Why Use A Travel Agent

Online vs Agency: 9 reasons why you should book your next holiday with a travel agent

These days our holidays are more precious than ever!  After a tumultuous start to the year, the world will never again take going on holiday for granted.  The sheer pleasures of a change of scenery, experiencing a different culture and climate, and just getting away from it all are what so many of us spend hours dreaming about and planning.  So, if holidays are so important, why would you risk anything being less than perfect?

Everyone likes to be in control, and the internet means that practically the whole world is just a few clicks away.  It might seem easier to use holiday booking sites, but will it guarantee you the best possible holiday experience?  Possibly not.

To help shine a light on the best way to book your next luxury holiday, we have listed 9 reasons why you should book with an independent travel agent:

1. Our changing world

In 2019 the world was blissfully unaware of coronavirus.  Before covid-19 put everyone’s travel plans on hold, we were all merrily booking holidays without a care in the world!  But if you were one of the unfortunate people who have had to deal with cancellations, re-bookings, refunds or - even worse – becoming stranded in a foreign country during a travel lockdown then you will now appreciate the importance of the support that a reputable travel agent can provide.

People are still unsure about where they can travel, when they should travel and what precautions to take before booking a holiday and an online booking site might be unable to provide the support and assurance you need.  Step forward an expert travel agency who will offer you a personal service, and who would never risk their own reputation by leaving their customers unprotected or vulnerable while on holiday. 

Edston Luxury Travel is part of the Hays Travel Group, and endorsed by ABTA and ATOL so we have all the additional support that anyone might need.  But more importantly, we ensure that we have up to the minute information on all aspects of booking a holiday after a pandemic, as well as any other issues which could arise before or during your holiday.

2. Experts in our field

Nobody knows travel like an agent!  We live and breathe our industry, just like any other professional who loves their work.  We never stop researching and learning about the world, discovering new destinations or hotels and finding out the top travel destinations to book a holiday.

Most of our travel knowledge is gained from personal experience, so we can recommend places that we have been to ourselves.  As well as knowing the best places to travel to, we also know about the important things like insurances, legislation, currency and changing situations.

The internet is no match for the expertise of a great travel agent.

3. We give our customers value for money

Whether you are booking a standard package or a pull out all the stops luxury holiday, you want to ensure the best value for your hard-earned pennies.  We appreciate the importance of value, and we also understand that good value does not just mean cheap bargain bookings!

We have the contacts to help our customers enjoy upgrades, discounts and extra perks like arrival gifts or complimentary drinks!  We want to make sure you get the very best value for every pound you spend on your holiday.

4. We save you time and stress

Booking a holiday is supposed to be about relaxation and getting away from it all – who wants stress?  And life is so busy that you simply don’t have time to chase confirmations or to organise transfers.  When you book with an independent travel agency you can hand all of those jobs over to us!  We take all of the hassle out of booking a holiday by doing tasks like printing out boarding cards and paperwork – we even organise it into a personal holiday file for you.  We chase up all of the loose ends while you worry about how many pairs of sandals you can fit into your suitcase.

5. Convenience!

Yes, booking with an online travel agent might feel super convenient but can they organise your airport parking, travel insurance and find the best current exchange rates all in the same click?  Doubtful!

An independent travel agent acts as your personal holiday concierge and we make planning the holiday all part of the luxury experience. 

6. Independent and impartial advice

When you need advice on which hotel is better, or who offers the best long-haul flying experience, an independent travel agent can give you an unbiased opinion.  We are not tied to any particular operator or supplier and we make it our job to find you the right information on all aspects of your holiday.  The only people we want to please are our customers!

7. Tailormade Holidays

Booking a holiday online is easy, but will you be able to create a holiday itinerary that includes exactly what you love to do?  Would an online search engine understand that you are booking your luxury honeymoon?  Or that you have never been to the Maldives before and you want to make this the most incredible trip ever?  Would a booking site know that you can’t choose between beach or safari and you want to book both in one holiday?  No!  But we do!  Bespoke holidays are our speciality – you give us the checklist and we can deliver you a personalised holiday experience to include it all.  We can chat about it over a relaxed coffee and build the itinerary together – it’s all part of the service.

8. Insider knowledge

We don’t like to brag, but we have some seriously amazing connections, and we aren’t afraid to use them!  We have been so lucky to travel the world and we can tell you about amazing places that no online holiday booking site will know of.  Do you want to find an incredible restaurant that only the locals know of?  Or find a secluded beach away from the crowds?  You have come to the right place!  We have a little book of knowledge and contacts that we can’t wait to pass onto our customers – all you have to do is ask!

9. We look after you when you need us

No recorded helplines, no out of office message that goes on at 5pm sharp.  We understand that when you are on holiday you could need support and a good independent travel agent will always provide it.  We won’t let you down because a) we care, and b) our business is built on reputation.  We are here to take care of our customers – whenever they might need us.

So, there you have it!  9 reasons why you should book your next holiday with an independent travel agent.  If you would like to know more about our personal holiday booking and advisory service, you can browse our website or call us for a chat!  If you prefer we can meet for a no obligation coffee and chat holidays all day (it’s our favourite subject!)

We hope to hear from you soon, just drop us a line and tell us where you want to go!