Well said Darren. That ‘zero-sum’ attitude, where because one option is helpful the other must be unhelpful, is such a bad way to approach booking travel.

It depends what you’re booking, when you’re booking it and who you talk to. As you’ve said countless times in the past, cover all your bases if you want to find the right product at the right price.

Consider the source: MSN. I’d be inclined to suspect that MSN, which is run by Microsoft, which spun off Expedia, would have a vested interest in promoting online travel resources. MSN wants your eyeballs on their screens. I don’t know that I’d go so far as to say that they’re blatantly tipping the scales, but I do think that their editorial strategy would have an unsurprising preference for their own product.

It does look very one-sided.and Pam states a good case above.

Although I find the internet very useful when booking a holiday some people still like to talk to a ‘person’ and there is no right or wrong way, it’s just personal preference.

It also depends on time and for many people it is easier to hand their holiday plans over to a travel agent and everything is sorted for them rather than spending hours on the internet!

I think it’s a bizarre broadbrush statement, particularly given the section above this section is entitled ‘ Explore all your travel options’!!

Additionally, anyone who thinks they know enough to write an article about saving money in buying travel should surely know a bit about the industry and the pressures high street travel agents have been under. Their margin is hardly going to break the bank for the average consumer or be of poor value given the advice, the bonding etc already referred to.

Another point is surely with some package holidays, they can’t be DIYd for less? One place I’m thinking of is Luxor in Egypt. If I wanted to fly there and stay all inclusive in a 4 star hotel, I don’t think I could do it for anywhere near what the mainstream packages cost? (Not that I’d want to do it it).

One last point is that if you have a relationship with a travel agent, you’ll find out about holidays that interest you that might not necessarily be available on the likes of Expedia, or rather you may not find them in a pull versus push scenario. Some very special holidays are certainly not available on the likes of Expedia, my company’s holidays are not but are available through travel agents who have taken the time to find out enough about them.

Am I the only person in this planet who thinks that expedia is over priced, and over rated.

I don’t know what all the big fuss is about.

I read the article, and I do agree with her on some points; the price increase of holidays during the school holidays is not on, and, yes I know holiday companies have to make a living, but really at the expense of parents?

Other than that I agree with you guys, she’s not researched this topic, jumped in with both feet, and not warned holidaymakers of the dangers - in fact Darren, why didn’t you pick up that she’s not mentioned travel insurance at any point in that article?

Yaoooooooooohooo hit the big boys!! MSN are well known for writing nonsense that promotes their own products, and someone has finally woken up and seen them for what they are.

What a joke MSN are. Talk about brainwashing their readers. I am glad you raised this, as they have been doing this on just about any product or service that MSN offer.

I use the internet to book my holidays religiously every year and always go direct but will always go and check the hotels/apartments etc on a travel agents website.

They do charge an absolute fortune during school holidays which is why we go direct (plus its always cheaper) so not sure whether i agree to ditch them or not, they only thing I think they are good for is the star rating of the accomodation!

Cheapskate consumers and ignorant media annoy the life out of me.
I am a Travel Consultant with a global travel retailer and have been in the industry for 6 years now. People want the cheapest and don’t seem to realise that things are generally cheap for a reason. They book things themselves and when things go wrong and their dream holiday goes up in smoke, they have the cheek to come to us to fix it! We are professionals in our industry and like professionals in any other industry, such as estate agent, lawyer….if you employ the services of someone who knows what they are doing, you don’t expect them to offer their services for free.

agree with many of the comments. one small point: when did everyone start automatically assuming online is cheaper??

Darren: you mentioned Expedia and Lastminute.com, both big online travel agencies. Lastminute.com’s proposition has always been last-minute, not cheapest…

http://dontbookyourholidayonline.com/

Am I loving this new site from classic collection

Darren: Lee is actually doing exactly the right thing. Ensuring his business is multi-channel in how it distributes its products.

Whether that is talking to customers face-to-face in his branch, on the phone, or providing them information online…it is having as many touchpoints with the consumers that is important.

This is why we gave Select World Travel one of Sm@rt Agent Awards last year.

Here is the article: http://travolution.co.uk/Articles/2006/09/22/481/Sm%40rt+Agent+winner+September+2006+-+Select+World+Travel.html

klm, ed, travo