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Breaking Down the Pros and Cons of Using a Travel Agent

You're convinced that having a travel expert by your side will be useful. But how do you go about knowing when and how to book with them?

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Confession: I’m a big fan of travel agents (whoops, sorry, travel advisers ), even though I could technically book all my trips through websites and apps. And despite the fact that many of us might consider this industry old-fashioned and out-of-date, research shows that travelers, and millennials in particular, are once again turning to these specialists to help plow through TripAdvisor detritus. If you’re wondering: how much does a travel agent cost, and why would I book with one anyway? Read on.

How to Know If You Need a Travel Agent

Once you’ve come around to the idea of hiring a travel agent, ask these three questions before booking:

• Is this a domestic trip or one that involves traveling to a part of the world you’ve never been? If it’s the former you don’t need a travel agent.
• Can I get a better deal by using a travel agent? (This question requires you pricing out your trip with and without one.)
• Is this a big-budget, special-event kind of trip? If the answer is yes, go with a travel agent.

The Pros of Using a Travel Agent

They can find crazy deals..

This is literally their job. If they have been in the travel business for many years, they likely have supplier relationships in place that can help leverage better deals for you. Many travel agents specialize in locations (i.e., cruise vacations in Europe). Some travel agents offer package deals, with more savings passed on to you then booking the trip on your own—that is good news to your wallet.

They will be your advocate.

One of the best ways to utilize a travel agent is as an advocate should something derail on your trip. They can help you with lost luggage, in the case of natural disasters, if you get stuck in a location before your trip, etc. They are there to help you get your trip back on track.

They’ll take care of the little things.

I love my travel agent, and I love all the extras she provides when we use her services for a trip. For instance, when we traveled to the Bahamas, she made sure there was a nice bottle of champagne and strawberries in our room on our arrival, and she also upgraded our room free of charge. While this certainly is not a guarantee when you use a travel agent, there are a lot of added-value extras you can expect when you use a travel agent. Why? Because travel agents know you don’t have to use them to book your trip, and they want to say thank you.

They’re true experts.

Most travel agents have been working in the industry for years now, and it’s their job to stay on top of travel trends and upcoming hot destinations. When I spoke with my travel agent about a trip to Europe recently, she offered a few alternate destinations. I was not thinking about the destinations she suggested, but the alternatives offered great activities, culture, food, interesting boutique hotels, and more options for less money than my original destination.

They don’t usually cost extra.

It’s a myth that working with a travel agent will automatically cost you more; most get paid via commissions from the hotel or outfitter. Sure, some travel agents do charge a fee for putting together an itinerary, but most will credit you that fee if you end up booking the trip through them. Make sure you know all the potential fees before you use a travel agent, and do not hesitate to negotiate away.

The Cons of Using a Travel Agent

They’re not going to help with cheaper airfare..

Back in the day, you would use a travel agent to book every aspect of your trip. However, with so many options to find low-cost airfare, like Google Flights , Scott’s Cheap Flights , and  Skyscanner , booking your own flights is easy and cost-effective. Most travel agents cannot score discounted flights, and many travel agents will not even bother. Follow these tips on how to find the cheapest flights possible , instead.

They’re not you.

This may seem obvious, although it’s still important to consider. A travel agent not only finds you the best deals, but they also offer suggestions for activities, restaurants, and more. This is great if you’re someone who doesn’t like to research these things, but you run the risk of working with someone who doesn’t get your personal preferences (maybe they lean toward road tours rather than technical singletrack). Do your own research first, and come up with a list of activities that you want to do. Once you have that list, pass it along to your travel agent to see if they can rustle up any deals as they book.

How to Find a Great One

One of the best ways to find a reputable travel agent is to get referrals from your friends and family. Anyone that has used that travel agent for a previous trip and enjoyed their service is someone worth checking out. As with anything, I always suggest talking to at least two different travel agents to see who you feel most comfortable with. Remember, they are there to work for you.

Know your travel budget before you reach out to a travel agent. Likely, this will be the first question they ask you and will help steer them toward the best destinations for that budget. If you are traveling somewhere that’s specialized, like going on that once-in-a-lifetime African safari , find a specialist that knows that region inside and out. They will usually have the best deals and relationships with hotels and activity companies in that area.

How Much Does a Travel Agent Cost?

Usually, the cost of hiring a travel agent to organize a trip for you is fairly minimal. Many agencies charge a flat fee of around $100, and others may charge a certain small percentage of your trip. Most of their take-home profits come from the hotels, wholesalers, resorts, and businesses they work with, but be sure to as your travel agent about fees upfront and before you start working with them to plan your next dream vacation. (No one likes hidden fees and surprises.)

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Best Online Travel Agencies

Booking.com is our top choice for making your trip arrangements

Ligaya Malones is an editor, blogger, and freelance writer specializing in food and travel. Ligaya's work has appeared in publications including Lonely Planet and BRIDES.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Planning a trip can be easier through an online travel agency than if you handle each aspect of the planning separately. You can book hotels, air travel, rental cars, and more through a single site, and booking everything together sometimes results in discounts. By inputting a destination, a range of dates, and other preferences, you will see a list of options for each aspect of travel.

The best online travel agencies offer options from the largest number of airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and more. Look for sites that offer discounts for combining reservations for different aspects of your trip. For example, the best sites will have lower rates if you book both plane tickets and a hotel through their services. The best sites also provide reviews from customers who actually have booked through the service. These are our top picks.

• Best Overall: Booking.com
• Best Budget: Skyscanner
• Best Price Predictor: Hopper
• Most Innovative: Kiwi.com
• Best for Eco-Conscious: Kind Traveler
• Best for Social Impact: I Like Local
• Best for Design-Forward Homestays: Plum Guide
• Our Top Picks
• Booking.com

Kind Traveler

I Like Local

• See More (4)

Final Verdict

Frequently asked questions, methodology, best overall : booking.com.

 Booking.com

This industry leader offers one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms on the Internet.

Lots of options to choose from

Interface is easy to use

Numerous filters to customize your search

Tricky to tell whether changes/cancellations can be made with Booking.com or the vendor directly

Booking.com was founded in 1996 and has grown into an industry leader that stands out for being one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms out there. From one website, you can compare and book accommodations, flights (including one-way and multi-city flights), sightseeing activities, and even airport taxis. The website lists more than 28 million accommodation options, from hotels, hostels, and B&Bs to vacation homes and luxury resorts—you can browse more choices per destination on Booking.com than other online travel agencies. The website also performs well on cost and typically returns lower-than-average prices for flights and hotels. 

Booking.com's interface is also easy to use. On the home page, search for a hotel by entering your chosen destination and dates. Then, use the extensive list of filters—such as price range and distance from the city center—to narrow the results down and find the best fit. You can also search for a specific hotel, or seek inspiration by clicking through options grouped by destination or property type or by topic such as the country’s best Michelin-starred hotel restaurants or the top cities for vegan travelers. The flights, car rental, and other tabs are just as intuitive. 

Best Budget : Skyscanner

 Skyscanner

You can compare prices across airlines, hotels, and car rentals.

Simple interface

Option to toggle searches between specific dates or by monthly calendars

Search Everywhere button is great for spontaneous planners

Extra clicks are required to make a final purchase

Must read fine print for changes/cancellations—may need to deal directly with the vendor

Ads on the sidebar can be distracting

Find deals on airfare, hotels, and car rentals with an aggregator site like Skyscanner , which uses a metasearch engine to compare prices from all online travel agencies and the airline, hotel, or car rental company in question. Run searches with fixed dates, opt to compare airfare prices month to month, or click “Cheapest Month.” Searches also include options for nearby airports or non-stop flights only. With hotel searches, you can choose to select only from properties with free cancellation, a cleanliness rating of 4.5/5 or higher, or 3- or 4-starred hotels only. Car rental searches include an option to select “return car to different location.”

Once you’ve found the best rate, click on the link to be redirected to the third-party site to make your booking. Feeling spontaneous? The Search Everywhere button on the homepage offers a list of the cheapest flight deals for destinations both locally and across the world—just plug in your departure airport first.

Best Price Predictor : Hopper

The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting when flights and hotel rates will be cheapest.

Color-coded system makes it easy to determine cheapest days to buy

App is easy to use

Option to track flights and receive alerts when the best time to buy arises

Some have mentioned the app functions better as a research tool than a booking tool

Unclear whether Hopper will price match if you find a cheaper flight elsewhere

Hopper is a travel app available on iOS and Android that aims to help travelers save on airfare by usng historical data and their own algorithm to predict when flights will be cheapest. Just type in where and when you’d like to fly and Hopper will present you with a color-coded pricing calendar indicating how much tickets are likely to cost. (Green is the least expensive, then yellow, orange, and red for most expensive.) Hopper will also recommend you either buy now or wait, or you can choose to watch a trip and receive notifications on the best time to buy. In addition, the app has expanded to offer hotel and car rental price predictions, too.

Some newer features since the app’s inception in 2009 include an option to freeze a price for a limited time—for an extra fee—as well as exclusive app-only discounts. Hopper is free to download, and you can choose to book directly through the app, though some users mentioned they use Hopper as more of a research tool before booking directly with the airline or hotel. The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting flight rates up to a year ahead.

Most Innovative : Kiwi.com

This metasearch engine scours the web to piece together the ideal itinerary using planes, trains, buses, and more.

Creative itineraries get you where you need to go, especially if you’ve got a multi-stop trip

Kiwi Guarantee offers rebooking or cancellation protections

Nomad option appeals to travelers with a lot of flexibility

Creative itineraries mean you may not fly out of the same airport you flew into

Kiwi Guarantee has an additional fee

Charges all-in-one fee for booking flights, trains, buses (though you can always purchase a la carte)

Travelers planning multi-city destinations and seeking a bargain, as well as those looking to take planes, trains, and automobiles to get there, might consider Kiwi . Kiwi is a metasearch engine that scours and pieces together itineraries from various airlines (even if they don’t have a codeshare agreement), considers multiple airports (even if your arrival airport is different from departure), and offers booking options, whether you’re looking at very specific dates or more general ones (up to 60 nights).

Some will find the ability to make multiple bookings for a particular trip more convenient than going at it manually several different times, though note that you must opt into the Kiwi Guarantee program to access rebooking and refund protections should your reservation change or be canceled. Kiwi’s Nomad option allows you to plug in a bunch of destinations you’d like to visit and the length of your intended stay, and the website will churn out the most affordable itineraries for review.

Best for Eco-Conscious : Kind Traveler

A give-and-get business model means booking accommodations with exclusive perks, a donation to environmental organizations, and more.

All participating hotels include a local give-back component

Exclusive savings and perks

Participating hotels are located in some of the most beautiful places in the world

Inventory is much smaller compared to other booking platforms

Some of the amenities mentioned are based on availability only

In 2022, Kind Traveler (an online trave agency focused on hotel bookings) announced an increase in environmentally and socially conscious hotels, charity donations, voluntourism opportunities, and additional perks like waived resort fees or a welcome amenity.

Unlock exclusive hotel rates and perks from participating Kind Traveler hotels with a minimum $10/night minimum donation to a local charity. For example, stay at the Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives and receive up to $33 off the nightly rate and perks such as a food and beverage credit and an Earth Lab or Alchemy Bar workshop when you make a donation to Manta Trust. The organization funds coastal research to protect the island nation’s large yet fragile population of reef mantas.

Select from more than 140 participating hotels from the Hawaiian Islands to Bozeman, Montana, and the Maldives. Charities include wildlife, human rights, arts, education, and environmental preservation organizations.

Best for Social Impact : I Like Local

Choose from a host of travel experiences with the peace of mind that 100 percent of the cost goes directly to local partners.

Social impact mission woven into organization’s business model

Immersive experiences led by local guides

Range of experiences offered

May not be best fit for those seeking upscale, luxury experiences and stays

Can’t sort experiences by a list of countries (though an interactive map is available)

No experiences outside of Africa and Asia

For an online travel agency with a booking platform designed to route dollars spent directly to the communities travelers intend to visit, consider I Like Local . Visit the website to browse a host of travel experiences in countries including Indonesia, Kenya, and Cambodia. Experiences include homestays and farmstays as well as wellness and culturally oriented experiences—from cooking and cycling tours to weaving classes.

To search for an experience, select from drop-down items like travel dates and experience categories, or view a global map and click on a country to view experiences that way.

The platform got its start in 2014 and has grown to 4,000 local hosts across nearly 20 countries. As a social impact organization, 100 percent of each booking fee goes to local hosts. To date, 16,000 travelers have booked with I Like Local.

Best for Design-Forward Homestays : Plum Guide

Browse and book seriously vetted, design-forward vacation homes.

Highly curated inventory of vacation rentals across the world

Design-forward

Thorough vetting process

Does not publish guest reviews

Other platforms have homes available across more destinations

When it comes to booking a vacation home, serviced apartment, or condo, travelers are spoiled for choice. Plum Guide is an online travel agency that specializes in accommodations—though not just any home makes its directory. The company claims that each potential home listed on its site must jump through 150 hoops to be included, from internet speed and mattress and pillow quality to the showers’ water pressure and the home’s proximity to dining, shopping, and attractions.

Search by a featured collection on the website such as “ pet-friendly homes ” or “one-of-a-kind homes in Palm Springs.” Scroll to the bottom of its homepage to view its top destinations, as well as a list of all destinations where Plum Guide homes are available, including Barbados, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, the U.S., and Turkey. Note: From the top right-hand corner of the site, use the dropdown menu to select currency of choice.

