booking vacations ?

Do you book online with a site like expedia, call the resort or us a travel agent?

we're looking to book an all-inclusive and i'm stumped as to which way will get us the best deal.

thanks!

booking vacations ?

We never use a travel agent. We price it out ourselves using a travel site versus booking directly through the resort.

booking vacations ?

I've used Expedia and have gotten amazing deals going through Ebates. Ebates gave me 10% back for booking my cruise through them using Expedia!! And I've called Expedia a few times and we're so helpful!! No complaints.

booking vacations ?

I always like to price it out myself and then go to our travel agent to see if she can beat the price or offer an upgrade or transportation to the resort.

booking vacations ?

we do both. i'll price things out myself, but then talk to a travel agent to see if they can get some kind of discount or add-ons like a room credit on the cruise or whatever.
i do book my disney vacations through a travel agent friend. if i'm going anyway, its nice for her to get a few dollars of commission and she's a big help with booking dining and fast passes and all that

Re: booking vacations ?

great --thanks for the insight. i guess i'll keep doing what i'm doing and hopefully we'll be able to score a great family vacation without going into bankruptcy

booking vacations ?

I usually book through the resort itself. I don't like 3rd party sites since more often than not, you pay in full, and the cancellation policies are stiff. I book mostly hotels that don't require a deposit, and you pay in full when you check in, and can cancel up to a few days before.

booking vacations ?

I usually book through a site, but for our recent vacation, I was going to book on the resorts website. There was a glitch or something when I tried to book and I wasn't sure if it went through. I wound up calling the resort and getting a better deal - they offered a bit of a discount plus gave us a resort credit

Re: booking vacations ?

I book direct with the hotel/resort. I don't trust 3rd party sites even though I am sure they are fine. I don't find 3rd party sites to be that much cheaper than booking direct with the hotel anyway

Re: booking vacations ?

I usually end up booking through a third party, especially if I'm looking at flights too bc usually the flights will end up being free (on expedia, at least). I usually use cheapcarribean.com to compare locations but rarely book through them although I have friends who have had good experiences.

Re: booking vacations ?

I usually book myself, except the last trip I booked was Disney and I went through a travel agent that a friend recommended since it was free, and includes services like booking your dining reservations for you.

Re: booking vacations ?

I am a bit biased but let me tell you why.

I am going to start by saying not all travel agents are the same, not all work the same, and not all cost the same so I cannot speak for all travel agents. I will say that I prefer for people to book with a travel agent, even if it is not me, and I work with a network of agents in order to insure that people have the best experience possible rather than booking online.

When you work one on with with a travel agent they typically have more experience with destinations and brands and are able to help direct you to a resort that best fits your needs as a whole. I do not work for a specific resort brand so I do not feel a need to push specific brands over others for any reason other than I feel it is a good fit for my clients.

When my clients encounter an issue, whether it is weather related or illness etc they have me in their corner to help them find solutions. During hurricanes or blizzards my clients know that if they are "stuck" at a resort they have me here helping to make sure they are taken care of.
The last snow storm we had I had several clients who were stranded in Mexico, Florida, and Punta Cana and they were able to enjoy their vacations while I sat on hold with airlines and resorts to get their situation taken care of.

Travel agents often have access to bulk air that you may not be able to find on your own.

Travel agents often have more information about resorts than what you see online. I have had several clients come to me with resorts they found online and wanted to book based on the hotel's photos. They did not realize that the resort was not beach front, and the ocean view rooms were only on the top floor because they had to be able to see over the 2 streets worth of resorts between that resort and the beach.

Travel agents can tell you about any "hidden" fees such as parking or resort fees due at check in. (Vegas is notorious for added fees that many people don't realize when they book on sites like Expedia)

The best part? Many travel agents (such as myself) do not charge any fees to clients who book with them. It is very often the same price if not cheaper to book with a travel agent than it is to book direct with a resort.

Again, even if you do not book with me, I encourage everyone to speak with a travel agent prior to booking your vacation.

booking vacations ?

I do my own research using online sites and call the resort and do a comparison. I have Costco membership so I check their site too and if they are offering any perks I book through them.