What to Know Before You Hire an Agent
When contacting a travel agent, follow these three easy steps to get the best results:
1. Time your call
Make an appointment to talk. While you can usually catch an agent on the phone, a travel agency, like any office, has peak hours. It's best to arrange a specific time to speak with an agent, or at least ask the receptionist which times are quietest.
Call or visit with a realistic idea of your travel schedule. Rates can vary widely by season, and you'll get a better sense of how much you'll actually spend if you've already blocked out dates. A good specialist should be able to secure sold-out rooms (even during Christmas) on a moment's notice, but it's better for both of you if you call well in advance of a trip. A rough guideline: several weeks for a simple itinerary, three months before a major holiday, and up to a year for a cruise.
2. Be Open to Suggestions
"If all you want is five days in Rome, there's only so much I can do to help," says hotel specialist Bob Watson. "But if you're open to varying the itinerary, an agent can steer you to some real gems." This is especially important if you don't want to deviate from the amount of money you've allotted; an agent has more to work with if you're not determined to shoehorn specific hotels into an unrealistic budget.
3. Don't Second-guess on Rates
Find a better rate online? Feel free to tell your agent, but bear in mind that partnerships with travel-agent networks like Virtuoso, Signature, and American Express (the parent company of Travel + Leisure), as well as personal connections, often result in special amenities and extras that you'll rarely get online, such as breakfasts or airport transfers. And hotels are likely to give their more desirable rooms to agents than to search engines.