As long as you know what you value most out of your travel experience—such as affordability, social impact, or luxe accommodations—there’s an online travel agency to help plan your next trip. Be sure to read the fine print, as some agencies are third-party websites and not direct vendors. If you're not sure where to start, Booking.com is your best bet for a smooth user experience and hard-to-beat offers on flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements.

What Is the Biggest Travel Agency?

Our choice for best overall, Booking.com, is known as an industry leader with listings for all major hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and more. It boasts more choices for accommodations per destination than any other site, and we found its interface to be user-friendly.

Are Online Travel Agencies Worth It?

This depends on your needs and priorities. The best online travel agencies certainly can save time by booking everything all at once. However, if you're someone who is good at haggling and enjoys the details of planning a trip, you might be able to find better deals by reaching out to hotels or other destinations and speaking to someone personally.

Is It Cheaper to Book Online Than With a Travel Agent?

Not always. A travel agent you know and trust should have the experience and connections to find deals that can match or surpass what you'll find online. Additionally, if something goes wrong, travel agents provide you with an actual person you can use as an advocate to correct the problem . But if you don't have access to a good travel agent, online sites still provide plenty of ways to streamline planning and save money .

We considered dozens of online travel agencies and narrowed down the options based on user experience, volume and quality of inventory, unique offerings and specials, and customer reviews. We also assessed travel companies’ environmentally and socially conscious policies.

Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images

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Airconcierge.com is a retail brand of International Travel Network (ITN) – a major U.S. airline consolidator. Airconcierge is a full-service travel agency specializing in offering discount airline tickets from the U.S. to all international destinations, group travel arrangements, complex flight bookings, affordable hotel bookings, car rentals, transfers and other travel-related services. Airconcierge focuses on providing it's clients with 24/7 live support over the phone before, during and after the booking. To look-up the discount airfare deals, please, visit another ITN's retail website www.asaptickets.com

What is the best way to book international flights?

We are often asked how to find and book the best international flight deal. What is the best site for international flight searches? When is the best time to buy international airline tickets? Which international airlines are recommended?

After sharing our flight booking tips with friends and family, we knew this information could be helpful for other travelers. In this post, we’ll share some of the strategy behind our process for booking international flights.

Want to skip ahead? We also put together a handy, step-by-step  checklist for finding the best flights . You can refer back to it as you make your trip plans. Use the form below and we’ll e-mail it to you!

What is the best way to book international flights? Our step by step guide and checklist

Note 1: This flight booking guide assumes that you already have a time frame and destination for your trip. However, the more flexible your time frame is, the more you can find deals.

If you need to leave after work on Friday and return by Sunday evening the following week, you are limited to flights on those dates. But if you can depart and return any day of the week at any point in the month, many more possibilities are open to you.

For more tips, see our post on how to travel more with a full time job .

Note 2: For the first four years of our nomad life, we have relied almost exclusively on miles and points to book our long haul overseas flights. This hobby/strategy has a steep learning curve but has been well worth the effort.

If your trip is more than a year away, consider travel hacking . 

For today’s purposes we will focus on booking international flights that you pay out of pocket. This will teach you how to find cheap flights to anywhere and how to choose the best flight deal in regards to comfort, amenities, and convenience.

Phase One: The Broad Search

First, you’ll start with some general research. Here you’re just trying to get a sense of what kinds of flights and prices are available.

Goals for this initial phase: – Find the cheapest days to fly within your time frame – Compile a list of potential flights that could work

1. Search with an incognito browser . There is some debate on whether this step is really necessary, but it doesn’t hurt. Airline sites may be tracking the flight searches on your browser to figure out where you want to go and raise the price. Using an incognito browser would supposedly prevent this.

With Chrome open, hold down Ctrl+ Shift + N. For Internet Explorer, use Ctrl+Shift+P to open the private browser.

2. Search for possible flights. We start with Google Flights: https://www.google.com/flights . (We used to use the ITA Matrix site for more complex searches, however most of its functionality is now incorporated into Google Flights.)

Unfortunately, some low cost carriers and smaller region-specific airlines do not show up in these searches. That’s where phase two comes in.

Phase Two: Play The Field (Optional)

This step is optional, depending on how deep you want to go down the rabbit hole. As mentioned above, even the all powerful Google does not show all possible airlines. So this step is about filling in those gaps.

If you’re content with a flight that you’ve already found, by all means, save yourself some time and skip to Phase Three!

Goal: – Check for an even better deal

1. Check Momondo and Skyscanner to include more regional and budget airlines in your search

2. Check flight deal websites for your destination and time frame – The Flight Deal – Secret Flying – For Europe: Holiday Pirates – For U.S.: Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)

3. Search for flights to nearby alternate airports.  A quick internet search for “airports near [city]” will let you know if there are other airports you could fly in or out of.

Example: If you’re headed to Tuscany , there are multiple options. Flying into Florence, Pisa, or even Rome can get you to your destination by combining a train ticket or hired car.

You can decide how expensive or complicated you’re willing to let ground transportation get in order to book the best deal on your flight.

Phase Three: Refine Your Choice with the Fine Print

Once you have written out your possible options, it’s time to make a choice.

Note that the cheapest airfare may not always be the best. Do your due diligence as we outline below and you’ll walk away with the best international flight deal.

Goals: – Evaluate pros, cons, and costs to select the best flight – Book it!

1. Check if the “operated by” carrier is actually a different airline – This can be for the better or for the worse. 

Generally speaking, there is a hierarchy of airlines in terms of quality and excellence.

– U.S.-based airlines (United, American, Delta) are typically the lowest . They have minimal amenities and older planes. Air Canada is just slightly better. – European airlines are often a step above those in North America. – Asian and Middle Eastern airlines are usually top notch. An economy seat on an overseas Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, or Asiana flight is often comparable to business class in the U.S. Planes are newer and the service is excellent.

If you have a choice, it’s definitely worth choosing a European or Asian airline for your flight!

2. Use Seat Guru to compare airline quality and seating options between your potential flights. Here are some questions to ask as you research:

– Which airline is rated higher by reviewers? – What is the standard leg room? Meals? Amenities? – Are the seats on the flight arranged where you’d get more privacy?

For example, we look for plane layouts where there are only two seats between the window and aisle. That way the two of us could sit together without a stranger at our elbow.

Reviews can also tell you about the width and comfort of the seats in the plane, the quality of meals, etc. Jedd always looks for flights on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which means cleaner cabin air, bigger windows, less turbulence, and less noise.

3. Check the fine print for additional fees. Low cost airlines are notorious for tacking on fees, but this is becoming more common with the bigger brands as well. Avoid surprises and make an informed choice based on the total cost of your flight, not just the base fare.

Here are some added costs to watch out for:

– Carry on baggage fees (by weight or by piece) – Checked luggage fees (by weight or by piece) – Fees to print tickets in airport – Fees to select seats – Meals for purchase – Any difference in costs of transit from airport to accommodations

4. Make sure any layovers will give you sufficient time to transit between flights.  While you may want to avoid spending too long waiting in an airport, missing a connecting flight can be even more of a pain. Look closely at the times and dates of each arrival and departure in your itinerary.

Do a quick internet search for “minimum layover time [airport].” In general, we aim for: – 40 minutes minimum in a small airport, domestic transfer – 90 minutes minimum if going through customers, international transfers

5. Book it! Once you’ve weighed your options and put the top flights through this checklist, you should have the best flight deal for your trip.

If possible, I recommend booking it with a travel rewards card, like the Chase Sapphire . This not only earns you extra miles on the purchase but also provides trip cancellation and interruption protection.

Follow Up (Optional)

Almost all airlines require a change fee to rebook your flight. However, most allow you a 24 hour grace period.

If you really want to ensure you have the best deal, set an alarm to check back in 23 hours and see if the price has dropped .

If the price does drop, just verify that you can rebook without penalty and squeeze out your final flight savings!

We hope this step by step guide is a helpful way to find the best international flight deals on your next trip. Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions in the comments.

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As a first time traveler 54 years old it’s quite scary to not know the unknown layovers, transfer’s,flight tickets,I just don’t know what to do.If there is someone or even the writer could help me step by step on my flight that I will book for spring to the Philippines it would be greatly appreciated!!!.Thank you for any and all help RICH.

Hi Ritchie. Thanks so much for visiting our blog. The first time traveling can be intimidating but we love that you’re taking on the challenge and are sure it will be a worthwhile experience for you. If you feel you need more support beyond the free resources we provide here on our blog, I would recommend working with a travel agent. Especially during the pandemic, a good travel agent will be able to walk you through the booking process and keep you updated if anything changes. Consider looking for an agency in your area or browse reviews online.

You are a superb writer, very well written and quite easy to understand!

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WorldTravelService®

Full Service Business & Vacation Travel Agency

International Air Travel

International air travel with worldtravelservice®.

Even if you’re a whiz at domestic travel, international travel is a whole new ballgame.  International air routings and connections are our specialty.  WorldTravelService®  advisors keep updated on the changing landscape of today’s global travel. Our relationship with our industry partners is our strength.

Air travel is more than departure and arrival times, when  you’re traveling a distance, service in the air as well as on the ground is critical to enjoying the journey.  We can help you determine the best airline to meet your needs both in the air and on the ground.

Let the international travel professionals at WorldTravelService® worry about these problems for you. We have over 20 years of experience with international travel, and have worked with everyone from vacation travelers to large government groups.

WorldTravelService® has partnered with the world’s largest global distribution system, Amadeus, which is used by ALL major international carriers.

80% of all travel agencies worldwide use this Global Distribution System. Other users include World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and soon all U.S. Embassies worldwide.

This system enables us to collect and organize disparate services like air travel, car rental, and hotel reservations into a consolidated plan. It provides a real-time link to the databases of airlines, hotels, and more; enabling us to work quickly and efficiently to plan your travel and handle any problems that crop up.

International Travel with WorldTravelService®

As a WorldTravelService® client, you will be escorted to your destination and back again by a network of highly experienced travel agents and technological systems that track and manage every detail of your itinerary. You will never be lost, stuck, overcharged, or unable to get immediate assistance while you are in our care.

Our partnership gives us access to a nearly unlimited range of route options, discounts, amenities, and other perks that consumers and unaffiliated agencies are not afforded.

All of this, along with the dedication and thoroughness of our experienced agents, means that when you book your travel with WorldTravelService®, you are assured an unparalleled experience accompanied by the utmost peace of mind.

Flight Booking Systems

When booking flights for your vacation, we use a number of advanced systems to ensure that you get the best flights—and the best service—at the lowest fares.

• FareCk ™  – Our fare search engine finds the best ticket price available while checking alternative flights, fares, and airlines 24/7. Its flexible system works with corporate guidelines and policy.
• WaitListCk ™  – In the event that your preferred flight is sold out, WaitListCk™ monitors the wait list and confirms your seat as soon as one becomes available.
• SeatFinderCk ™  – Want to avoid the dreaded middle seat? Our clients get aisle and window seats 90 percent of the time, thanks to this sophisticated system. It uses live seat maps to monitor the availability of any possible request: aisle, window, front or back, right or left side, bulkhead, and aisles across. It can coordinate multiple passengers on the same reservation or two travelers on separate reservations.
• ECk ™  Tracking Module  – Never lose track of refunds, credits, or coupons ever again. ECk™ tracks unused electronic tickets so that any refund, exchange, or credit opportunity is retained and applied.

Call A Travel Advisor

Your Dedicated Travel Advisors

Terry Tyler  :  202-728-4040 x 1215

Larry Forrer:  301-816-1403

Protect Your Trip »

Is a travel agent worth it the pros and cons.

Travel experts agree there are several advantages to hiring a vacation planner.

The Pros & Cons of Using a Travel Agent

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A travel agent can save you money and time.

Need to pivot your trip plans but don't want to deal with the extra time, money and hassle of rebooking flights and accommodations on your own? That's just one area where a knowledgeable travel agent (also commonly known as a travel advisor) can help. Read on to discover the other benefits – as well as the downsides – of using a travel agent, so you can confidently decide whether or not a travel agent is worth it for your next trip.

The Pros of Using a Travel Agent

Travel agents can save you money – and get you other perks.

"In some cases, you'll actually get a better  deal by working with a travel agent," says Jackie Steele, travel expert at MagicGuides . "This could be in the form of a cruise onboard credit (free spending money to use on the ship), access to special agency/group rates, or even just learning about a discount you qualify for but weren't aware of." The best agents will even keep an eye on new discounts as they're announced and apply them to your trip even after you've booked, he notes.

Travel agents handle all the details

Hotel room? Booked. Dinner reservations? Made. Tour tickets? Ready to go. A travel agent handles every detail of your vacation itinerary. "The traveler still gets to be involved in the fun part of dreaming up ideas and providing their travel wishes, while we take and perfect them," says Jessica Parker, founder of Trip Whisperer .

Molly McShea, owner and travel advisor at McShea Travel , points out that travel agents can also help with timing logistics. "Travel agents know how many days should be spent in each destination, which tours go together, and how many things you should do in a day," she says, adding that crafting an itinerary can be challenging if it's not something you regularly do. Additionally, travel agents can help you choose the best time to visit your preferred destination(s) based on seasonality and your budget, and sift through travel insurance policies to find the best option for your needs.

Travel agents can provide local expertise

"A travel advisor's industry connections and relationships provide added value to their clients," says Valerie Edman, a luxury travel advisor and agency owner at Cultured Travel LLC. She says when working with a travel agent, travelers gain access to a global network of connections including:

• In-destination specialists who work exclusively with travel advisors and can connect travelers with unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences they wouldn't otherwise know about
• Exclusive experiences not available to the general public

You'll avoid surprise fees

When deciding if a travel agent is worth it for you, remember this: A reputable agent can guarantee you won't encounter any surprise fees on accommodations and activities once your trip is booked.

