Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever to book a trip yourself. With websites like Expedia, Orbitz, and, of course, Hotels4Teams, who needs a travel agent anymore? Many consider the profession obsolete in this day and age.

As a result, the number of travel agents has dwindled drastically in a short period of time. In 2000, there were over 120,000 travel agents in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Six years later, that number had already fallen by about 30%.

Despite this, a travel agent can still be an invaluable resource, especially if you’re traveling with a large group like a sports team. One of the biggest advantages to booking a trip with a travel agent is that they save you time. They take care of the hard work so you don’t have to!

As a team travel coordinator, you’ll appreciate having one less thing to deal with when it comes time to plan a trip. You’re busy enough as is, after all.

Travel agents can also help you save money on expenses like airfare, car rentals, and hotels. One reason why is because seasoned travel agents have industry insider knowledge that helps them find the cheapest rates.

For example, most travel agents know that the best time to book a flight is around 6 p.m. on Tuesdays. That’s when airlines update their systems with new fares. Since the number of seats with the lowest price is limited, whoever books them first gets the best deal.

Many travel agents also have connections in the travel industry that can benefit you. In return for referring their clients to certain travel companies, thus providing these companies with a steady flow of business, travel agents can ask for favors from time to time. These favors can include room upgrades, special amenities, and so on. It all depends on who your travel agent knows.

Computer-savviness is another reason why travel agents can find the cheapest rates. Experienced travel agents are well-versed on the ins and outs of reservation systems, so they’re often able to generate a wider range of search results. This means they are more likely produce search results that you might not have come across.

Also, unlike booking sites, travel agents offer personalized service. This is especially useful to you as a team travel coordinator since it’s your responsibility to make sure that the specific wants and needs of everyone you’re traveling with are sufficiently met. That’s why it’s important to choose the very best travel agent for your team.

Establishing a lasting relationship with a travel agent will prove to be an invaluable asset to you and your team in the long run. Now all you have to do is find the right one!

 

Conducting Your Search

Before you begin searching for a travel agent, it’s important that you plan as much of your trip as possible. If you have a budget in mind and get quotes for travel expenses like airfare, car rentals, and hotel accommodations ahead of time, you’ll be able to know whether or not a travel agent is capable of finding cheaper rates than you can.

Since you’re paying for their services, you want to make sure that you’ll be saving money on your trip by booking with a travel agent. In some cases, a travel agent will be able to save you hundreds of dollars, effectively covering the cost of the fees that they charge and then some.

Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to start shopping around for a travel agent. Personal recommendations from family and friends are a good way to find potential travel agents. After all, if people you trust are content with an agent’s services, chances are you will be too. If you have any friends or relatives in particular who you know travel often, consult with them first.

However, as we mentioned before, fewer and fewer people are booking their trips with the assistance of a travel agent. So don’t be surprised if your family and friends aren’t able to recommend any.

If that’s the case, try asking for recommendations on social media. You can also browse Virtuoso, a website with a catalog of more than 15,000 travel agents. With search filters like location and areas of specialization, Virtuoso makes it easy to find nearby travel agents who best suit your particular wants and needs.

Another way to help narrow down your search is by looking for licensed travel agents. The United States is one of the few countries in the world in which the federal government does not require travel agents to have any formal training or registration.

Since pretty much anyone can call themselves a travel agent, you want to be 100% sure that you’re dealing with a licensed professional.

For example, if an agent is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents, ASTA, or the Association of Retail Travel Agents, ARTA, that’s usually a good sign. Both associations uphold a code of ethics that ensure the trustworthiness of their members.

However, it’s important to note that, even though the ASTA is the larger association of the two, this does not imply that their members will provide you with better service than those affiliated with ARTA. In fact, some actually consider ARTA to be the more reputable association of the two.

Travel Agent

Additional qualifications that can indicate a travel agent’s expertise include certification from The Travel Institute, a non-profit group devoted to travel agent education, and affiliation with a large organization or company such as AAA or Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

A travel agent should also be in compliance with seller of travel regulations, which vary from state to state, and carry error and omission insurance as well.

While qualifications such as these will assist you in narrowing down your list of prospective travel agents, you should also consider your own personal preferences.

Will you want to primarily communicate with your travel agent face-to-face? If so, you’ll want to find a local agent with flexible office hours.

If meeting with a travel agent face-to-face is not necessarily important to you, try to find a travel agent who is able to communicate in a clear and concise manner via phone or email.

The more you know what you’re looking for in an agent, the easier it will be for you to make your final decision.

 

Comparing Your Options

Once you’ve found a few potential agents, you can begin the comparison process. Don’t rush into this step if you’ve only found two or three agents so far, however.

If possible, try to compare five agents or more. The wider of a net you cast, the better chance you have of finding a travel agent who meets most of, if not all, of your criteria.

One trick you can use to put several travel agents to the test in a timely manner is by making them compete for your business. In order to do this, you ideally want to be able to tell them about your itinerary and the proposed cost of your trip.

Travel Agent

If you don’t have the time to research all of this, however, find out the approximate price of at least one travel expense you’ll incur during your trip. This can be the cost of airfare, hotel rooms, or anything else of that sort.

Next, contact each prospective travel agent, and ask if they would be able to find you a better price than what you have come across. To the agents who answer your question affirmatively, provide your contact information and inform them that you will be contacting other travel agents as well.

Letting a travel agent know that they are not the only one you plan to contact is important for two reasons.

First off, this should motivate the agent to go above and beyond in the hopes of securing you as a client. Doing so also keeps an agent from being surprised if you need to inform them that you found a better deal elsewhere. You never know if you’ll need to end up going with their services after all, so it’s in your best interest to stay on good terms with every agent you reach out to.

Once you’ve heard back from the travel agents who said they would be able to find a better price, schedule a time to meet with all of them one-on-one.

If possible, conduct your meetings in person. Doing so gives you the opportunity to evaluate both the agent and their office environment. If your agent or their co-workers only seem interested in pressuring clients into making a decision they aren’t completely satisfied with, move on.

During your meetings, don’t be afraid to “interview” the agent. Ask them how long they’ve been a travel agent for, how much they charge in fees, if they’ve ever traveled to where you’ll be going, and so on.

Hiring a travel agent is a big deal, so the more you know about them, the better. This is especially true in your case since the travel agent you hire will likely be handling the booking process for you, as well as your team.

Immediately after you return from each meeting, take the time to thoughtfully evaluate your interaction with the travel agent. Were you comfortable speaking with them? Did they seem willing to go above and beyond to provide you with excellent service? Were they able to answer all of your questions? What questions couldn’t they answer? Questions like these will help you to narrow down your list of prospective travel agents.

If you’re still unsure about which travel agent is most well-suited for you and your team after interviewing and evaluating each one, there are a couple of other strategies you could employ as well.

One such strategy is to contact the Better Business Bureau. If you do choose to do this, however, take their reports with a grain of salt since it’s widely believed that the secret to a company getting a good BBB rating is by paying to become a member of the organization. You could also ask a travel agent to provide you with the contact info of longtime clients, if they are willing and able to.

 

While all of this might sound like a fairly time-consuming process, it’s important to remember that, the sooner you find the best travel agent for you and your team, the sooner you can begin saving precious time and money every time you travel together.

For a profession that’s oft-considered to have been made obsolete by the advent of do-it-yourself booking sites, there’s a good chance you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how beneficial hiring a travel agent can be for you and your team.