Is it good to book flights with a travel agent?

A Travel Agent Can Handle the Unexpected. Between weather delays, natural disasters, flight cancellations, lost luggage and much more, a lot can happen on vacation. Travel agents act as the traveler's advocate in the event something goes wrong, helping navigate the challenge of making any necessary itinerary changes.



People Also Ask

When you book directly on an airline's website you have more leverage when it comes to delays, booking changes, and cancellations. If you call the airline after having booked through an OTA, there's a chance you'll be directed back to the OTA when service can be subpar and confusing.

MORE DETAILS

A travel agent can keep things organized, negotiate with services and personally work out any complications that may arise. Rather than trying to reserve rooms in the same hotels and seats on the same flights with multiple credit cards and names, let a travel agent do that work.

MORE DETAILS

The cost of using a travel agent is generally marginal, and often, they won't charge you at all. Much of their money comes from commissions the hotels and wholesalers pay them. Before you decide to book with a travel agent, inquire whether or not they charge fees.

MORE DETAILS

Average domestic airfare price by day
  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically.
  • Saturday and Monday flights can help you avoid the Sunday rush.
  • Wednesdays and Thursdays are the cheapest day to fly internationally.
  • Book one to three months in advance.
  • Set a price alert.


MORE DETAILS

How to Find Cheap Flights in 2023: The Ultimate Guide
  • Pick your destination and dates based on price.
  • Use the best flight search sites to find cheap flights.
  • Find the cheapest place to fly with the Google Flights Explore Map.
  • Be flexible—even by a few days—to save more on flights.


MORE DETAILS

Travel Agents Can Save You Time Booking a trip, with all its working parts, can take hours, especially if you're researching and comparing the best deals, said Avery Harris of Viking Travel. A travel agent will take much less time to help you find what you're looking for, Harris said.

MORE DETAILS

The Top 20 Most Powerful Travel Agencies in 2023
  1. Booking Holdings. (photo courtesy of Booking Holdings) ...
  2. Expedia Group. ...
  3. American Express Global Business Travel. ...
  4. BCD Travel. ...
  5. CWT. ...
  6. Flight Centre. ...
  7. American Express Travel. ...
  8. Chase Travel Group.


MORE DETAILS

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically. The cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the U.S. are midweek — generally Tuesday or Wednesday. For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket.

MORE DETAILS

Those who buy on Sunday instead of Friday (the most expensive day to shop for plane tickets) will save on average 17% on domestic flights and 24% on international ones.

MORE DETAILS

Tuesday Around Midnight is the Cheapest Time to Book
In general, flights were slightly cheaper at midnight earlier in the week (Monday through Wednesday). However, this is only applicable to about 1.6% of U.S. markets, meaning that it's not likely you'll find the same savings on your specific route.

MORE DETAILS

Is there a cheapest month to fly? If you're looking for a bargain month to travel, February is your best bet. Flights in January closely follow February for being most affordable.

MORE DETAILS

Consider seasonality before booking Seasonally, demand typically slows around mid- to late June, as most travelers have already booked their vacations for peak May, June and July travel. Lower demand for late summer and early fall travel means you may be able to get lower airfare by traveling in September or October.

MORE DETAILS

There's no sugarcoating it: Airfare is expensive. And while waiting until the last minute might sound like a good idea, it typically is cheaper to book your flights in advance. We are seeing fewer last-minute deals than in years past, especially when it comes to flights, a Kayak spokesperson tells Travel + Leisure.

MORE DETAILS

For domestic trips, TPG recommends monitoring prices three to four months before your departure date and expecting to book one to two months in advance. For international trips, we recommend starting to monitor prices six to seven months in advance and expect to book three to five months in advance.

MORE DETAILS

Average domestic airfare price by day The cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the U.S. are midweek — generally Tuesday or Wednesday. For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket.

MORE DETAILS

Generally, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly, while Fridays and Sundays are pricier, according to travel deal site FareCompare. Leisure travelers tend to fly on the weekends, either starting their vacations on Friday or taking a long weekend Friday to Sunday.

MORE DETAILS

Buying airfare at the stroke of midnight can yield a small amount of savings, say others, but it may not always be worth it to stay up late just to book a flight. Truth be told, it's extremely difficult (if not impossible) to pinpoint a universal date and time during which the cost of airfare drops.

MORE DETAILS

How often do airlines update airfare information online? The airlines update fare information 3 times a day. They do not necessarily change airfare prices all three times, but they certainly can, and often do.

MORE DETAILS

Travel agents save clients money, but the benefits of booking with a travel agent go way beyond. Travel agents also create high-value travel over OTAs because (the living, breathing, talented humans that they are) are able to advocate for clients when things go awry.

MORE DETAILS

Take advice from friends and business associates who use an agent they trust and always check business profiles on BBB.org. Visit or call several agencies to find the one that best suits your needs. Consider everything from the appearance of the office to the agent's willingness to listen and answer questions.

MORE DETAILS