You'll have someone to troubleshoot unexpected travel issues

A travel advisor is essentially your personal vacation concierge. "Because they've been around for so long, agents really know what to look for," says Christopher Elliott , a consumer advocate and journalist. "Travel agents are among the first to know about flight cancellations and delays , making it easy for them to rebook itineraries right away." 

The Cons of Using a Travel Agent

It might not be your cheapest option.

There are some instances when it makes more sense to plan your own trip. "If you're planning a quick flight from New York City to Los Angeles, it's easy enough to book it yourself online directly or through a third-party booking site," says Elliott. "If you're planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip or bucket list honeymoon , that's when you call the experts."

You'll have less flexibility in your itinerary

The upside of working with a travel agent is having someone plan an epic vacation for you based on industry knowledge and local expertise. But this can also be a downside in the event you discover an activity you'd like to do or a restaurant you'd like to try that isn't on your pre-planned itinerary. If you alter your plans, you risk losing money; plus, the time it takes for you and your travel agent to coordinate your change of plans may not be worth the hassle.

You still have to do some research

It's important to find an agent you can trust, which means you still have to do some of the vacation planning. For this part, Parker recommends picking up the phone. "Lots of people avoid or don't pick up the phone as much anymore," she says. "That's where you get the high-touch service, tone of voice, excitement or concerns to manage." She advises to look for the following red flags:

• No fees: " Travel advisors are charging planning fees more now or increasing them, so the client knows more confidently than ever, we work for them, not the suppliers with the best commissions," Parker explains. "There are a lot of things that are non-commissionable and the advisor's time and expertise shouldn't be given away for free, either. That's the best way to show an advisor takes their business seriously."
• Limited options: If you work with someone who is inexperienced or has an incentive to book you with a certain supplier, they may not be prioritizing your best interests. "It's important to check if they are with a larger consortia, accreditations and network, typically listed on their website and signatures," says Parker. "That level of mindshare doesn't come with a lone advisor unless they have many, many years of experience."
• Slow response times: If communication is delayed, that's a sign they may be too busy to plan your trip – but again, this is something you can avoid by having the right conversations early on.

Edman suggestes starting your search with the American Society of Travel Advisors . "ASTA-verified travel advisors are committed to the highest industry standards and have verifiable industry knowledge so consumers can feel confident in working with them," she says.

You might also be interested in:

• Is Travel Insurance Worth It?
• First-Time Cruise Tips

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• What to Pack in Your Carry-on Bag
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Tags: Travel , Travel Tips

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Compare flights from 100s of sites.

Save money on airfare by searching for cheap flight tickets on KAYAK. KAYAK searches for flight deals on hundreds of airline tickets sites to help you find the cheapest flights. Whether you are looking for a last minute flight or a cheap plane ticket for a later date, you can find the best deals faster at KAYAK.

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• Flight Chicago - New York (ORD - LGA) $51+
• Flight Atlanta - New York (ATL - LGA) $55+
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• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Newark (FLL - EWR) $57+
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• Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - LGA) $82+
• Flight Orlando - New York (MCO - LGA) $87+
• Flight Chicago - Newark (ORD - EWR) $99+
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• Flight Los Angeles - New York (LAX - LGA) $111+
• Flight Chicago - New York (ORD - JFK) $127+
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• Flight San Francisco - New York (SFO - LGA) $169+
• Flight Miami - New York (MIA - JFK) $171+
• Flight Dallas - New York (DFW - JFK) $179+
• Flight San Francisco - Newark (SFO - EWR) $185+
• Flight Burbank - Newark (BUR - EWR) $199+
• Flight Seattle - Newark (SEA - EWR) $237+
• Flight Ontario - New York (ONT - JFK) $276+
• Flight Los Angeles - New York (LAX - JFK) $298+
• Flight San Francisco - New York (SFO - JFK) $307+

Orlando Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Orlando (ATL - MCO) $24+
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• Flight Dallas - Orlando (DFW - MCO) $61+
• Flight Baltimore - Orlando (BWI - MCO) $63+

London Flights

• Flight New Windsor - London (SWF - STN) $380+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LGW) $408+
• Flight Los Angeles - London (LAX - LGW) $413+
• Flight Boston - London (BOS - LHR) $433+
• Flight Boston - London (BOS - LGW) $433+
• Flight New York - London (JFK - LHR) $451+
• Flight Baltimore - London (BWI - LHR) $481+
• Flight Newark - London (EWR - LHR) $485+
• Flight Newark - London (EWR - LGW) $494+

Fort Lauderdale Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Fort Lauderdale (ATL - FLL) $37+
• Flight Philadelphia - Fort Lauderdale (PHL - FLL) $47+
• Flight Raleigh - Fort Lauderdale (RDU - FLL) $47+
• Flight Chicago - Fort Lauderdale (ORD - FLL) $52+
• Flight Newark - Fort Lauderdale (EWR - FLL) $56+
• Flight Baltimore - Fort Lauderdale (BWI - FLL) $61+
• Flight Detroit - Fort Lauderdale (DTW - FLL) $61+

Boston Flights

• Flight Baltimore - Boston (BWI - BOS) $57+
• Flight Philadelphia - Boston (PHL - BOS) $60+
• Flight Chicago - Boston (ORD - BOS) $75+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Boston (FLL - BOS) $86+
• Flight Miami - Boston (MIA - BOS) $89+
• Flight Atlanta - Boston (ATL - BOS) $91+
• Flight Orlando - Boston (MCO - BOS) $91+

India Flights

• Flight New York - Mumbai (JFK - BOM) $488+
• Flight New York - Ahmedabad (JFK - AMD) $567+
• Flight New York - New Delhi (JFK - DEL) $598+
• Flight San Francisco - New Delhi (SFO - DEL) $601+
• Flight Chicago - Hyderabad (ORD - HYD) $629+
• Flight San Francisco - Mumbai (SFO - BOM) $649+
• Flight New York - Hyderabad (JFK - HYD) $671+

Japan Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Tokyo (LAX - NRT) $584+
• Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - NRT) $592+
• Flight Los Angeles - Tokyo (LAX - HND) $733+
• Flight Seattle - Tokyo (SEA - NRT) $750+
• Flight Seattle - Tokyo (SEA - HND) $750+
• Flight San Francisco - Tokyo (SFO - HND) $756+
• Flight Ontario - Tokyo (ONT - NRT) $803+

Phoenix Flights

• Flight Ontario - Phoenix (ONT - PHX) $38+
• Flight Los Angeles - Phoenix (LAX - PHX) $48+
• Flight Dallas - Phoenix (DFW - PHX) $51+
• Flight San Francisco - Phoenix (SFO - PHX) $58+
• Flight Portland - Phoenix (PDX - PHX) $75+
• Flight Chicago - Phoenix (MDW - PHX) $77+
• Flight Denver - Phoenix (DEN - PHX) $79+

Honolulu Flights

• Flight Oakland - Honolulu (OAK - HNL) $207+
• Flight Los Angeles - Honolulu (LAX - HNL) $217+
• Flight Ontario - Honolulu (ONT - HNL) $253+
• Flight San Francisco - Honolulu (SFO - HNL) $265+
• Flight San Jose - Honolulu (SJC - HNL) $273+
• Flight Seattle - Honolulu (SEA - HNL) $319+
• Flight San Diego - Honolulu (SAN - HNL) $327+

Los Angeles Flights

• Flight Oakland - Los Angeles (OAK - LAX) $59+
• Flight Denver - Los Angeles (DEN - LAX) $60+
• Flight San Francisco - Los Angeles (SFO - LAX) $64+
• Flight Dallas - Los Angeles (DFW - LAX) $72+
• Flight Houston - Los Angeles (HOU - LAX) $78+
• Flight Houston - Los Angeles (IAH - LAX) $78+
• Flight Portland - Los Angeles (PDX - LAX) $87+
• Flight Chicago - Los Angeles (ORD - LAX) $88+
• Flight San Jose - Los Angeles (SJC - LAX) $96+

Chicago Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - ORD) $43+
• Flight Dallas - Chicago (DFW - MDW) $48+
• Flight Dallas - Chicago (DFW - ORD) $52+
• Flight New York - Chicago (LGA - ORD) $55+
• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - MDW) $57+
• Flight Houston - Chicago (HOU - ORD) $70+
• Flight Philadelphia - Chicago (PHL - ORD) $72+

Denver Flights

• Flight Minneapolis - Denver (MSP - DEN) $38+
• Flight Dallas - Denver (DFW - DEN) $57+
• Flight Ontario - Denver (ONT - DEN) $61+
• Flight Los Angeles - Denver (LAX - DEN) $65+
• Flight Houston - Denver (HOU - DEN) $68+
• Flight Chicago - Denver (ORD - DEN) $72+
• Flight Detroit - Denver (DTW - DEN) $74+

Washington, D.C. Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Baltimore (ATL - BWI) $37+
• Flight Boston - Baltimore (BOS - BWI) $47+
• Flight Orlando - Baltimore (MCO - BWI) $58+
• Flight Dallas - Baltimore (DFW - BWI) $69+
• Flight Los Angeles - Baltimore (LAX - BWI) $83+
• Flight Chicago - Baltimore (ORD - BWI) $90+
• Flight Houston - Baltimore (HOU - BWI) $93+
• Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - DCA) $107+
• Flight Minneapolis - Washington, D.C. (MSP - DCA) $113+
• Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - DCA) $123+
• Flight Houston - Washington, D.C. (HOU - DCA) $127+
• Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - DCA) $127+
• Flight Boston - Washington, D.C. (BOS - IAD) $129+
• Flight San Francisco - Baltimore (SFO - BWI) $144+
• Flight Los Angeles - Washington, D.C. (LAX - DCA) $147+
• Flight Atlanta - Washington, D.C. (ATL - DCA) $166+
• Flight Chicago - Washington, D.C. (ORD - DCA) $182+
• Flight Atlanta - Washington, D.C. (ATL - IAD) $184+
• Flight Seattle - Washington, D.C. (SEA - DCA) $201+
• Flight Los Angeles - Washington, D.C. (LAX - IAD) $203+
• Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - IAD) $228+
• Flight Houston - Washington, D.C. (HOU - IAD) $249+
• Flight Seattle - Washington, D.C. (SEA - IAD) $273+
• Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - IAD) $295+

Atlanta Flights

• Flight Miami - Atlanta (MIA - ATL) $30+
• Flight Fort Lauderdale - Atlanta (FLL - ATL) $32+
• Flight Chicago - Atlanta (MDW - ATL) $36+
• Flight Baltimore - Atlanta (BWI - ATL) $37+
• Flight Detroit - Atlanta (DTW - ATL) $37+
• Flight Houston - Atlanta (HOU - ATL) $37+
• Flight Houston - Atlanta (IAH - ATL) $37+

United States Flights

• Flight San Francisco - Las Vegas (SFO - LAS) $44+
• Flight Newark - Miami (EWR - MIA) $51+
• Flight Dallas - Las Vegas (DFW - LAS) $61+
• Flight Newark - Orlando (EWR - MCO) $69+
• Flight New York - Fort Lauderdale (LGA - FLL) $75+
• Flight New York - Miami (LGA - MIA) $75+

Hawaii Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Hawaii (LAX - USHI) $211+
• Flight Ontario - Hawaii (ONT - USHI) $253+
• Flight San Francisco - Hawaii (SFO - USHI) $253+
• Flight San Jose - Hawaii (SJC - USHI) $273+
• Flight Seattle - Hawaii (SEA - USHI) $297+
• Flight San Diego - Hawaii (SAN - USHI) $327+
• Flight Las Vegas - Hawaii (LAS - USHI) $339+

Tampa Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Tampa (ATL - TPA) $45+
• Flight Raleigh - Tampa (RDU - TPA) $56+
• Flight Chicago - Tampa (MDW - TPA) $58+
• Flight Philadelphia - Tampa (PHL - TPA) $58+
• Flight Cincinnati - Tampa (CVG - TPA) $72+
• Flight Dallas - Tampa (DFW - TPA) $75+
• Flight Detroit - Tampa (DTW - TPA) $75+

Houston Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Houston (ATL - IAH) $31+
• Flight Chicago - Houston (MDW - IAH) $58+
• Flight Orlando - Houston (MCO - IAH) $61+
• Flight Baltimore - Houston (BWI - IAH) $65+
• Flight Philadelphia - Houston (PHL - IAH) $67+
• Flight Miami - Houston (MIA - IAH) $69+
• Flight Chicago - Houston (ORD - IAH) $70+

Las Vegas Flights

• Flight Los Angeles - Las Vegas (LAX - LAS) $24+
• Flight Burbank - Las Vegas (BUR - LAS) $36+
• Flight Oakland - Las Vegas (OAK - LAS) $53+
• Flight Santa Ana - Las Vegas (SNA - LAS) $65+
• Flight Portland - Las Vegas (PDX - LAS) $69+
• Flight Denver - Las Vegas (DEN - LAS) $73+
• Flight Houston - Las Vegas (HOU - LAS) $73+
• Flight Houston - Las Vegas (IAH - LAS) $73+
• Flight Minneapolis - Las Vegas (MSP - LAS) $77+
• Flight Seattle - Las Vegas (SEA - LAS) $79+
• Flight Detroit - Las Vegas (DTW - LAS) $88+
• Flight Baltimore - Las Vegas (BWI - LAS) $98+

