Does It Cost More To Use A Travel Agent

We wanted to compare travel agents with DIY travel bookings to see which selection saved the nigh money and uncovered the best holiday deals.

And then nosotros fix up three hypothetical trips to 1 of the almost popular holiday destinations for Australians – Bali – and approached travel agents as would-be travellers looking for prices.

Our three types of hypothetical holiday-maker are:

a couple wanting a luxury romantic escape
a solo traveller seeking adventure
parents with young children needing some time out.

Every bit well every bit reaching our own verdict, nosotros also checked in with the travel agents to go their accept on people arranging their own trips.

On this page:

Our verdict
Scenario one: Luxury romantic escape
Scenario 2: Solo traveller
Scenario 3: Family vacation
What the travel agents say
Your rights and travel agents

It may take more time to DIY your holiday, depending on how figurer savvy you lot are, but information technology can lead to huge savings.

Our verdict

Doing information technology yourself

Booking holidays ourselves worked out cheaper than using an amanuensis in all 3 scenarios. The DIY booking for the luxury holiday saved a massive $2451, more than a 3rd less than the agent's price.

In most cases information technology was pretty quick and easy to make bookings online, although this was because we knew exactly what nosotros were looking for and the itineraries were fairly simple.

Using a travel agent

If you didn't know what to look for, travel agents' suggestions and advice could relieve hours of research past quickly narrowing downwards the endless options of hotels and tour packages available in Bali.

Each amanuensis was knowledgeable near the destination and happy to tweak the itinerary co-ordinate to our preferences.

Booking holidays ourselves worked out cheaper than using an agent in all iii scenarios

Booking through an agent besides came with a comforting certainty that all the details were correct, whereas when booking online we had to keep double checking that dates and details all lined up. This would become even more laborious with more complex itineraries.

Combined arroyo

If you want the best of both worlds, you can ever get an itinerary and quote from an agent, do your own search for the cheapest prices online, and and so ask the agent to match or beat the prices y'all've found (although non all offering a 'price beat' guarantee). At the very least, it'due south worthwhile quickly checking the hotel's and airline's own websites in case they're offering a significantly lower price than the agent.

It'southward also worth looking at flights with other airlines. Although this introduces many more than variables, changing airlines tin result in big savings. But make sure you lot're aware of the airline'south safety record and rails record for delays and cancellations.

What about hotel comparison sites?

We checked at to the lowest degree one hotel price comparison website for each itinerary, but their price always came in higher than both the agent'southward quote and the hotel'southward own website.

Booking a romantic luxury escape ourselves rather than through an amanuensis saved the states the about out of the three scenarios. Credit: themulia.com

Scenario 1: Luxury romantic escape

vii nights' adaptation at The Mulia in a Businesswoman Garden View Suite, including breakfast, flights and airport transfers.

Nosotros presented equally a couple wanting to stay somewhere luxurious on a full budget of $7000.

Travel agent

The travel agent responded to our online research within a couple of hours, suggesting two resorts: Anantara Uluwatu and The Mulia.

Nosotros chose The Mulia in Nusa Dua and the agent quickly sent through a package quote only under upkeep at $6887.

The package included seven nights' accommodation with breakfast, drome transfers and return Qantas flights, equally well every bit an add-on product ($49 per person) giving extra benefits and services such every bit price-drop protection.

We asked for the add-on product to be removed and for a price breakdown. The agent sent through a revised quote for $6789, but said a toll breakdown wasn't possible.

7 nights in The Baron Garden View Suite at The Mulia including breakfast, airport transfers and Qantas flights
Total: $6789

DIY

The Mulia'south own website offers hotel and flight packages, so we checked this option commencement.

A bundle including the same room (with breakfast, but no airport transfers) and return flights with Garuda Indonesia airline cost $6113 – significantly less than the agent's quote. Nosotros emailed the hotel well-nigh calculation transfers to this package and were told information technology would toll $84 return (800,000 in Indonesian rupiah, or IDR), taking the total cost of the package to $6197.

We and so looked at booking the room and flights separately. The Mulia website offered seven nights' accommodation in the Baron Garden View Suite including breakfast and transfers for $3045 (IDR 29,148,000).

We then found the same return Qantas flights for $1293 using a toll comparison site. Combined with the accommodation and transfers booked directly through The Mulia website, the flights took the total DIY package cost to just $4338, saving a whopping $2451 on the travel agent's quote.

Seven nights in The Baron Garden View Suite at The Mulia including breakfast and transfers – $3045
Qantas flights – $1293
Total: $4338

Result: DIY is $2451 (36%) cheaper

Booking a solo trip with adventure activities was straightforward without the help of a travel agent.

Scenario two: Solo traveller

9-day Intro Travel Bali Intro tour with activities, adaptation and flights, plus ane extra night's stay in Bali and aerodrome transfer.

The 2nd research was for a solo traveller who had a budget of $3000. We asked for adventure activities and the take a chance to run across other solo travellers.

Travel agent

The agent asked some questions nigh what kind of activities and experiences we were looking for earlier talking us through 3 different tour packages.

We chose the Bali Intro tour and the agent sent through a quote several hours later for $2204, which included the tour (8 nights' accommodation, one-mode airport transfer, viii meals and activities), return flights with Virgin, two nights' stay in a hotel before the tour and one night after information technology.

