Travel agents currently get paid on commission by the travel companies you book with.  They want you to have the best holiday ever, they want to make sure they’ve sent you to the right place that matches exactly what you’re looking for.  They want you to book again with them.  Talk about the client always being right! They will spend time with you learning what you’re looking for and making sure your every whim is taken care of.  Need a crib in your room? They’ve got that.  Want to make sure the wing you’re staying in isn’t party central at night? They’ve got that too. Some agents even specialize in allergy-travel: they know exactly where to safely send you. 

Life is filled with so many emails, passwords to remember, websites to visit.  Trying to scroll through emails to find your airline itinerary, then your hotel booking, transfer information can be really time consuming and annoying.  Agents not only take care of booking all of that for you but will send you all the info you need in one simple package. No more scrambling before leaving for the airport realizing you haven’t printed the most recent document or had it sent to the account that’s not on your phone. (or is that just me?) 

They’ve also got you covered should something go wrong in destination.  If you need to speak to someone about your trip while you’re there, you talk to them. 

This point is perhaps the biggest one logistically.  Entry requirements for countries vary and are changing often.  It’s going to be hard for the average traveller to keep up – but your travel agent is on top of it. They know which kind of tests are required, what quarantine and protocols are, if there are changes to visa requirements due to COVID, what exemptions there are if you’re vaccinated – all of it. 

When COVID first hit – travel agents worked tirelessly to bring their clients back home safely.  They were the ones on hold with the airlines to arrange flights home while their clients enjoyed a last day or two on the beach. They were penalized financially as most agents only get paid when the clients travel – meaning all the work they did on cancelled trips went unpaid, and then those commissions that were paid were recalled. 

They did it because they love travel and they love helping their clients.  We will likely see some charging a service fee.  Pay it. It’s time we all showed them a bit of respect for their expertise.