Miami Flights

• Flight Philadelphia - Miami (PHL - MIA) $41+
• Flight Atlanta - Miami (ATL - MIA) $45+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (ORD - MIA) $51+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (MDW - MIA) $58+
• Flight Baltimore - Miami (BWI - MIA) $60+
• Flight Boston - Miami (BOS - MIA) $63+
• Flight Raleigh - Miami (RDU - MIA) $63+
• Flight Dallas - Miami (DFW - MIA) $68+
• Flight Houston - Miami (HOU - MIA) $69+
• Flight Houston - Miami (IAH - MIA) $69+
• Flight Detroit - Miami (DTW - MIA) $76+
• Flight Charlotte - Miami (CLT - MIA) $89+
• Flight Denver - Miami (DEN - MIA) $98+
• Flight Cleveland - Miami (CLE - MIA) $103+
• Flight Minneapolis - Miami (MSP - MIA) $105+
• Flight Los Angeles - Miami (LAX - MIA) $125+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Miami (DCA - MIA) $139+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Miami (IAD - MIA) $139+
• Flight Ontario - Miami (ONT - MIA) $151+
• Flight San Francisco - Miami (SFO - MIA) $161+

San Francisco Flights

• Flight Ontario - San Francisco (ONT - SFO) $38+
• Flight San Diego - San Francisco (SAN - SFO) $38+
• Flight Los Angeles - San Francisco (LAX - SFO) $52+
• Flight Phoenix - San Francisco (PHX - SFO) $68+
• Flight Denver - San Francisco (DEN - SFO) $86+
• Flight Dallas - San Francisco (DFW - SFO) $98+
• Flight Chicago - San Francisco (MDW - SFO) $110+
• Flight Seattle - San Francisco (SEA - SFO) $117+
• Flight Houston - San Francisco (HOU - SFO) $125+
• Flight Minneapolis - San Francisco (MSP - SFO) $129+
• Flight Santa Ana - San Francisco (SNA - SFO) $134+
• Flight Austin - San Francisco (AUS - SFO) $137+
• Flight Chicago - San Francisco (ORD - SFO) $139+
• Flight New York - San Francisco (LGA - SFO) $143+

Seattle Flights

• Flight Denver - Seattle (DEN - SEA) $78+
• Flight Ontario - Seattle (ONT - SEA) $78+
• Flight Phoenix - Seattle (PHX - SEA) $91+
• Flight San Diego - Seattle (SAN - SEA) $100+
• Flight Santa Ana - Seattle (SNA - SEA) $113+
• Flight Los Angeles - Seattle (LAX - SEA) $117+
• Flight San Francisco - Seattle (SFO - SEA) $118+

Paris Flights

• Flight New Windsor - Paris (SWF - CDG) $298+
• Flight Boston - Paris (BOS - CDG) $302+
• Flight Los Angeles - Paris (LAX - ORY) $315+
• Flight Baltimore - Paris (BWI - CDG) $319+
• Flight Washington, D.C. - Paris (IAD - CDG) $325+
• Flight Newark - Paris (EWR - ORY) $381+
• Flight Los Angeles - Paris (LAX - CDG) $403+

Europe Flights

• Flight New York - Madrid (JFK - MAD) $388+
• Flight New York - Lisbon (JFK - LIS) $404+
• Flight New York - Athens (JFK - ATH) $417+
• Flight Newark - Paris (EWR - CDG) $421+
• Flight Newark - Rome (EWR - FCO) $421+
• Flight Newark - Barcelona (EWR - BCN) $425+

Florida Flights

• Flight Philadelphia - Florida (PHL - USFL) $47+
• Flight Newark - Florida (EWR - USFL) $56+
• Flight Baltimore - Florida (BWI - USFL) $61+
• Flight Dallas - Florida (DFW - USFL) $61+
• Flight Boston - Florida (BOS - USFL) $69+
• Flight Chicago - Florida (ORD - USFL) $74+
• Flight New York - Florida (LGA - USFL) $75+

Dallas Flights

• Flight Atlanta - Dallas (ATL - DFW) $48+
• Flight Chicago - Dallas (MDW - DFW) $49+
• Flight Chicago - Dallas (ORD - DFW) $51+
• Flight Minneapolis - Dallas (MSP - DFW) $58+
• Flight Orlando - Dallas (MCO - DFW) $62+
• Flight Detroit - Dallas (DTW - DFW) $68+
• Flight Ontario - Dallas (ONT - DFW) $70+

San Diego Flights

• Flight San Francisco - San Diego (SFO - SAN) $51+
• Flight Phoenix - San Diego (PHX - SAN) $56+
• Flight San Jose - San Diego (SJC - SAN) $57+
• Flight Oakland - San Diego (OAK - SAN) $67+
• Flight Sacramento - San Diego (SMF - SAN) $67+
• Flight Denver - San Diego (DEN - SAN) $76+
• Flight Dallas - San Diego (DFW - SAN) $78+

Frequently asked questions

What do i need to know before booking a flight.

There are various factors to consider when booking a flight including cost, fare classes, baggage policies, the complications of flying long haul, and complying with airport regulations. To make your booking journey smoother KAYAK has developed a comprehensive flight guide including insights on finding affordable flights, packing efficiently, and utilizing the best travel tools.

Which month of the year are flight prices lowest?

It’s well established that flights in the low season are generally cheaper than ticket prices during the high season. That means that knowing which month to find the lowest priced plane tickets will depend heavily on seasonality and your destination. While avoiding peak travel times can help you keep costs down, our data shows that the month with the lowest priced plane tickets for domestic flights based on all searches made on KAYAK in the last 12 months was January, while the most expensive was March. If you’re booking an international flight, then January is the cheapest month to fly and June the most expensive.

Can flying international flights with a layover save money on airfare?

For many long-haul international flights, flying non-stop is not possible and you will have to fly with a layover. Some routes will offer both and you could consider flying with a layover for a number of reasons. Firstly, breaking up what would otherwise be a long-haul flight, taking a rest and then completing the journey might make the flight more manageable. Secondly, prices can also be lower than non-stop flights, so while it might take longer for you to reach your destination, you could save money. We’ve looked at prices over the last 12 months for the 100 most popular international destinations for KAYAK users and on average, prices for non-stop flights were cheaper than flights with a layover.

How do I find the best flight deals on KAYAK?

A simple flight search at https://www.kayak.com/flights scans for prices on hundreds of travel sites in seconds. We gather flight deals from across the web and put them in one place. Then on the search results page you can use various filters to compare options for the same flight and easily choose the best flight deal from all of the deals coming straight from the travel sites to your screen, with no extra fee from KAYAK.

Does KAYAK query more flight providers than competitors?

Yes, KAYAK has access to more data and information than online travel agencies and consistently outperforms the competition in accuracy, globally.

What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care?

Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you flights up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. That way, you can see if leaving a day or two earlier will find you a better deal. You can also select the flexible "weekend" or "month" search options to widen your search range and find the cheapest price that works for you.

What is the cheapest day of the week to book a flight?

The best day to book your flight depends on a number of factors, but there are general trends that you can follow to increase your chances of cheaper plane tickets. Based on an analysis of KAYAK data for all flights departing from inside United States over the last 12 months, the cheapest day to fly for domestic flights is Wednesday. For international flights, Tuesday had the cheapest tickets on average.

When is the best time to buy plane tickets - Last minute or in advance?

Last minute flight deals are definitely up for grabs but when exactly to purchase your plane tickets will depend on where you’re traveling to and from. Based on all data for flight searches made on KAYAK over the last 12 months, prices for domestic flights remained below the average price up to 1 weeks before departure. For international flights, deals could still be had up to 1 weeks prior to the departure date, with prices remaining below average. If you’re flexible, KAYAK brings you both advance and last minute one-way and round-trip flight deals.

How does KAYAK find such low flight prices?

KAYAK processes over 2 billion flight queries annually and displays results from hundreds of airlines and third party sites, allowing it to find a variety of flight prices and options. It also displays results from 2M+ properties along with rental cars, vacation packages, activities and millions of verified reviews so users can see as many available travel options as possible.

How can Hacker Fares save me money?

Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets on different airlines when it can save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket.

How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

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Top 5 best travel agencies for flights in 2024

The best travel agency for business travel, 1. travelperk.

• Extensive inventory of corporate flights due to integrations like Amadeus, Expedia and more.
• Mobile app allows employees to book flights, access paperless tickets, check-in and more to keep the travel experience seamless.
• 24/7 corporate travel assistance offers best-in-class support before, during and after your travels.
• Flexible booking options with FlexiPerk provides stress-free travel experiences.
• Additional services like priority boarding or seat selection available during booking.
• Add your frequent flier numbers to your profile and continue earning points for your business travel.
• Integrated travel policy & approval flows , centralized invoicing and real-time expense reports make managing expenses and approvals a snap.
• Manage all corporate travel—from air travel to car rentals to lodging and more—all in one place.

Start saving money on business travel for your company today!

The best travel agencies for leisure travel, 2. cheapflights.

• Allows you to easily compare different travel agencies for the flight you want
• Easy online booking options through whatever travel provider you choose
• Searches both large and small flight consolidators to find the best itineraries and prices

3. FlightCentre

• High-touch booking experience that allows you to chat live with an experienced travel agent, in-person or over the phone
• Flights can be combined with holiday packages to make travel planning easier
• Specialize in creating itineraries carefully designed to meet your unique needs
• Their travel agents will do all the work for you—no online bookings are offered, just chat with a travel agent and they’ll find what you need.

4. CheapOAir

• Large number of flight options allows you to find the cheapest deals available
• Flight and hotel packages make it easy to book together and save
• Numerous search filters make it easy to search and sort by date, prices, nearby airports, preferred airlines, schedule and more
• Easy online checkout process makes it simple to book

5. Liberty Travel

• Full-service travel agency—instead of booking flights online, work with a travel agent to book your trip
• Pre-created holiday packages let you browse possible vacations and costs with all flights, transfers, hotels and more included
• Less stress in the travel planning process with a dedicated agent helping plan your trip
• Get flight deals when you book as part of a vacation or cruise package
• Dedicated travel experts provide you with service and peace of mind throughout every phase of your trip

Is it cheaper to fly with a travel agent?

What are the benefits of booking a flight with a travel agent.

• discounted airfare on one-way, roundtrip and multi-city flight options
• travel experts to provide peace of mind and help with travel plans
• on-call customer service in case of rebooking needs or other travel contingencies
• customizable travel itineraries to meet your unique needs

Make business travel simpler. Forever.

• See our platform in action . Trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, TravelPerk makes business travel simpler to manage with more flexibility, full control of spending with easy reporting, and options to offset your carbon footprint.
• Find hundreds of resources on all things business travel, from tips on traveling more sustainably, to advice on setting up a business travel policy, and managing your expenses. Our latest e-books and blog posts have you covered.
• Never miss another update. Stay in touch with us on social for the latest product releases, upcoming events, and articles fresh off the press.

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Should I Use a Travel Agent to Book Flights?

You might ask – why should I buy a plane ticket from a travel agent, OVER THE PHONE, when I can use the internet?  Our business model may seem confusing to you, especially when most people prefer to communicate and buy online these days. So, we’ll try to answer the question,  should I use a travel agent to book flights ?

5 reasons why you should use a travel agent

• Travel agents can hold a seat for you, while you make your decision (not possible via online booking site)
• Travel agents have access to much cheaper flight tickets than online booking sites (because of unpublished airfares )
• They will do all the work for you – flights tickets, hotels, car rental
• You can easily request special arrangements like child/group discount, vegetarian meals, windows seat, pick-up at the airport, wheelchair assistance etc
• Travel agents are always available – before, during and after your trip

Everything’s still online

Don’t worry – when you’re booking with a travel agent, it doesn’t mean you’ll have to go to a travel agency’s office. You can still look for flights online. The only difference – when you see a price you like, just give the travel agent a call and he’ll find and book the best seat on the plane for you.

Even the experts use travel agents

We can all make an omelet for breakfast, but it’s a little different when it comes to preparing a wedding dinner for 50 guests. That’s the moment when you should trust a professional.

And it’s really the same when it comes to booking flights, especially:

• When you’re planning a group trip (imagine – you have to get 20 people from Miami to an event in Hawaii. Finding the twenty most suitable tickets and booking them can be a real hustle)
• When you need a really complex flight ( New York – Paris – Berlin – Bangkok – Los Angeles – New York)
• If you’re a frequent business traveler – it’s a lot easier to get your own travel agent
• When you’re in a rush & don’t have time to look for flights
• If flight “hunting” and booking is simply not your thing

How to book flights with a travel agent

You start by calling a travel agent or by filling out an online form on the website. It doesn’t matter which way you choose, you’ll always get to the conversation.

1) Describe your trip – Where you want to fly, perfect travel dates for departure and return, the airlines you would like to fly with and maximum layover time. Leave your name, phone number and email address so the agent could contact you.

2) Receive the offer via email  – You’ll receive 3 different options which each covers different route, time and price. Then wait for a call from the agent or call yourself – if necessary, change the airport, city, and date.  In case you need some time to think, ask the agent to put your seats on hold for you (this option you could never do by yourself).

3) When you’re ready to buy – Accept the offer and give the agent information about yourself – he’ll make a ticket reservation in your name. Don’t worry, all client data is confidential and no third persons have access to it.

4) Pay for the tickets – Afterward, fill in an authorization form yourself or together with the agent (with details about the trip, yourself and your credit card information). Pay for the tickets with a credit card or by doing a wire transfer. And receive a reservation number, which you’ll need to use to check in.