Later on some word about the actress accommodation, nosotros decided to remove the two-dark stay earlier the tour just keep the post-tour stay, equally the amanuensis recommended allowing enough of time to return to the main isle for the flying the side by side mean solar day.

The revised quote was well under budget at $1984. A $two clemency donation was added to the beak, which the agent hadn't mentioned.

Bali Intro tour – $1099
Flights – $797
Departure transfer – $35
Post-tour hotel – $51
Charity donation – $2
Total: $1984

DIY

Booking the same holiday online was straightforward. We booked the Bali Intro bout straight through the visitor's website for the same price ($1099). Using Virgin's own site, we found the same flights for $777. The Virgin flights were also available on a flight comparison site for $723. Flying with Jetstar on the same dates would have cost $629, including 20kg of luggage, entertainment and meals.

The mail service-tour hotel (with breakfast) was available on Agoda for $54, $three more than than quoted by the agent. We emailed the hotel and were told an airport transfer would price $21 (IDR 200,000).

Overall, it cost $181 more to volume through the amanuensis. And although some people employ agents for the perceived convenience, all the emails back and forth actually concluded upwards taking up more than time than the DIY pick.

Bali Intro bout – $1099
Flights – $629 (Jetstar)
Departure transfer – $21
Post-tour hotel – $54
Total: $1803

Result: DIY is $181 (ix%) cheaper

We saved $585 by booking a Bali family holiday ourselves. Credit: booking.com

Scenario 3: Family holiday

9 nights at Bali Mandira Beach Resort and Spa including breakfast, flights and transfers.

The 3rd enquiry was for a family of iv (two adults, a v year-one-time and a iii year-old) with a budget of $7000. Nosotros said nosotros wanted a family-friendly resort that had child-minding or kids' club facilities.

Travel agent

The travel amanuensis responded to our online enquiry with two flight options and detailed information on three resorts, along with pricing for each package.

We chose the Bali Mandira Beach Resort and Spa and flights on Malindo Air, which the amanuensis said was $350 cheaper than flying with Garuda.

The agent sent through a package including return Malindo Air flights (with 20kg baggage per person just no meals), nine nights at the Bali Mandira in a Superior Room with breakfast, and two-way aerodrome transfers – all for a total of $6570.

The accommodation came with a number of extras or 'value adds', including a x% discount at an on-site restaurant, a half-cost kids' meal at a cafe and theme dinner, free meals for kids when dining with their parents from the à la bill of fare menu at the primary eating place, and $eleven spa credit for each adult. The agent said they weren't able to break downwardly the package pricing.

Nine nights at Bali Mandira Beach Resort and Spa including breakfast, flights and transfers
Total $6570

DIY

We found the aforementioned room on the hotel's website including breakfast and return airport transfers for $3349. This room likewise came with some value adds: 10% discount at an on-site restaurant, 15% discount at the main restaurant, 10% spa discount for one treatment, and 20% discount for pre-booked signature spa treatments.

The flights on Malindo Air's website price $3481, which, combined with the adaptation found on the Bali Mandira'due south website, would take the full package to $6830 – higher than the agent's quote. But flights on the same dates with Jetstar (with 20kgs luggage, no meals) cost $2636, although the outbound flight arrived in Bali at 9pm rather than 4.50pm, which might exist less convenient for people with young children. The full for the DIY package with Jetstar flights was $5985.

Nine nights at Bali Mandira Beach Resort and Spa including buffet breakfast and transfers – $3349
Return flights – $2636 (Jetstar)
Total: $5985

Result: DIY is $585 (9%) cheaper

A professional travel amanuensis can make your entire experience hassle costless.

What the travel agents say

The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) says booking with an ATAS (AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme) accredited travel agent has many benefits.

Professional and personal travel specialists

A professional travel agent is trained to make your entire experience – from start to end – hassle free. They also tailor the itinerary to suit specific requests and find packages and products that suit your unique wants and needs.

Customer advocacy

If you experience a problem while travelling, your agent will act on your behalf, and is there to rectify any travel-related issues you run into.

Expert guidance

Agents are trained destination and product experts and know how to sort through the myriad of travel data available. Their knowledge and network means they likewise have access to the best deals.

Time saving

An amanuensis has a world of travel information at their ﬁngertips, saving y'all countless hours of online searching and frustration.

Convenience

Travel agents are a 'one-stop shop' that can handle every attribute of your travel – from booking airline tickets, ground transfers, tours and activities to arranging travel insurance.

A personal touch

A travel amanuensis will ensure the accuracy of your booking details, advise with visa applications, assist with travel documentation, and provide valuable travel hints and tips.

Your rights and travel agents

In 2014 the Australian travel industry became deregulated every bit the Travel Compensation Fund (TCF) was abolished, backed past industry and regime.

The TFC had ensured consumers were compensated when travel agents went broke, but under new rules travel agents no longer have to be licensed. Information technology means yous could be left stranded and out of pocket if a travel agent goes bust (although if you act fast, you can ask your banking company for a credit carte du jour chargeback.)

At that place's now merely the voluntary Australian Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS), run past the peak body Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), which vets travel agents to make sure they encounter certain standards such as being reliable and properly trained.

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.