Travel Agents - Bah!
Now I always thought travel agents are there to act for the client, on the clients instructions. The other day I went to a travel agent and asked for some advice for airfares to Vienna in September.
I stated:
Now the travel agent has sent me a deal for an airline that will:
A bit of research revealed that I can get another airline to fly Melbourne to Bangkok to Dubai to Vienna with 10 hours less travel, $500 less taxes and the base fare is about $200 cheaper. On the return Dubai to Melbourne is non-stop (although I have an overnight stay in Dubai.) All I have to do is arrange travel to and from Auckland as well. (You probably can guess which airline given the routing.)
So overall, I will save about $300 (allowing $200 for an overnight in Dubai and $100 each way Wellington to Auckland) and several less hours sitting in a plane if I choose this option. Plus there is no Credit Card Surcharge so I get free Travel Insurance - another $300 saving (or $100 for the Credit Card Surcharge).
In future I think I might not bother with Travel Agents.
I stated:
- I did not mind which airline.
- I wanted to fly from Asia to Vienna direct.
- I didn't mind paying a little more to avoid going through London
Now the travel agent has sent me a deal for an airline that will:
- Fly me to Melbourne, then Asia, then London, then Vienna - 42 hrs start to finish. Return is the same routing.
- Total Taxes is $600.
- And she added Travel Insurance to the quote (not separate) without my asking.
A bit of research revealed that I can get another airline to fly Melbourne to Bangkok to Dubai to Vienna with 10 hours less travel, $500 less taxes and the base fare is about $200 cheaper. On the return Dubai to Melbourne is non-stop (although I have an overnight stay in Dubai.) All I have to do is arrange travel to and from Auckland as well. (You probably can guess which airline given the routing.)
So overall, I will save about $300 (allowing $200 for an overnight in Dubai and $100 each way Wellington to Auckland) and several less hours sitting in a plane if I choose this option. Plus there is no Credit Card Surcharge so I get free Travel Insurance - another $300 saving (or $100 for the Credit Card Surcharge).
In future I think I might not bother with Travel Agents.
posted by Michael at
8:20 PM
5 Comments:
They are rip off merchants - they probably had a deal with the airline expecting you not to look for a cheaper deal.
I would guess Air New Zealand - or the otherwise know as the airline they shouldn't have been saved by the NZ taxpayer.
By
Anonymous, at 10:14 PM
Yes indeed mate. I go to Travelocity.co.uk and Expedia.co.uk and got my NZ flights quotes from there.
Have you been to Austria before? I know you have hit this side of the world before a year ago right? I love Austria, esp Salzberg. Gorgeous.
By
Heine, at 2:39 PM
We went to Vienna and Salzburg last year - see here and here.
This year I'm planning to hit South Eastern Europe (Hungary, Romania, the countries that used to make up Yugoslavia - possibly Moldova and Albania as well.)
By
Michael, at 7:34 PM
The airline the Travel Agent recommended was not Air NZ, but Qantas. How the commission works out between airlines I have no idea.
The airline that's cheaper than the deal offered is Emirates - although I read on some websites that seat size is an issue.
By
Michael, at 7:38 PM
You will like Hungary, very beautiful country. I might pop that way again after my next visit to Prague in April.
Qantas are quoting me £645 return London/Wellington...
By
Heine, at 6:14 AM
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