Don’t forget to ask the agent to make special arrangements – seat assignment (aisle/window), special meals, pick-up at the airport, hotels, car rental, etc.

What you’re left with?

• Check in as usual via airline’s website, using the reservation number you received
• Buy travel insurance
• Check visa requirements

AND THAT’S IT!

Ready to book flights with a travel agent? Call  844-300-7983 or fill our request form in the sidebar.  booking process here Find out more about our .

P.S we offer flights to more than 200 destinations all over the world and our agents speak English, Tagalog, and other languages 🙂

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*Lowest Fare Guarantee - We are so sure that our bulk private fares are unbeatable that we will give you a Low Fare Guarantee! As long as you call us within 24 hours from the purchase of your ticket and you provide us with a copy of the itinerary from any of our competitors which will include identical itinerary, including the fare basis and fare calculation information, we will match the price and send you $50 voucher to use towards your next purchase of any bulk private fares.

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Tips on booking cheap flights.

Looking for the best time to buy airline tickets to get a cheap flight to everywhere? We’ve got you covered anytime, anywhere. Here’s how to find the best deal for flight booking no matter where you want to go in the world.

Which day of the week is the best day to buy cheap airline tickets?

For both U.S. domestic and international travel, Sundays can be cheaper for airline ticket purchases. Fridays tend to be the most expensive day to book a flight. Booking on the right day of the week could save you up to 6% on your airfare, according to historical data*.

When is the best time to buy airline tickets?

Based on 2020 And 2021 global flight data for Economy tickets, prices usually start to increase 56 days before departure for domestic flights. When traveling internationally, prices usually start to increase 21 days before departure*. Keep in mind that this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule; keeping an eye on prices is a good idea when trying to find the best airfare deals. Compare fares across different airlines, and set up a price alert for your preferred route.

Which are the cheapest days to fly?

Analysis of domestic and international airfare prices shows that flying out on Fridays can be cheaper. Many travelers start their trips on Sundays, so your chances of a lower price are better when departing early in the week instead. Starting your trip on a Friday could be almost 11% cheaper than air travel on Sundays, so book flights online wisely*!

Which is the cheapest month to fly?

The cheapest month to fly can vary depending on where you’re going, so finding the best rates largely comes down to avoiding peak travel times for your destination. If you’re looking for cheap international flights , the most expensive month tends to be February, while the cheapest is November with cheap flights in November offering potential savings of up to 34.6% relative to February. Cheap domestic flights work a bit differently, with March being the most expensive and August being the least expensive with cheap flights in August offering savings of up to 35%*.

How can I find the cheapest flights on Expedia?

Compare cheap airline ticket prices at a glance from a large inventory of carriers on Expedia. You can get cheap flights by staying flexible with travel dates, carriers, and nonstop/layover flights to get the best price. Insider tip: Become a member (it’s free!) to earn rewards back on every booking. We make your travel stress-free and source incredible airfare deals so you can sit back, relax, and start your vacation or business trip.

How can I save money on flights?

Mixing and matching airline tickets and fare types could help save money on airfare to your destination. Easily compare prices for carriers, arrival and departure dates, airplane cabin class, and more when you book with Expedia. Booking your plane ticket on a Sunday, and departing on Friday, could possibly save you money* based on historical data. You can also filter for flights based on your budget, such as looking for cheap flights under $200 specifically.

How can I get cheap last-minute flight deals?

The historical data analysis of flight pricing patterns shows that you can still find amazing airfare deals 3 weeks prior to departure* when traveling domestically. International last-minute flights offer great deals 2 weeks prior to departure if you’re flying premium, but economy travelers may want to strive for no less than 4 weeks out*. Try to stay flexible with travel dates, airports, and nonstop/layover flights to find the cheapest flights on Expedia. Whether you’re planning a quick business trip or a spontaneous holiday with friends, you’ll have your choice of last-minute flights, roundtrip, or multicity flights on Expedia. You’ll find everything you need for your travels all in one place — and all at the right price.

How do I book with Expedia?

Booking your flight with Expedia is easy, as all you have to do is implement your travel dates, departure destination, like flights from Atlanta or flights from Hartsfield-Jackson , and arrival destination into the search. Then, all the available flights for those dates and destinations will appear. You can use search filters to narrow down the results as well based on a variety of factors like the airline, number of stops, departure time, and policies like seat choice and refundable bookings. Additionally, travelers may alter their search for round-trip flights, one-way flights, and multicity flights.

What should I look out for when booking flights?

Several factors go into any flight booking, and you’ll need to keep an eye out for them all to ensure that you get the travel time, luggage policy, airline, and class you want. Consider which airport is closest to your ultimate destination (travelers to Los Angeles may prefer flights to LAX over flights to PSP , and make sure that the flight will accommodate all the luggage you plan on bringing. Additionally, consider the different flight classes including economy flights for functionality and premium flights if you want to enjoy a more relaxing experience.

Where’s the cheapest place to travel?

The cheapest place to travel can be in the same country, like Chicago. Flights to Chicago are fairly affordable no matter where you’re coming from in the continental United States. Flights to Las Vegas tend to be pretty affordable as well. While the Vegas airport isn’t a hub for any major airline, it does have plenty of competition to keep prices relatively low.

Where can I fly for cheap?

Staying within a strict budget still allows you to find plenty of cheap flights, even to destinations like Puerto Rico. In fact, flights to Puerto Rico don’t even require U.S. citizens to have a passport. Flights to Alberta and other destinations in Canada can be fairly affordable as well.

Is it cheaper to buy flights last minute?

Flight tickets can be cheaper at the last minute depending on how late you’re actually booking, where you’re going, and the kind of flight you opt for. For domestic flights with Economy tickets, prices usually start to increase 3 weeks before departure, and 4 weeks for international flights, according to historical data*.

Are fully refundable flights available?

Yes, several fully refundable flights are available and will be labeled as such right on your search results page in green text. You may also filter for fully refundable flights specifically to eliminate all flights from your results that don’t qualify. Just make sure to check the specific policy for each flight before booking.

Why should I book my flight with Expedia?

Booking with Expedia makes finding a flight easy, but that’s just the beginning of everything you can take advantage of. We also offer hotels, car rentals, and even activities that you can purchase with package deals available for travelers planning more than one aspect of their trip at a time. Plus, Expedia offers stunning cheap flight deals that can help you save with ease. As a One Key member, you will earn OneKeyCashTM for every eligible booking that you can use to save on future bookings. Plus, OneKeyCash can be earned on top of airline miles.

*Data specialists from both ARC and Expedia Group analyzed ARC’s global flight data to distil actionable information to help people save money on travel. While it’s impossible to guarantee when to find the lowest prices, after examining the variables, we were able to observe trends. Best day of the week to book and best day of the week to depart is based on average round-trip ticket prices for January through August for 2021, sourced from ARC’s global airline sales database. Best month to depart recommendation is based on average round-trip ticket prices for January through December for 2020, sourced from ARC's global airline sales database. Best time to book recommendation is based on average round-trip ticket prices for January through August for 2021 & average round-trip ticket prices for January through December for 2020, sourced from ARC's global airline sales database. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.

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Top 7 Benefits of Booking Flights through Travel Agents

A lot of travelers wonder if there are any benefits of booking flights through travel agents. Let us assure you that in the modern age of technology which has turned every traveler into his own trip planner, travel agents hold their own importance. While the ‘travel agent’ vs. ‘do it yourself’ saga is seemingly endless, there are quite a few advantages of booking flights through a travel agent. Keep reading if you wish to know why using travel agents to book flights happens to be a great idea, even during this digital age.

Table of Contents

Advantages of Using a Travel Agent 

Travelers often wonder whether to book flights directly or through agents.  While you may be able to find cheap airfares by yourselves, booking flights using the services of a travel agent will prove to be a lot more cost effective. So how do travel agents book flights at cheaper rates than you? They are able to do this because they have access to airline fares that ordinary travelers don’t. That is just one of the several benefits of booking flights through travel agents . Following are listed a few more benefits you can check if you’ve asked yourself is it better to use a travel agent or book online .

• Travel agents have access to great deals

Is it cheaper to book flights online or with a travel agent in India or elsewhere? This is among the top queries travelers have and the answer is a very surprising one. Booking with travel agents is often cheaper than booking online as they have access to awesome money-saving deals. Privy to secret airline prices, travel agents book scores of air tickets each day and will be able to easily tell you if the flight price you found online is a reasonable one. This is one of the topmost benefits of booking flights through travel agents .

• It is cost effective and time-saving

If you were thinking why use a travel agent instead of booking online, it’s because booking with travel agents will be a lot cheaper than booking online. Travel agents can help you avail airline discounts, codes, and coupons which would ordinarily be inaccessible to you. Booking with them will also enable you to save precious hours you’d otherwise have to spend poring over the internet looking for money-saving deals.

• There are no hidden fee charges

Plenty of travel agents or agencies have no hidden charges. In fact, some of them won’t even charge you anything and make their money from the suppliers. Those who charge are upfront about it. This kind of transparency is among the biggest benefits of booking flights through travel agents. However, don’t expect this from airlines because oftentimes, the prices they display are excluding taxes and other charges which pop up when you reach the payment stage.

• Many travel agents are ‘all inclusive’

What this simply means is that with the right travel agent, you’ll be able to book an entire tour package and not just flights. From hotels and tour groups to cruises and adventure itineraries, travel agents will book anything and everything for you.  If you’re wondering about cheap places to stay in India or anywhere else, just ask your travel agent. Also, if you need to head out on an emergency basis, they’ll be able to help you book some cheap last minute flights as well.

• Travel agents offer insurance as well

One of the best benefits of booking flights through travel agents is that they offer insurance as well. Depending on your trip, your health, and the intended destination, travel agents will help you get the best travel insurance covering medical emergencies as well as trip cancellations. Travel agents understand fine print better than travelers and will, therefore, make sure you’re well protected when booking with them.

• They can book your seats together, VIP treatment, and what not!

The chances of you grabbing a business class flight upgrade are higher if you’re using travel agents to book flights. It will be a cakewalk for travel agents to book your seats together in the same flight and at the very same price which would otherwise be quite challenging for you to do on your own. Also, they’re well-connected to major airlines, hotels, and other tour companies and will use that to get you VIP treatment should you wish for it. What could be better benefits of booking flights through travel agents than these!

• Travel agents are available 24/7

Getting someone from an airline to address your concerns can be a frustrating experience, to say the least. On the other hand, one of the best benefits of booking cheap flights through travel agents is that they’re available 24 hours and 7 days a week! One of the biggest benefits of booking flights through travel agents is that it’s relatively easier to get in touch with a travel agent to book flights or address a query when compared to a major airline. Not only will travel agents respond faster on call but will also give you personalized attention which you can’t really expect from international airlines .

Despite the rise in travel websites or apps, majority of people still consider booking international flight tickets through travel agents. Comment below and share your thoughts on what you think about these benefits. 

Is it cheaper to book flights online or with a travel agent?

You can book cheap international flights online via Indian Eagle. If you book your itinerary online, you will also be able to check out prices on different websites and book the one which is the cheapest. 

Can travel agents get cheaper flights?

In most cases, travel agents try to offer you the cheapest flight to your destination. This is because they go through different websites and have contacts with airlines, travel agencies etc. that offer them the best deals. 

Do travel agents get discounts on flight?

Yes, travel agents most likely do get discounts on flights. 

How do I find the best travel agency near me?

In a digital age, you don’t need to search for travel agencies. You can book your cheap flight tickets through Indian Eagle. This online ticketing company has been offering cheap flight tickets from USA to India for the past 15 years. 

What is the best travel agency near me?

Indian Eagle is the best online ticketing company offering the cheapest flight tickets for your travel from USA to India. 

– Travel Diary

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4 scenarios when you should use a travel agent

Editor's Note

If you're a points-and-miles-wielding expert traveler, you may not immediately think of using a travel agent to book your getaways . However, there are times and situations when using these services can be of great benefit.

A good travel agent can be a game-changer when it comes to helping you book your ideal trip and receive the best services once you arrive at your destination. Travel agents can also be of great assistance when things go wrong, especially during this summer of excessive flight delays and cancellations .

Agents can often secure the best room in a hotel or the top cabin on a cruise ship. Sometimes they can even secure complimentary upgrades, breakfast benefits or food and beverage credits, and free spa treatments during your stay.

When it comes to making the right decisions about when to travel, what sights to see and which guides to hire, agents can act as advisors. An excellent travel agent can be the difference between an OK experience and the trip of a lifetime.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter .

Here are four times when you may want to use a travel agent:

Booking a hotel with extras

Your travel agent can become a trusted friend over time. Before you're ready to turn over all your travel planning to a travel adviser, test the waters by collaborating on a simple trip request. You'll want to see how the agent operates, communicates and arranges extra perks and deals. Avoid a complex or elaborate request on the first go-round.

Start by having a travel agency book your hotel arrangements with a few specific requests for extras baked in, such as airport transfers or spa services .

Start with an agent who is part of a major travel consortium such as Virtuoso, Travel Leaders Network, Ensemble Travel Group or Signature Travel Network. Each of these networks provides a suite of benefits to travelers who book with them. If you're familiar with the perks of the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program or the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection , you'll know what we mean. Extra benefits for booking can include space-available upgrades, free breakfast, additional food and beverage credit, a free spa treatment or a round of golf.

