Think you'll get a better deal on Expedia-type sites?

Being a travel consultant, I get my share of "tire kickers." People who call me and tell me about a trip they'd like to take. They get me to do the research and the legwork, and then they take my information and go book the same thing themselves on sites like Expedia. Sometimes, they even save $20 by doing that. But here are some things to think about before you take advantage of your next travel agent (there aren't THAT many people out there who do it, but I can't deny it hasn't crossed my mind, as well, at times!):

Our tour operators will Match or Beat the price on sites like expedia, so you'll always get the lowest price. And sometimes, our prices are lower than "theirs".

Remember, there are:
* No guarantees with Expedia-type sites
* Expedia rooms are not guaranteed, people can be “walked” to another hotel.
* On Expedia, the client has to pay in full at time of booking, whereas with our agency, there is often a payment option.
* If the price goes down, Expedia-type sites will not call you and tell you. And the guarantee on Travelocity, that if someone books the same EXACT flight as yours and the price goes down, you'll get a refund, is nice, but it rarely happens. For example, how likely is it that if you book a flight from Raleigh, NC to Bangor, ME, going through LaGuardia in NY, that someone else is going to book that exact same flight on Travelocity at a lower price? Not very likely. So it sounds good, but there are no teeth in the guarantee. Kind of like the federal government.

As ASTA always says: “without a travel agent….you are on your own”

For example, when the Iceland Volcano happened, who helped those whose travel was booked on Expedia?

Something to think about the next time you want to plan a trip...