Why would I use a travel agent when I can just book my holiday online?
It's a fair question.
You can book almost anything online these days – flights, hotels, transfers, cruises and excursions. Give yourself enough browser tabs and you can probably piece together an entire holiday without speaking to another human being.
So, what does a travel agent actually do that you can't?
The answer isn't necessarily about doing something you can't do. It's about saving you time, using experience to help you make the right choices and giving you a real person to speak to when you need one.
We can save you hours of searching...
We've all done it.
You start looking for a holiday at 7pm.
By 10pm you've got 27 browser tabs open, you've forgotten which hotel had the good pool and you're reading a one-star review from somebody furious because it rained in Tenerife.
The internet gives you an incredible amount of choice.
Sometimes too much choice.
Tell a travel agent your dates, budget, who's travelling and what's important to you, and we can start narrowing down hundreds of possibilities into a handful that actually suit you.
We ask the questions that matter
Where do you want to go?
That's only the beginning.
Do you want somewhere lively or quiet? Is a sandy beach important? How far are you prepared to travel from the airport? Do the children need waterslides? Do you want All Inclusive? Would you like to walk into the resort centre?
Those little details can be the difference between finding a good hotel and finding the right hotel for you.
We compare more than the headline price
A £599 holiday isn't necessarily better value than one costing £649.
Does one include hold luggage and transfers? Are the flight times better? Is one room superior? What's the board basis? How long is the airport transfer?
Sometimes the cheapest option really is the best deal.
Sometimes it isn't.
A good travel agent looks at the whole holiday, not simply the biggest number on the screen.
We can help when you don't know where to go
This is actually one of our favourite conversations:
“We want to go away, but we've got no idea where.”
Perfect.
Tell us when you can travel, who's going, roughly what you want to spend and what you've enjoyed – or hated – about previous holidays.
We can take it from there.
You don't need to walk into a travel agency already knowing the destination, hotel and room type.
Complicated holidays become less complicated
Booking a straightforward week in the sun can be relatively simple.
But what about a multi-centre holiday? A cruise with flights and hotels? A big family booking needing several rooms? A honeymoon? A long-haul itinerary?
The more moving parts your holiday has, the more useful an experienced travel agent can become.
Instead of trying to make everything fit together yourself, we can help build the trip as a whole.
Cruise holidays are a perfect example
You can book a cruise online.
But which cruise line? Which ship? Which itinerary? Inside or balcony cabin? Which deck? What's included? Are gratuities included? Is the ship suitable for children?
If you've never cruised before, the choice can be bewildering.
A travel agent who understands cruising can explain the differences in normal English.
No nautical degree required.
You have a real person to speak to
This is probably the biggest difference.
When everything goes exactly according to plan, booking online can feel incredibly easy.
It's when you have a question, want to make a change or something unexpected happens that having a real person to speak to becomes particularly valuable.
With a local travel agent, you know who you've booked with.
You can pick up the phone, send us a message or walk through the door and talk to us.
And we're still here after you've paid your deposit.
Travel agents use the internet too!
We don't have a magical cupboard at the back of the shop containing secret holidays.
Travel agents use sophisticated booking systems and technology too.
The difference is that we're combining those tools with human experience and judgement.
Technology can find 500 hotels.
Our job is helping you work out which five are actually worth considering!
Are travel agents always cheaper?
No – and we'd be suspicious of anyone who promised they were always cheaper.
Sometimes an online price will be excellent, but not a package holiday. Sometimes we'll find something better that is a full package holiday. Sometimes the price might be similar, but one holiday includes more or suits you better.
Price matters but so does your financial protection and you get so much more on a package holiday than a flight and hotel booking.
But value is about more than finding the smallest number on a screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few of the most common questions answered...
Is it more expensive to book through a travel agent?
Not necessarily. A travel agent can compare holiday companies, cruise lines and different options on your behalf. It's important to compare what's actually included rather than assuming an online headline price is automatically cheaper.
Can a travel agent help if I don't know where I want to go?
Of course! Give us your dates, approximate budget, who's travelling and the sort of holiday you enjoy, and we can start suggesting destinations and hotels.
Can travel agents arrange cruises?
Yes. We can help compare cruise lines, ships, itineraries and cabin types – particularly useful if you've never cruised before. We can also help with cruises from the UK and tailor-made cruise and stay holidays too.
Can a travel agent book holidays from Newcastle Airport?
Yes. At JLM Travel, holidays from Newcastle Airport are one of our specialities. As a North East travel agency, we're familiar with the destinations and holiday options available from our local airport. Family holidays from Newcastle are popular thanks to the number of free child places too.
So, Do You Still Need a Travel Agent?
Maybe need isn't the right word.
You don't need someone to cut your hair either.
Technically, you've got scissors.
Sometimes it's simply better to use someone who knows what they're doing.
The internet is brilliant for travel. We use it every day.
But if you'd rather spend your evening thinking about being on holiday instead of comparing 47 hotels, six flights and three different baggage allowances, that's where we come in.
At JLM Travel, our experienced travel agents can help with family holidays, city breaks, All Inclusive escapes, cruises and those once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
Tell us what you're looking for.
We'll take it from there.