Related: This new travel company will pair you with local experts

You can work with a travel agency that fits your style. This may be someone from a large company based in a major city with dozens of agents, or it may be someone from a more boutique option such as the family-owned and operated Ourisman Travel. (Ourisman Travel is a travel consultancy affiliated with Brownell Travel, one of the oldest travel agencies in the U.S., and also a member of the Virtuoso network.)

What's nice about Ourisman and any Virtuoso agency is that you can have your travel agent do all the work. You can also use the Virtuoso booking tool to make quick, easy reservations. Once your reservation is in the system, your agent swings into action to let the hotel know a VIP is on the way and arranges for any extras, whether it's a Virtuoso perk or one from a credit card program.

It's also possible to stack benefits. If you book your trip with The Platinum Card® from American Express , your agent can secure your Amex FHR benefits; you may also be entitled to additional perks from the agency, its travel consortium or the hotel, cruise line or tour company.

When you're short on time

Not everyone has weeks to spend crafting the ultimate itinerary and keeping watch on every flight deal (although TPG can help you here) . Fortunately, you can rely on a savvy travel agent to step in and plan your vacation when your time is crunched . Otherwise, you might not be able to pull off the travel arrangements on your own, or you might end up spending more for your trip than you should.

When facing a planning time crunch, look for an agent who specializes in the type of trip and destination you have in mind. If you're looking for a beach villa on a Caribbean island , find a travel advisor who has experience booking this sort of trip.

One example is Villas of Distinction, which has been around for more than 25 years and has a vast network of properties. Your travel advisor there can offer advice on which properties are best suited to your needs, what's available and how to book the villa. You can also use your American Express Membership Rewards points to book a villa through the agency, an added benefit to finding a good application of points.

Agents specializing in villa rentals usually have strong networks on the ground, so they can assist with chores such as stocking the villa with groceries, booking a chef or securing the best masseuse on the island for poolside treatments.

Related: Everything you need to know about Homes and Villas by Marriott

When your travel plans are specific and complex

The more complex and specific your travel goals are, the more experts in that destination or trip style can help you.

For example, every year, travel guru Wendy Perrin puts together a WOW List that features experts in the travel-booking field. The agents, advisors and destination specialists on Perrin's list aren't booking budget cruises and all-inclusive vacations for people as a side hustle. The agents on the WOW List are the real deal with plenty of expertise in their subject areas.

Say you want to explore Africa and go on a safari, but you don't know where to begin. Consult the WOW List and you'll see she recommends individuals with an encyclopedic knowledge of the continent.

The WOW List features advisors who can create custom safaris in East, Central and South Africa as well as niche destinations like Madagascar. The website provides a synopsis of the agents' expertise as well as links to reviews and insider guides written by Perrin and her team.

This is an excellent resource for learning about the best attractions, cutting-edge travel trends or finding out-of-the-ordinary experiences, and shows how contact with local agents, rather than anonymous trip reviews, can be a great advantage in planning a trip.

Related: Everything you need to know about going on safari in Africa

When you're looking for value

Travel agents often have access to room rates and cruise fares not available to the general public. This is especially true of agents who specialize in specific cruise lines. When a cruise line needs to fill a sailing, it may reach out to its top agents to extend special fares for their clients. You'll only hear about these offers if you have a top agent who sells cruises on the lines you love.

Related: Why now might be the cheapest time to plan a cruise

For example, Keene Luxury Travel, a member of the Signature Travel Network, has relationships with all the top luxury cruise lines, especially Regent Seven Seas. As a result, your agent can offer shipboard credits, special fares for solo travelers, deals for families traveling with children and more. The agency also has its own KLT Rewards program. With KLT Rewards, you'll get cash back on every sailing, about 10 days before you set sail. Plus, if you book a trip hosted by the agency's owners, you'll get a bump in the amount of your reward for booking with them.

The best part about working with specialty agents like those at Keene Luxury Travel? You can stack deals. For example, you can book a hosted trip to get the usual 5% KLT booking reward, plus an enhanced reward for booking a group trip. On top of that, you could also receive the onboard credit that's a Signature Travel Network perk.

Bottom line

Whether you're booking a weekend getaway in a U.S. city or planning an around-the-world extravaganza that includes an African safari , Antarctica cruise and a stay in an igloo hotel , consider using a travel agent. An agent can help get you on the right trip, at the right time for the right price.

They can help find the best rooms, book services you didn't even know existed and tie all the pieces together on a complicated itinerary.

A travel agent can be particularly beneficial if you don't have the time to do all the research yourself, or if you're looking for help in getting the best deal. It's also helpful to use an agent if your trip targets destinations or itineraries that can benefit from local experts,

If there's ever a problem during a vacation — which seems to happen more often than not these days — it's great to have a problem-solver who is just one phone call or email away.

Additional reporting by Bill Fink

How to Become a Travel Agent: Everything You Need to Know

A re you great at finding reasonably priced flights and hotel rooms? Does making itineraries and solving booking issues come naturally to you? If your answer is yes, you might want to consider becoming a travel agent. And if you're the designated "trip-planning friend," you're already halfway there.

You might think the the profession is outdated, but that's not what the data shows: According to the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), 50 percent of travelers are more likely to use a travel agent now than they were in the past. Not only are travel agents needed, but the career's earning potential can be impressive, depending on the type of agent you choose to be. Use this guide to learn how to become a travel agent and kickstart your journey into a unique career.

RELATED: 26 Best Trip-Planning Hacks Straight From Travel Agents .

What do travel agents do?

A travel agent's job is to ensure their clients have the best travel arrangements. Using their expertise, they offer advice and essential details about your trip, make your reservations, book flights and hotels, and manage your travel plans overall. Any hiccups regarding your accommodations are handled by them, and they are the best at finding money-saving deals. Travel agents prioritize your needs, like your vacation schedule and budget.

Their goal is to provide peace of mind throughout the trip-planning process so you can get the most out of your vacation.

What credentials do you need to be a travel agent?

You don't necessarily need a degree to become a travel agent, but getting some training within the field could be in your best interest. This not only makes you an attractive candidate to employers and agencies who may require a form of certification , but also helps you appear more qualified, which can help further your career in the long run.

Even though there might not be a degree in "travel agency" per se, you can opt for a related program like business, economics, or hospitality instead.

What do you need to become a travel agent?

There are different ways to become a travel agent, but anyone hoping to break into the field should definitely keep the following three points in mind.

Decide what kind of travel agent you want to be.

Having a specific focus on the kind of travel experience you want to provide allows you to build the knowledge and resources to best help those specific clients. Suppose you want to work in corporate travel: Building your skills according to your niche clientele and field will help you sharpen the skills you need to develop your expertise.

Learn about the travel industry and its trends.

The travel agency field is constantly shifting, so it's important to stay up-to-date on industry changes and trends to know what you should be offering clients. People's preferences are ever-changing, so knowing what's hot and what's not is crucial. Spend time learning which places are popular and unpopular based on the season, or which restaurants are staple visits. This shows a solid and up-to-date understanding your clients will appreciate.

Build your communication and interpersonal skills.

A large part of being a travel agent is advising your clients and earning their trust, which doesn't happen overnight. Presenting yourself as knowledgeable and approachable can encourage them to trust your judgment and recommendations. This is especially important if you're not working with a travel agency, because you'll have to rely more on your brand and relationships instead of leaning on a company's reputation.

Maintaining a healthy balance of communication between you and your clients is also essential, which means scheduling phone calls, in-person meetings, keeping up with emails, and any other form of communication your client prefers.

RELATED: 9 Ways Flying First Class Can Actually Save You Money, Travel Experts Say .

Get certified if you can

Getting a certificate can be pricey and cost hundreds of dollars . So, if this option is not feasible for you, that's understandable. However, while certification isn't a requirement to become a travel agent, it can certainly help you throughout your career. Here are a few certificate programs to consider.

Certified Travel Counselor

This Travel Institute certificate requires at least five years of experience and a Certified Travel Association certification. This course focuses on marketing and building consumer relationships. CTC costs $550 to complete the course and $600 for the CTC Fast Track.

Certified Travel Industry Executive

CTIE is also backed by the Travel Institute and requires at least five years of field experience. This $550 program includes courses on travel business, marketing management, bookkeeping, and travel law.

ASTA Verified Travel Advisor

This certificate is given by the American Society of Travel Advisors and teaches applicants about the legalities of travel and how to solidify relationships with consumers. The nine-course program also focuses on ethical travel advising, agency law, and travel agency compliance.

For ASTA members, the course is $399, and for nonmember independent contractors, it's $598. Travel Advisor nonmembers pay the steepest price, which is $729, and $179 for recertification.

RELATED: 7 Hacks for Flying With Just a Carry-On—No Matter How Long Your Trip Is .

How much do travel agents make?

According to Indeed , travel agents make an average of $53,924, and salaries can range between $30,131 and $96,506, depending on where you live. But other factors can affect an agent's earning potential, like working independently instead of for a travel agency.

A travel agent's income also depends on their area of travel. The Hotel Agency Review 2023 report revealed that corporate and luxury travel agents earn much more than agents who focus on Disney and cruise trips.

Your experience level can also impact your earning potential, as agents who have worked in the field longer are typically viewed as more qualified.

RELATED:  The 7 Best Cruises to Book If You're Over 60 .

Do travel agents get discounts on flights?

Being a travel agent doesn't automatically mean you get tons of discounts and deals, but they do have access to perks that can help make planning trips easier and less expensive. Travel agents have the inside scoop on reduced rates because of their relationships with hotels and airlines. As a result, agents share these negotiated prices with their clients to help them save. Agents can, of course, also benefit from this insider knowledge and save money on their own trips.

Thanks to their agents, clients can enjoy luxury accommodations at high-end hotels like Hyatt Privé, Hilton Impresario, Marriott STARS&Luminous, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, and Mandarin Oriental Fan Club, to name a few. These perks range from spa services and later checkout times to room upgrades and complimentary breakfast.

How do you make money as a travel agent?

There are several ways a travel agent can make money in their field beyond selling travel packages or working for an agency.

Travel agents can charge a service fee, which is a base pay clients cover along with any other charges.

Travel agents can also make commissions from their contracts with hotels, tour/excursion companies, cruises, car rental services, and airlines. Add-ons like insurance can also help boost an agent's income, if their client wants it.

Booking group tours can increase a travel agent's earnings because their commission is based on how much their clients purchase, so more people means more accommodations. For example, booking travel for destination weddings or family reunions is an excellent way to book multiple hotel rooms. It's such a lucrative strategy that some agents make group booking their niche, because managing just a few a year can bring in a substantial profit.

RELATED: The Best Day to Book Flights for Your Next Getaway .

Being a travel agent comes with many perks, but ultimately, becoming one takes a lot of dedicated effort. Taking the time to learn about the travel industry is a great way to expand your tourism knowledge and consumer communication techniques. Refining your skills and becoming certified is one of the best ways to attract and retain clients.

So, if becoming a travel agent sounds like the career for you, join this community of globetrotters and combine your love for adventure, great deals, and helping others plan impressive getaways.

In the meantime, you can sign up for our newsletter to enjoy similar career-building content, as well as the latest in wellness, entertainment, and travel.

Small Business Trends

How to start a travel agency.

If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more .

If you love to travel, are highly organized and enjoy working directly with people, becoming a travel agent is an awesome career choice.

You’d think with the ease of using search engines on the internet; the travel business wouldn’t be thriving. But it is.

According to statistics, a person may spend (waste) 20 hours on internet research before booking a flight. The internet is clogged with info, which is why the benefits of using a travel agent will always be valuable to most travelers.

What is a Travel Agency Business?

A travel agency is a company that provides travel and tourism booking services and planning for people. This can include making arrangements for things such as air travel, vehicle rental, hotels/lodging and travel insurance. Before you get started, find out how do travel agents make money and see if you can find out new ways to generate income.

Travel agencies can offer a wide range of services, including:

• Booking flights and hotels: Travel agencies can help you find the best deals on flights and hotels. They can also book your transportation and accommodation and even help you with things like visa applications and currency exchange.
• Planning itineraries:  Travel agencies can help you plan your itinerary, taking into account your interests and budget. They can also recommend popular tourist destinations and activities.
• Offering travel insurance:  Travel agencies can help you purchase travel insurance, which can protect you in case of flight cancellations, lost luggage, or medical emergencies.
• Providing customer service:  Travel agencies provide customer service to help you with any problems that may arise during your trip.

There are two main types of travel agencies:

• Retail travel agencies:  These agencies sell travel packages to the general public. They typically have a physical location, such as a storefront or a call center.
• Wholesale travel agencies: These agencies sell travel packages to other businesses, such as airlines, hotels, and tour operators. They typically do not have a physical location and operate online or through a call center.

Starting a travel agency business can be a great way to turn your passion for travel into a successful business.

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Travel Agency?

The cost of starting a travel agency can vary depending on a number of factors, including the size of the agency, the location, and the type of services offered. However, in general, you can expect to spend anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars to get started.

Here are some of the expenses you’ll need to consider when starting a travel agency:

• Business license and permits:  You’ll need to obtain a business license and any necessary permits from your local government. The cost of these fees will vary depending on your location.
• Travel agency software:  You’ll need to purchase or lease travel agency software to manage your bookings and reservations. The cost of this software will vary depending on the features and functionality you need.
• Marketing and advertising:  You’ll need to invest in marketing and advertising to reach potential customers. The cost of this will vary depending on the channels you use and the reach you want to achieve.
• Office space:  If you plan to have a physical office, you’ll need to rent or lease space. The cost of office space will vary depending on the location and the size of the space you need.
• Staffing:  If you plan to hire employees, you’ll need to factor in the cost of salaries, benefits, and training.

