By Zareen Muzaffar

These days we tend to do everything online: buy movie tickets, shop for everything, use social media to stay in touch with loved ones and so on.

When it comes to buying plane tickets, many of us stick to the tried and tested travel agencies while some of us book tickets online using various portals such as Kayak, Expedia, Orbitz etc.

Travel agencies, once thought to be following the dinosaur trend, have made a comeback. Travelers are beginning to recognize that dealing with a human being can make a difference when faced with a drastic change of plans. Travel agents usually have better knowledge about the hidden discounts for hotel rooms or the complexities involved in airline ticket prices.

Saves Time

What’s faster? Registering on an online booking and wasting countless hours on the computer?

Or simply calling your agent, new or existing, to tell them your destination and wait for the phone call? The agent can also give you different options and the final decision is yours minus the endless clicks on the computer and the nerve-wrecking experience of inputting your credit card details on a website.

Recommendations

With years of experience behind them, travel agencies can make recommendations suiting your needs. Sometimes you may want a brief stop over in a transit city, but if online booking offers few hours, agents can modify and make your stay longer.

They can even give you hotel recommendations or information about the city you may want to stop at.

Solutions to Problems

You may book a flight online and the flight is canceled for some reason, in such a case there may be hidden costs that you wouldn’t know about if you had booked online.

Moreover, some online booking sites provide no flexibility. On the contrary, your agent can change your booking; modify your itinerary and all that is just a phone call away.

Options for Business Travelers

Some companies have existing relations with traveling agencies and that helps the employees find the best option for their travel needs. Agencies provide flexible and budget friendly options.

Special Packages

Travel agencies can help you book group tours or other excursions. The packages include hotel bookings, commute and tourist attractions.