Become your own travel agent - post by maxyourtravel.com
Updated: Feb 7, 2021
Is booking through a travel agent worth it or are you better off planning vacations on your own? Though the recovery from the COVID pandemic will offer some unique opportunities the answer isn't straight forward, depends on the type of travel you desire and whether you value globetrotting experiences in a black box of splurge or prefer to not break the bank and become your own travel expert.
As many of us are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in regards to the COVID pandemic the pent up desire to get back to far away travel is growing by the minute and making many of us restless. While our family has chosen nature getaways we can drive to in the meantime and plans to continue doing so in the near future it definitely seems like the right time to start planning some further away air travel for what may be as early as this summer. I believe there will be many ways travel will be different in the near future but also cheaper in more attractive in some ways. One of the questions worth answering is whether the same opportunities will exist while planning and booking on your own or whether you should hire someone to do the planning for you. Both are equally tempting to us, and there's definitely value in exploring both approaches however I'm firmly convinced that the long term benefit of designing your own travel will continue to hold even in the post COVID world. So yes, I think it's a great time to start drawing up your travel plans and a perfect time for me to revisit my blog post about the value of organizing your own vacations.
Travel budget
When we first started getting away more our goal was to travel at least four times a year including at least one international destination. We both get plenty of vacation throughout the year so time off wasn't an issue but being able to afford it was the key. It took us a while to get there but we finally got to a point, at least before the pandemic, where we were able to take at least those four trips annually and splurge occasionally but also stay within our budget for the year. Yes, we have a travel budget and that financial travel plan is bound to become even more important going forward. Our budget isn't awfully rigid but serves a good means to guide our planning although that's a longer topic I'll save for another time.
Part of gradual progression and learning experience was making sure that we get to a point where we get as close to flying for free as possible or at the least never have to pay for full fare again. While we haven't mastered saving the same amount of money on lodging yet I think we will slowly get there as well especially now, considering the hospitality industry is starved and eager to get back to its previous demand. This however would've never occurred if we continued to book our travel through travel agencies. So, for someone who's just now starting to get serious about systematic travel and would like to do so on a budget I would say the number one tip is to make sure that you do the planning yourself!
Travel agent vs You
Unless you want a completely effortless, luxury experience and have entirely no idea where to start I would recommend you do not go to a travel agent. They might end up saving you some money but I guarantee you that if you plan on your own you can save even more. Perhaps not your first time around but the main advantage of planning on your own is that you're learning how to do it yourself and with every time you repeat that process you'll make better and better decisions. If you decide to go to a travel agent at least use the info the agent gives you to do some of your own research and see if you can do better. Not only in terms of the price but also as far as the overall experience.
To be honest I'm not sure why travel agencies still exist. But not everyone is like us and I guess the most resilient and the most valuable agencies have and will survive and perhaps thrive even more in the post-pandemic environment. However we see travel agencies very much like any "agents" as primarily intermediaries for things that you can mostly accomplish by yourself in this day and age of eCommerce and digital communication.
" Employment of travel agents is projected to decline 12 percent from 2016 to 2026. The ability of travelers to use the Internet to research vacations and book their own trips is expected to continue to suppress demand for travel agents. Job prospects should be best for travel agents who specialize in specific destinations or particular types of travelers. .”
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Travel Agents, on the Internet at
(visited February 07, 2019).
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against travel agents and as I mentioned there's a point to be made for those who are still in the profession but at this point I would go as far as to say that we'd be wasting our time on a physical appointment or even a phone call when all the resources you need are at your fingertips. I'm generalizing here of course since there's no question that booking through an agent could save you some time. They are skilled and experienced individuals who can most likely give you pretty good advice. But as the above citation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics hints unless you are a specific type of traveler who is looking for a unique experience that you don't think you can find on your own I'm not sure that a travel agent will save you a whole lot of money. Most of all however, using an agent will definitely not help you become more savvy at being your own travel expert and maximizing your travel affordably and yes this applies to post COVID travel as well and all of it possible changes and advantages.
You will get better with time and experience
The only time we've ever gone to an agent was to book our honeymoon. It seemed like a good idea at the time especially considering the craziness of planning our wedding ourselves. In retrospect though, especially considering that we stayed at an all-inclusive resort we would have been better off booking our honeymoon trip ourselves.