In addition to these expenses, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of travel, meals, and other expenses associated with booking travel for your clients.

The good news is that there are a number of ways to reduce the cost of starting a travel agency. For example, you can use free or low-cost marketing channels like social media and email marketing. You can also start your agency as a home-based business, which can save you on the cost of office space.

How Much Can You Make Owning a Travel Agency?

The average salary for someone working for an established agency is $19 per hour. The average annual earnings for independent travel agents is $36,000. That varies depending on your geographical location and the type of travel business you’ve chosen as a specialty.

18 Important Steps to Start Your Own Travel Business

Here are key steps to take to get your start in the travel industry. You should decide early whether you want to work for a travel company or work on starting a travel agency.

1. Complete Relevant Training

Colleges and business schools offer associate and four-year degrees in tourism. There are some independent educators, such as The Travel Institute , which offer certifications.

All these studies will include courses in business management, marketing, accounting and customer service. As part of ongoing education, you should also keep tabs on international affairs and weather events.

2. Look at the Competition

Agencies in the travel industry typically offer all types of services but specialize in a certain niche. For example, some travel agencies focus on luxury travel, and some focus on the adventure travel industry.

Savvy travel agents know their competition well, especially before starting their own business.

3. Choose Between Host Agency, Independent Travel Agent, and Franchise

Under the umbrella of a host agency, you can work as an hourly or salaried employee. In addition to your regular pay, you may be eligible to earn commissions.

If you’re starting a travel agency, you’ll be working independently. Your source of pay will be the fees you charge clients plus commissions you earn from travel suppliers – such as airlines, hotels and rental vehicle companies. Some businesses function solely as online travel agencies, often focusing on arranging corporate travel.

You can also opt to purchase a franchise, such as Dream Vacations . A franchise will provide training programs. Both a host agency and a franchise have the advantage of existing vendor partnerships.

4. Find a Specific Niche and Target Market

Maybe your idea of a dream vacation is renting bicycles and traveling to an Inn in New England. Or you might prefer canoeing wilderness rivers, and staying in tents. Maybe you’d like to book an all-inclusive trip, where the price includes airfare, lodging, food and beverages.

Your preferences aren’t what’s most important. You need to think about your potential clients and customers. Learn the demographics of your local community area and the average income of potential customers.

5. Choose a Business Name and Register Your Travel Agency

Before you lock in on the name, go to the website for your secretary of state. That’s where businesses are registered. You can check to make sure the name you’d like to use isn’t similar or the same as a travel agency already in existence before you spend money on business cards or a website.

6. Write a Travel Agency Business Plan

Here are some helpful tips for making your business plan. A business plan should include key elements of a business plan for travel companies:

• New business name and website
• Business physical location
• Business Structure
• Niche in the industry
• Forming partnerships (cruise lines, hotels, rental companies, etc.), especially once you’ve been a travel professional for over a year
• Plans for marketing/expansion in the industry

7. Open a Business Bank Account

Opening a business bank account is a fundamental step for any budding travel business. It not only separates your personal finances from your business transactions but also enhances your professionalism.

When selecting a bank, consider factors like fees, transaction limits, online banking features, and customer service quality. Additionally, look for banks offering perks for small businesses, such as waived fees for the first year or low minimum balance requirements.

A dedicated business credit card is also advisable for handling business expenses and potentially earning rewards.

8. Make Sure You Have the Licenses and Permits Required in Your State

General Business License as required by your business location.

Travel Agents License – If required by your state.

Federal employer identification number (EIN) is needed for paying business and payroll taxes, if you have employees. You’ll need the EIN when you file taxes.

Zoning – If you’re working from a home office, you must make sure your residence meets the zoning requirements for home-based travel agents.

9. Create a Travel Agency Website and Choose a Location

You may start your own travel agency with the glitziest, most informative and most gorgeous website imaginable.

But its use will fail if it hasn’t been correctly linked – called search engine optimization. Unless you’re very savvy about this, it will pay you to hire a professional to make sure clients find your new company and social media accounts. That’s a key part of your marketing strategy.

10. Sort Out Your Accounting Software

You’ll need to manage travel contracts, travel bookings, invoices and receipts, vendors and more on the financial end. Here are some of our recommendations:

• Fresh Books
• itouroperator

11. Choose a Business Structure

You’ll need to choose a structure for starting your travel agency. Many travel agencies choose the Limited Liability Company or LLC. The LLC allows you to protect your personal assets, especially if you’re operating in your own home.

Other common structures chosen by many businesses in most states include partnerships and corporations.

12. Get Your Taxes in Order

Understanding and managing your tax obligations is crucial for a travel business. Firstly, obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for tax purposes, especially if you plan to hire employees.

Familiarize yourself with the various taxes you’ll be liable for, including sales tax, payroll tax, and income tax. Use reliable accounting software to keep meticulous records of all financial transactions.

Consider consulting a tax professional or accountant to navigate complex tax regulations, ensure compliance, and identify possible tax deductions specific to travel agencies.

13. Purchase Business Insurance

There are common insurances needed, such as BOP (business operators), professional liability, commercial liability, errors and omissions, and general liability insurance.

If you’re going to sell travel, you need to offer travel insurance. What if travel restrictions suddenly impact a location? What if a natural disaster destroys the plans for a beach wedding destination?

14. Join Travel Associations

Here are a few which will serve as additional resources for you (help you with finding customers):

• American Society of Travel Advisors
• Association of Independent Tour Operators

15. Set Up Your Office and Invest in Equipment

You’ll need typical office equipment such as computers, software, internet, phone system and fax. If you’re offering travel services face-to-face, you’ll need comfortable furniture, a conference room, and ample parking.

16. Marketing

Effective marketing is key to the success of a travel business. Begin by identifying your unique selling proposition and target audience. Develop a marketing strategy that includes a mix of online and offline tactics.

Utilize social media platforms to engage with potential clients and showcase your offerings. Create informative and appealing content, such as travel guides, tips, and destination highlights.

Consider email marketing to keep your audience updated with the latest deals and offers. Attend travel expos and network events to build relationships and partnerships. Always track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts to refine your strategy.

17. Find Partners

Partners can include elements of a destination – a motel, B&B, restaurants, or spas, for example.

A partner can also be a media company, such as a newspaper, radio, or television station. You buy advertising with them and negotiate a reduced-price trip for an owner or manager.

18. Build Trust with Your Customers

Building trust with your customers is essential for the longevity and reputation of your travel business. Maintain transparency in your dealings, clearly communicate travel plans, and be upfront about costs and potential issues.

Provide exceptional customer service by being accessible, responsive, and empathetic to client needs and concerns. Encourage feedback and reviews from customers to improve your services. Develop a system to handle emergencies or unexpected travel issues efficiently.

Consistently delivering on your promises and providing memorable travel experiences will foster customer loyalty and lead to repeat business and referrals.

How to Compete with Big Brands in the Travel Industry

The travel industry is competitive, and it can be difficult for small businesses to compete with the big brands. However, there are a number of things you can do to give yourself a fighting chance.

Here are some tips on how to compete with big brands in the travel industry:

• Focus on a niche market.  Instead of trying to compete with the big brands on everything, focus on a specific niche market that you can specialize in. This could be a specific type of travel, such as ecotourism or adventure travel, or it could be a specific group of travelers, such as families or business travelers.
• Offer unique experiences.  Big brands often offer the same generic travel packages. To stand out from the crowd, you need to offer unique experiences that your customers can’t find anywhere else. This could be anything from a private tour of a hidden gem to a customized itinerary that’s tailored to your customer’s specific interests.
• Provide excellent customer service.  This is one area where small businesses often have an advantage over big brands. Big brands can be impersonal and bureaucratic, while small businesses can provide more personalized and attentive service. Make sure your customers feel like they’re valued and that you’re going above and beyond to make their travel experience as smooth as possible.
• Use technology to your advantage. Technology can be a great way to compete with big brands. You can use social media to connect with potential customers, use online booking tools to make booking their travel easy, and use analytics to track your performance and make improvements.
• Be creative with your marketing.  Big brands often have big budgets for marketing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t compete. Be creative with your marketing and find ways to reach your target audience without breaking the bank. This could include using social media, running contests, or creating original content.

Here are some additional tips that you can follow:

• Build relationships with travel suppliers.  This will give you access to better deals and will help you to provide your customers with a more personalized travel experience.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest travel trends.  This will help you to offer your customers the most in-demand travel experiences.
• Be flexible and adaptable.  The travel industry is constantly changing, so you need to be able to adapt your business accordingly.
• Never give up.  The travel industry is a tough one, but if you’re passionate about travel and you’re willing to work hard, you can succeed.

Competition in the travel industry is fierce, but it’s not impossible for small businesses to succeed. By following these tips, you can give yourself a fighting chance to compete with the big brands.

What are the legal requirements for starting a travel agency?

The legal requirements for starting a travel agency vary by country and region but may include obtaining the necessary licenses, permits, and registrations.

How do I choose a niche or specialty for my travel agency?

Consider your interests, expertise, and target market to choose a niche, such as adventure travel, luxury vacations, or corporate travel.

What technology and software do I need to run a travel agency?

You’ll need travel booking software, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, and a user-friendly website to handle reservations and inquiries.

How can I build relationships with travel suppliers and vendors?

Attend travel industry events, join travel agent associations, and establish strong communication with suppliers to build beneficial partnerships.

How do I market and promote my travel agency to attract clients?

Utilize digital marketing strategies, social media, content creation, and collaborate with influencers to increase your agency’s visibility.

What financial considerations should I keep in mind when starting a travel agency?

Plan for initial startup costs, ongoing expenses, and potential fluctuations in the travel industry. Budget for marketing, staff, and technology investments.

How can I provide exceptional customer service and stand out from competitors?

Focus on personalized travel planning, attentive communication, and 24/7 customer support to create a memorable experience for clients.

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7 best travel agency software to boost revenue in 2024

• 11 min read

What is travel agency software?

What should you look for in software to manage your travel agency.

• best software for travel agencies in 2024 

Your client's experience with your travel agency starts well before they set off on their trip. Instead, their journey begins the moment they go to your website to see what your agency has to offer. From there, communication, itinerary planning, payment options, and timely updates are all important components of the overall package that make up a great travel booking experience.

The best travel agency software helps you provide the service you need to foster strong relationships, retain clients, and drive revenue.

Read our list of the 7 best travel agency software tools in 2024 to transform your agency into a premier destination of its own.

Travel agency software covers any tools that can help your travel agency operate more efficiently, delight your customers, and find and book hotels, air travel, trains, and car rentals.

Some tools help book flights and hotels, while others are focused on marketing, client communication, or building a website that converts visitors.

The best travel agency software should help you streamline your workflows and give your clients the service they need. Here’s what to look out for when evaluating tools for your travel agency.

• Travel options: Good booking software should give you access to a wide range of flights, hotels, car rentals, and tours.
• Cost reduction: Travel is expensive. Good travel agency software ensures that you can get prices that are acceptable to your clients while leaving you with enough profit.
• Customer experience: The best software for travel agencies gives your clients an excellent customer experience. Branded client portals are effective ways to centralize client communication and provide excellent transparency.
• Efficiency: Travel arrangements require complex and often disparate workflows. Any travel agency software you choose should be able to streamline your workflows so your service is fast and efficient.

Now that we know what to look out for, let’s get into our list of our favorite tools to run your travel agency.

10 best software for travel agencies in 2024 

Here are our top picks for the best travel agency software available on the market today:

Alright, let’s take a look at what each tool does, how much it costs, and what real customers have to say about them.

1. TravelPerk

• Best for: Booking trips for your clients
• Pricing: Starts at $99 per month, plus 3% of each booking

TravelPerk is an all-in-one tool for booking and managing everything your client needs for a trip. The tool gives travel agencies access to a wide range of flights, hotels, trains, and cars, so they can put together superb inventories at great prices. While it’s a great choice for travel agencies, it’s also a good option for large teams who need business travel management solutions.

The TravelPerk interface is clean and modern. It acts as a portal to an incredible travel inventory that is capable of meeting all your clients' needs. The search filters are solid and remove a lot of time-consuming tasks. The mobile app is another great feature that allows agents to work on the go.

Other interesting features of the app include carbon footprint tracking, which is a good tool for environmentally conscious clients. What’s more, if you have a lot of business travel clients, you can take advantage of VAT recovery and even integrate individual travel policies into the platform to track travel expenses.

Overall, TravelPerk saves you time on bookings while giving you access to a wide range of inventory. What’s not to like?

TravelPerk notable features

• A centralized platform to help streamline the booking process
• Access to a huge inventory of flights, hotels, and transport options
• Carbon footprint tracking

TravelPerk reviews

Here is what real TravelPerk customers have to say about the solution.

• G2: 4.6/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.8/5 ⭐
• GetApp:   4.7/5 ⭐

• Best for: Client management and communication
• Pricing: Starts at $29 per month per user

Copilot is the platform service businesses are built on. It allows firms and agencies of all sizes to bring their entire tech stack under one roof. From communication, contracts, payments, intake forms, and more, Copilot is a one-stop shop for running a service business. And because running a travel agency is very customer-focused work, Copilot focuses mainly on the client experience and the customer-facing side of your business. The goal is to create such a great, personalized customer experience that your clients keep coming back to you to plan their trips.

Some Copilot features that work well for travel agencies include customizable intake forms so you can better understand your client’s travel needs. These forms help you collect pertinent information that you can easily transfer into an integrated CRM tool. What’s more, you can build beautiful branded client portals to centralize itinerary planning and other requirement discussions.

