Peter Greenberg: Peter on Using Travel Agents

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-07-31

Q: Peter, I read your articles all the time and see you on morning television programs.  Being a travel professional, I wonder why you don't always suggest an experienced travel agent.  We spend endless hours training and will do all the legwork for clients.  We are almost always quoting the exact same price clients get online, and isn't it better to deal with someone face-to-face? We work harder for the small commissions we make.

–Lynn
Stoneham, Mass.

A: I'm glad you asked this question, because it gives me a chance to clarify my position on travel agents. I don't have a problem with travel agents, just with BAD ones. If travelers wish to use a travel agent, they should find a good one who not only books their flights and cars, but who also understands their needs, goes to bat for them when things go wrong, and tries to get them the best price possible. Travelers do not need an agent who just steers them toward companies that give the agent a commission.

I am also a big fan of using specialized travel agents—for instance, "cruise-only" travel agents for booking cruises, agents who work with bicycle tours for those types of trips, or those who deal in South American travel for those sorts of excursions.