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Your own travel agent

Question:

I suppose any fool (pax or agent) can buy a ticket…  why is an agent necessary for ticket purchase? I don’t think you’d understand until you’ve sat in an agency and witnessed what consumers try to purchase.  

That’s a stereotypical over-generalization, isn’t it? This newsgroup, in general, is rather quick to dismiss the value of TA’s.

And rightly so. I think most participants in here fail to realize that their knowledge of airfares is not representative of the average consumer.

No so.  We KNOW we are more computer literate (the fact that we are here) and have more travel-booking savvy (because we read this newsgroup) than the "average consumer". Even if they got a ticket for five bucks, they’d still bitch because they weren’t served a five course meal with their ticket!

Who are "they"?  You’re just knocking imaginary flies off your TA wall, for an "average reader" of THIS newsgroup anyway. Your unattribute quote, by DALing, is exactly right, for most readers of this ng, IMHO: I suppose any fool (pax or agent) can buy a ticket…  why is an agent necessary for ticket purchase?

Often can buy it for LESS on the webpage than phoning the airline (to get the TA’s price), and almost always come with FF Miles as perks for booking on the web, instead of PAYING the TA for a more expensive ticket on the identical itinerary. — Bob.

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I suppose any fool (pax or agent) can buy a ticket…  why is an agent necessary for ticket purchase? I don’t think you’d understand until you’ve sat in an agency and witnessed what consumers try to purchase.

     You’re kinda mixing your audiences here.  The folks who frequent this news group predominately aren’t gonna be folks to whom you are refering.  My personal favorites are the ones that come in after "researching" a fare on the web and want *that fare* – they don’t want to get ‘upsold’ by some travel agent.  Why they don’t just purchase online – I’m not sure.  

    You might want to find out, it is part of what is bringing customers to you. I wish they would. Some need to pay by check, others… who knows.  Regardless, about half the time there’s something less expensive out there and they change their tune quickly.

   Of course.  They didn’t want to get up sold, they didn’t expect to get DOWN sold. This is not an argument claiming agents outprice the web or direct.  Simply that the general public is either a) absolutely clueless about airfares

   Yes, there are alot of those.  They probably aren’t your current audience. and b) has no idea what price they’re hoping for – i.e. they get a first quote of $500, do some research and find it for $350 – now they’re happy and quite proud of themselves for saving $150 using the internet.  But they don’t realize there’s a $250 fare out there as well.

   Yes, this is true of almost any consumer group.  Ones impression of how "good" a deal they got is based upon one of two comparisons.  1)  Whatever else they have seen charged for it.  2) What they paid last time.  Few people actually place their own value on things and use that for a basis of comparison. This newsgroup, in general, is rather quick to dismiss the value of TA’s.  I think most participants in here fail to realize that their knowledge of airfares is not representative of the average consumer.

   It’s more a matter of degree.  TA’s probably over value themselves, folks around here tend to understate it.  I use one, occasionally. It is less about saving money and more about saving personal time.  Plus her mistakes are more correctable than mine.  I think you might also agree that some TA’s are worth far more than others.  Pushed, you might also agree that some TA’s aren’t worth squat.

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If you act as your own travel agent, you have a fool as a client.

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If you act as your own travel agent, you have a fool as a client.

Of course, when I’ve had others acting as my travel agent, I’ve sometimes had a fool as my agent and had to pay extra for the privilege :-) . Basically, I think your adage is cute but false; it makes a whole lot more sense when used, as it orginally was, for lawyers.  Travel agents have cheerfully admitted here that they can’t beat individuals direct-booking for lots of simple travel, and they’re not really interested in taking the time to try. Deborah Stevenson

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If you act as your own travel agent, you have a fool as a client. Of course, when I’ve had others acting as my travel agent, I’ve sometimes had a fool as my agent and had to pay extra for the privilege :-) . Basically, I think your adage is cute but false; it makes a whole lot more sense when used, as it orginally was, for lawyers.  

To compare a TA with a lawyer is not a good analogy. After all, I don’t think the TA has as much training. Still, there are foolish TAs and attorneys. I have acted as a TA many times and have found many cost cutting tools. I have acted as my own attorney for things that I can handle, like adoption and immigration issues for my wife and daughter. NO PROBLEMS and I saved thousands of dollars. It it was defending myself against a murder charge, I wouldn’t do it, but I have NO problem with representing myself in traffic court.

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If you act as your own travel agent, you have a fool as a client. Of course, when I’ve had others acting as my travel agent, I’ve sometimes had a fool as my agent and had to pay extra for the privilege :-) .

It may also depend your type of travel and special locations.  I know much more about booking travel to certain locations, for MYSELF, such as Cozumel Mexico, than any TA, and they don’t even have to be fools.  :-)) Basically, I think your adage is cute but false;

That pretty much sums it up, especially in this day and age when so much of your TA’s information are readily available on webpages.  By doing your own research, you’re merely paying yourself to be your own travel agent!  Whether you’re fool as a client boils down to how well your conduct your own research. it makes a whole lot more sense when used, as it orginally was, for lawyers.   To compare a TA with a lawyer is not a good analogy.

Neither is it necessary, nor sufficient.   If you do it right, you can chase your best transportation, food, and lodging much better than a lawyer can chase any ambulance. :) — Bob.

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I suppose any fool (pax or agent) can buy a ticket…  why is an agent necessary for ticket purchase?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you act as your own travel agent, you have a fool as a client.

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I suppose any fool (pax or agent) can buy a ticket…  why is an agent necessary for ticket purchase?

I don’t think you’d understand until you’ve sat in an agency and witnessed what consumers try to purchase.  My personal favorites are the ones that come in after "researching" a fare on the web and want *that fare* – they don’t want to get ‘upsold’ by some travel agent.  Why they don’t just purchase online – I’m not sure.  I wish they would. Some need to pay by check, others… who knows.  Regardless, about half the time there’s something less expensive out there and they change their tune quickly. This is not an argument claiming agents outprice the web or direct.  Simply that the general public is either a) absolutely clueless about airfares and b) has no idea what price they’re hoping for – i.e. they get a first quote of $500, do some research and find it for $350 – now they’re happy and quite proud of themselves for saving $150 using the internet.  But they don’t realize there’s a $250 fare out there as well. This newsgroup, in general, is rather quick to dismiss the value of TA’s.  I think most participants in here fail to realize that their knowledge of airfares is not representative of the average consumer.

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I suppose any fool (pax or agent) can buy a ticket…  why is an agent necessary for ticket purchase? I don’t think you’d understand until you’ve sat in an agency and witnessed what consumers try to purchase.  My personal favorites are the ones that come in after "researching" a fare on the web and want *that fare* – they don’t want to get ‘upsold’ by some travel agent.  Why they don’t just purchase online – I’m not sure.  I wish they would. Some need to pay by check, others… who knows.  Regardless, about half the time there’s something less expensive out there and they change their tune quickly. This is not an argument claiming agents outprice the web or direct. Simply that the general public is either a) absolutely clueless about airfares and b) has no idea what price they’re hoping for – i.e. they get a first quote of $500, do some research and find it for $350 – now they’re happy and quite proud of themselves for saving $150 using the internet.  But they don’t realize there’s a $250 fare out there as well. This newsgroup, in general, is rather quick to dismiss the value of TA’s. I think most participants in here fail to realize that their knowledge of airfares is not representative of the average consumer.

Even if they got a ticket for five bucks, they’d still bitch because they weren’t served a five course meal with their ticket!

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