Planning our travels ourselves has not only allowed us to become very efficient over time but also uncover many tips and travel arbitrage opportunities we would have never learned if we had stuck with travel agencies. There could be many new of such new opportunities arising with the gradual fade of the pandemic. Would you rather let the travel agency uncover and benefit from them or capitalize on them yourself? For instance the use of credit card travel awards would probably still be a pretty distant enigma for us not to mention the fact that we would not have been able to use those rewards through travel agencies.
When flying to Europe we would probably stick to specific airlines that the agency gets commissions from. We would not be able to compare flying experiences with various carriers and judge for ourselves which one truly works the best us.
There's also the element of surprise. There is always the risk that without scrutinizing your planned vacation enough on your own you might get unpleasantly surprised by what was booked for you. Of course the flip side argument is that your surprise might be enjoyable instead. After all travel agents specializing in certain destinations and types of getaways should take the guessing out of the equation. We however feel it's much easier to forgive ourselves for any types of curve balls our vacationing may throw our way as opposed to having to deal with someone else's screw up.
Some things we learned over time that are savings up money and improving our travel
Throughout this blog we will share our approach to our travel planning in much more detail. It's impossible to list everything, even at a high level in this post but here's a sample of a few good practices we've learned in the process of being our own travel agents.
You can search different Airlines and flights for each of your vacations but our advice is to find a rewards program and stick with it by being loyal to one or two airlines that cover most of your desired destinations. In our experience that's the best way to get the most bang for your buck.
Booking your hotels or other lodging on your own is also a great way of ensuring you will be staying in an area that you're the most interested in seeing or experiencing. So before you book that hotel make sure you check it out on the map and confirm there isn't something that will meet your needs better location wise.
Book flights in advance. At least two weeks out for a domestic trip and preferably two months out for international. The longer you wait the more you'll pay. That's definitely true when it comes to airfare but opposite can be true for hotels and car rentals. In general you want to book those in advance as well but it's much easier to get a good last minute deal on lodging than it is on airfare. Many hotels will allow you to cancel for free up to a day before your stay so feel free to book your stay in advance and keep searching to confirm whether you can find something with better overall value up to that cancellation deadline.
Use the same approach with car rentals and anything else that has a free cancellation policy. Plan and map out what you want to see and do for each day of your vacation including the optimal ways of commuting between your attractions. With ride-sharing services taking over the world maybe renting a car and paying for that paid parking at your hotel isn't worth it. The beauty of traveling today is that if you don't plan ahead of time, prior to leaving on your trip you can always do it on the go and if your plans need to change it's also never been easier to pivot while on your vacation.
Have fun with it
These are just some of the things we've learned on our own over the years thanks to planning our own vacations. So go ahead and make Google your travel agent but most importantly embrace the process. Keep a spreadsheet of planned activities and the anticipated cost of at least some of the bigger ticket items you will have to pay for on your vacation like flights, hotels and car rentals. This financial aspect of your travel planning is very important as well if you want to maximize your travel and do it affordably. If you're not very analytical or financially inclined or are dreading planning your own vacation try to train your brain to enjoy finding ways to save money, to spend it wisely and hit your financial goals. While the financial part might be more difficult to start enjoying, planning your actual vacation and the anticipation of the experience can be can be very rewarding as well. If that too seems like a bit of a chore at first approach it with a little bit of a daydreamer's attitude and you'll quickly see that the vision of your vacation shaping right there in front of you will make this activity very enjoyable.
For instance, we took a trip to Quebec City a couple winters ago. When planning this vacation the first thing we did was Google photos of our destination during the winter. Imagining ourselves among Quebec's beautiful winter wonderland, envisioning our charming hotel, anticipating our four year old son having the best time of his life playing in the snow and researching the great New Year's celebration the city puts on made our planning a pure joy.
So embrace the process, have fun with it and once you have a bit of experience planning your own getaways let me know how you're enjoying becoming your own travel expert and agent.
If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out the rest of my blog at www.maxyourtravel.com for other write ups on our family's travel tips, experiences and reviews and visit my Instagram account ms.max.your.travel. Feel free to follow me on Instagram and let me know if you have any questions!
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