A client portal also offers secure file-sharing, which you can use for travel documents, visas, and information about flights, hotels, car rentals, and more. Having all these documents available on the cloud and in one centralized place is a huge benefit for your clients.

Another great Copilot feature that will help your travel agency is the in-built payment management. You can create invoices, subscriptions, and offer secure checkout — which means your clients have flexible and easy ways to pay for their travel.

Overall, Copilot is an indispensable tool for travel agencies who want to demonstrate their professionalism and trust by providing a user-friendly client portal that your customers will love.

Copilot notable features

• Automated onboarding workflows that help you collect important client details and cut down on your admin work.
• Integrated payment portals that offer clients different payment options, including subscription payments.
• White-label client portals that centralize communications share important travel documents and keep everyone up to date about how travel plans are progressing.

Copilot reviews

Here is what real Copilot customers have to say about the solution:

• G2: 4.8/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.9/5 ⭐
• Software Advice: 4.9/5 ⭐

3. WeTravel

• Best for: Payments for group travel
• Pricing: Starts at $79 per month, with custom plans for travel agents

WeTravel started out life as a platform to help simplify payments for group tour operators. However, it has expanded over the years and now it is used by travel agents to solve the complexity of group travel.

The big idea with WeTravel is that you can easily generate a slick, professional page for group trips. Your page means you can centralize everything you need for the trip and include photos, itinerary descriptions, and traveler information.

However, perhaps the best feature is the secure payment portal that solves the messy problem of taking payment from a wide array of travelers. Clients can pay by card or electronic transfers, and you can even offer payment plans.

WeTravel’s easy-to-use interface and superb drag-and-drop inventory creation are excellent features for small travel agencies who want to provide high-quality and polished customer experiences. Their processing fees are just 1%, which is very competitive.

You can also integrate WeTravel with marketing tools to help you capture leads and send out promotional materials for various trips. However, WeTravel might not work for very complex itineraries. Additionally, it’s mobile-friendliness does need a little work. But don’t let that put you off, because WeTravel is a great tool to have in your arsenal.

WeTravel notable features

Wetravel reviews.

Here is what real WeTravel customers have to say about the solution.

• G2: 4.1/5 ⭐
• GetApp:   4.8/5 ⭐

4. Avochato

• Best for: Text message notifications
• Pricing: Starts at $19 per month, with custom plans for busier agencies

Keeping clients up to date on travel information is a big challenge these days. One of the best ways to ensure that clients have the information they need is by SMS because the technology has incredible open rates of around 98% .

Avochato is an SMS business communication platform. While it’s not solely focused on travel agencies, it’s used widely across the industry to provide the swift and personalized communication that clients treasure.

Conversational customer support is a big advantage in relationship businesses like travel. Avochato helps teams deal with booking inquiries, trip updates, promotional messages, and even gathering feedback. It’s very intuitive, and if you’re a growing agency, it’s more than capable of scaling with you.

However, WeTravel is not perfect. For starters, it’s very US-focused, which might not work for every travel agency. What’s more, it’s a little pricer than some other SMS solutions out there. Finally, while it does provide support for video and images via MMS, the communications might lack the immersion of a client portal or email communication. That said, it’s a great tool for communicating critical information that won’t get lost in your client’s inbox.

Avochato notable features

• Shared team inbox that allows multiple agency staff to communicate with clients
• Excellent integration with CRM tools
• Broadcast or schedule SMS messages for announcements, reminders, offers, and trip details

Avochato reviews

Here is what real Avochato customers have to say about the solution.

• G2: 4.4/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.7/5 ⭐

• Best for: Business travel bookings
• Pricing: Starts at $4 per booking

BizAway launched in Stockholm, Sweden, almost a decade ago with the goal of streamlining the travel process for businesses and agencies. Since then, it has expanded internationally, but it is still primarily focused on the European market.

Some of the problems that BizAway solves include fragmented, time-consuming, and frustrating booking experiences across multiple platforms. It’s also adept at expense management and compliance with business travel policies, with a particular focus on approvals and policy control.

While BizAway is the best tool for European travel, that’s not to say that it won’t work for different regions. Indeed, they have a huge inventory for worldwide travel thanks to widespread access to various travel suppliers.

The booking interface is gorgeous and makes it simple to find and secure hotels, car rentals, trains, and more from inside the platform. It also integrates well with CRM, HR, and accounting software, making it a good choice for both travel agencies and corporations.

Overall, BizAway makes our list of the best travel agency software because it can save you money on travel packages. For travel agencies, any tool that helps you achieve better margins is worth having in your software stack. Sure, it might lack some of the deep customization options of its competitors, but make no mistake, this is a solid solution that makes travel and booking management far easier.

BizAway notable features

• Superb user interface booking system
• Excellent and in-depth reporting tools
• Superb expense management and policy control tools for corporate travel clients

BizAway reviews

Here is what real BizAway customers have to say about the solution:

• Software Advice: 4.7/5 ⭐
• GetApp: 4.7/5 ⭐

• Best for: Building a travel agency website
• Pricing: Starts at $14 per month, but busy agencies will need higher-tier plans

Webflow is a visual website building site with CMS and hosting capabilities. It allows businesses of every type to build professional-looking custom websites that are ready for the modern age.

While there are many solid template-based website builders out there, Webflow is a winning choice for travel agencies for a number of reasons. Firstly, travel marketing is heavily reliant on images. Webflow helps you sell experiences because it handles visuals superbly. Additionally, it offers great responsive design, which is essential for clients who browse for trips via mobile. Finally, Webflow integrates well with third-party custom booking systems.

Weflow is flexible enough to suit a wide variety of travel agencies, from small operators to luxury travel websites. It’s very easy to build a site that will totally wow your clients without knowing any code. This feature will save you money on maintenance and getting your site built. When you add in Webflow’s hosting, these advantages alone are enough to justify its monthly price.

Another thing to consider is that Webflow builds fast-loading websites. Website loading speed is important to clients, and it’s also an SEO ranking factor. But that’s not the only way that Webflow will help with SEO. It also comes with SEO tools that help you structure your site so that you maximize visibility and promote organic site visits.

Overall, Webflow is a powerful web design tool that lets you build superb, visually appealing websites. A well-designed, secure, and fast-loading website is the first step on the path towards building trust and credibility, which are essential in the travel industry.

Webflow notable features

• Customizable design that helps you create a unique and visually striking website without coding
• Build in CMS to manage your destinations, tours, packages, blog content, and more
• Easy integration with booking and payment tools

Webflow reviews

Here is what real Webflow customers have to say about the solution.

• Capterra: 4.6/5 ⭐
• GetApp:   4.6/5 ⭐

• Best for: Customer operations
• Pricing: Starts at $59 per month

Since Front was launched in 2013, it has become widely adopted by travel agencies and other businesses as a way to enhance collaboration and customer communication via shared email inboxes.

Travel planning involves a lot of communication with hotels, car rentals, tour operators, trains and buses, and so on. Front helps you centralize these communications so that nothing is missed or forgotten.

The front really comes into its own for travel agencies, thanks to a few core features. Firstly, it’s a great way to collaborate on travel inventories because members can leave notes, assign tasks, and trash out the finer details, all in one place. What’s more, the booking tools are great for group planning.

If you’re a very small travel agency, some of the features might feel excessive. However, for busy teams, you can customize Front around your workflows, benefit from data & analytics tools, and get real-time visibility into which tasks your agents are handling, and which have fallen through the cracks.

Overall, Front ensures that your back office is streamlined, efficient, and on top of everything.

Front notable features

• Shared inboxes are a great way to provide much-needed visibility and oversight into disparate travel communications
• Superb templates for providing travel updates
• Excellent integration with CRM and booking tools

Front reviews

Here is what real BizAway customers have to say about the solution.

• G2: 4.7/5 ⭐
• GetApp: 4.6/5 ⭐

The best travel agency software makes life easy for you and your clients. Whether it’s by giving you access to a wider range of hotels and flights, ensuring your communication is timely, and that you can offer flexible ways for your client to pay.

Copilot’s super client portals help you streamline your onboarding, client communication, progress, document sharing, and payments. Sign up for a free Copilot trial today and take a holiday away from disorganized communication, inefficiency, and slow payments.

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Trains Moscow to Elektrostal: Times, Prices and Tickets

• Train Times
• Seasonality
• Accommodations

Moscow to Elektrostal by train

The journey from Moscow to Elektrostal by train is 32.44 mi and takes 2 hr 7 min. There are 71 connections per day, with the first departure at 12:15 AM and the last at 11:46 PM. It is possible to travel from Moscow to Elektrostal by train for as little as or as much as . The best price for this journey is .

Get from Moscow to Elektrostal with Virail

Virail's search tool will provide you with the options you need when you want to go from Moscow to Elektrostal. All you need to do is enter the dates of your planned journey, and let us take care of everything else. Our engine does the hard work, searching through thousands of routes offered by our trusted travel partners to show you options for traveling by train, bus, plane, or carpool. You can filter the results to suit your needs. There are a number of filtering options, including price, one-way or round trip, departure or arrival time, duration of journey, or number of connections. Soon you'll find the best choice for your journey. When you're ready, Virail will transfer you to the provider's website to complete the booking. No matter where you're going, get there with Virail.

How can I find the cheapest train tickets to get from Moscow to Elektrostal?

Prices will vary when you travel from Moscow to Elektrostal. On average, though, you'll pay about for a train ticket. You can find train tickets for prices as low as , but it may require some flexibility with your travel plans. If you're looking for a low price, you may need to prepare to spend more time in transit. You can also often find cheaper train tickets at particular times of day, or on certain days of the week. Of course, ticket prices often change during the year, too; expect to pay more in peak season. For the lowest prices, it's usually best to make your reservation in advance. Be careful, though, as many providers do not offer refunds or exchanges on their cheapest train tickets. Unfortunately, no price was found for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal. Selecting a new departure or arrival city, without dramatically changing your itinerary could help you find price results. Prices will vary when you travel from Moscow to Elektrostal. On average, though, you'll pay about for a train ticket. If you're looking for a low price, you may need to prepare to spend more time in transit. You can also often find cheaper train tickets at particular times of day, or on certain days of the week. Of course, ticket prices often change during the year, too; expect to pay more in peak season. For the lowest prices, it's usually best to make your reservation in advance. Be careful, though, as many providers do not offer refunds or exchanges on their cheapest train tickets.

How long does it take to get from Moscow to Elektrostal by train?

The journey between Moscow and Elektrostal by train is approximately 32.44 mi. It will take you more or less 2 hr 7 min to complete this journey. This average figure does not take into account any delays that might arise on your route in exceptional circumstances. If you are planning to make a connection or operating on a tight schedule, give yourself plenty of time. The distance between Moscow and Elektrostal is around 32.44 mi. Depending on the exact route and provider you travel with, your journey time can vary. On average, this journey will take approximately 2 hr 7 min. However, the fastest routes between Moscow and Elektrostal take 1 hr 3 min. If a fast journey is a priority for you when traveling, look out for express services that may get you there faster. Some flexibility may be necessary when booking. Often, these services only leave at particular times of day - or even on certain days of the week. You may also find a faster journey by taking an indirect route and connecting in another station along the way.

How many journeys from Moscow to Elektrostal are there every day?

On average, there are 71 daily departures from Moscow to Elektrostal. However, there may be more or less on different days. Providers' timetables can change on certain days of the week or public holidays, and many also vary at particular times of year. Some providers change their schedules during the summer season, for example. At very busy times, there may be up to departures each day. The providers that travel along this route include , and each operates according to their own specific schedules. As a traveler, you may prefer a direct journey, or you may not mind making changes and connections. If you have heavy suitcases, a direct journey could be best; otherwise, you might be able to save money and enjoy more flexibility by making a change along the way. Every day, there are an average of 18 departures from Moscow which travel directly to Elektrostal. There are 53 journeys with one change or more. Unfortunately, no connection was found for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal. Selecting a new departure or arrival city, without dramatically changing your itinerary could help you find connections.

Book in advance and save

If you're looking for the best deal for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal, booking train tickets in advance is a great way to save money, but keep in mind that advance tickets are usually not available until 3 months before your travel date.

Stay flexible with your travel time and explore off-peak journeys

Planning your trips around off-peak travel times not only means that you'll be able to avoid the crowds, but can also end up saving you money. Being flexible with your schedule and considering alternative routes or times will significantly impact the amount of money you spend on getting from Moscow to Elektrostal.

Always check special offers

Checking on the latest deals can help save a lot of money, making it worth taking the time to browse and compare prices. So make sure you get the best deal on your ticket and take advantage of special fares for children, youth and seniors as well as discounts for groups.

Unlock the potential of slower trains or connecting trains

If you're planning a trip with some flexible time, why not opt for the scenic route? Taking slower trains or connecting trains that make more stops may save you money on your ticket – definitely worth considering if it fits in your schedule.

Best time to book cheap train tickets from Moscow to Elektrostal

The cheapest Moscow - Elektrostal train tickets can be found for as low as $35.01 if you’re lucky, or $54.00 on average. The most expensive ticket can cost as much as $77.49.

Find the best day to travel to Elektrostal by train

When travelling to Elektrostal by train, if you want to avoid crowds you can check how frequently our customers are travelling in the next 30-days using the graph below. On average, the peak hours to travel are between 6:30am and 9am in the morning, or between 4pm and 7pm in the evening. Please keep this in mind when travelling to your point of departure as you may need some extra time to arrive, particularly in big cities!

Moscow to Elektrostal CO2 Emissions by Train

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