel agency in Québec, you automatically benefit from the protection of the Office de la protection du consommateur. This protection covers you with regard to your contract with your travel agent. In other words, if any service promised by the agent (meaning what you paid for, as shown on the invoice the agent gives you) could not be provided, for whatever reason, you can file a compensation claim with the OPC.
For example, if you paid for a superior hotel room but, on your travel dates, all the superior rooms are under renovation and the hotel offers you no compensation, you can claim compensation from the OPC, since you paid for a service that could not be provided.
4. Build a relationship of trust
At AeroportVoyage, our motto has always been transparency and trust with our clients. We follow up when you get back from your trip to find out what went well or less well, what you liked most, what could be changed next time, etc. All of this so we get to know you better as a traveller and can guide you better the next time you come see us.
For example, I’ve been booking Mr. P.’s winter all-inclusive for 10 years, and I’ve gotten to know him as a traveller: I know he wants to try a new hotel every year, that he wants an adults-only (18+) resort, that he likes plenty of entertainment, etc.
5. Benefit from the experience of the agent and their other clients
When you work with a travel agency, you make sure you’re up to date on the latest news about destinations, hotels, etc. Since we work in travel all day long, we know what’s happening in our field.
For example, during sargassum season (that seaweed nobody likes to see at an all-inclusive), we talk with the various hotels and get information to find out whether a given hotel has a seaweed problem or handles it well. In the same way, we get regular feedback when our clients come back from their trips.
For example, hotel ABC opened last year and we sent clients who were delighted with their stay. Then this year, one of the couples who had gone chose that hotel again for their vacation, but found that the quality of the food had dropped a bit compared to last year. So if that hotel interests you, we’ll be able to give you up-to-date information about the hotel, the destination, etc.
6. Someone to call if something goes wrong
You can never predict what might happen on a trip. Here’s a real example: Mrs. S. is leaving Montréal for Australia when she realizes she completely forgot to get her travel visa.
She calls me in a panic and tells me the airline agent at the counter won’t let her through because she doesn’t have her visa, and is offering to sell her one for about a hundred US dollars, but it will only be issued within the next few hours…
But her flight leaves in less than an hour. I reassured her and sent her to a website where it would cost her only $20 USD and she’d have her electronic visa within minutes… If Mrs. S. had booked her trip online, she probably would have missed her flight for lack of a visa.
7. No unpleasant surprises
When people book a trip online themselves, few take the time to read all the fine print. Take flights, for example. When we look for flights for clients, we always ask whether they need a checked bag or not, because we know the answer will affect the price. Now, let’s say the client in our example needs a bag. When we give him the price, he’s surprised and assures us he saw it cheaper online just a few minutes ago.
It’s true that my client may have seen a lower price, but his price won’t include a checked bag and mine does. He would have had the “surprise” at the airport of paying for his checked bag (often more than if he’d taken the ticket with the bag included that we offered him). Travel is getting more and more complex, so it’s always essential to read all the fine print: it’s there for a reason! Or else, save yourself a headache and take the time to contact a travel agent. What’s more, we’re available by phone, in person and even on Facebook!
8. Support Québec businesses
By choosing to book your trip with a Québec business, you help create and keep jobs, which keeps “the economy rolling.” And if the travel agency is involved in the community, you kill two birds with one stone, since you allow it to keep contributing to everyone’s well-being. All of that for the same price as if you had booked online yourself!
You can even call the agency and say you’d like to leave from date X to date X, at hotel XYZ, in double occupancy, and that you saw it for $X online. We can then book exactly what you want for you, for the same price. On top of that, you get our service before, during and after your purchase.
9. Service before and after the sale included
When you walk into our agency, sometimes you know exactly what you want, or on the contrary, you’re really not sure and would like us to guide you. Either way, we’ll serve you with a smile and be there to answer all your questions, whether by Facebook, phone or email. Same thing when you get back: we believe our work doesn’t end the moment the sale is made, it goes well beyond that.
When you get back, we’ll follow up to find out how your trip went and learn more about what kind of traveller you are. If there were any problems, we can then work hard to find a solution for you!
10. Peace of mind with a reliable source
Did you know that to be a travel agent or travel counsellor in Québec, you absolutely must hold a certificate issued by the Government of Québec? To obtain that certificate, you have to pass an exam and be tied to a Québec travel agency that is listed in the enterprise register. So by contacting a travel agent, you make sure you’re dealing with a professional and avoid fraud.
If you want to be even more careful, you can check for yourself whether the agency you’re interested in has had any fines, lawsuits, etc. by visiting the Office de la protection du consommateur (opens in a new window) website and entering the agency’s name, for example AeroportVoyage.
