Agents: best source even for simple transactions?
Travel agents may be the best source for even the simplest travel needs such as buying point-to-point airline tickets, according to consultant Marc Mancini.
He told TravelMole: “The biggest mistake travelers make is that to believe they can do it all on the internet. I’m a great believer that if you find a good travel agent, he or she will find the best solution to your travel needs, and perhaps at a lower price.”
Mr Mancini owns a Los Angeles company that provides seminars and other consulting services.
He points out that a consumer may think he has purchased the least expensive airline ticket but that can be misleading and “direct” does not always mean one-stop.
Consumers even need help with car rentals, an area the general public often thinks is a simple internet buy.
“But say you’re renting a car in Europe. Did you know gas is $6.50 a gallon, or did you know the fact is it will cost you $85 to park your car for one night in Venice?” he said.
Mr Mancini says the three areas where travel agents are absolutely a necessity.
One area is cruises. Another is tours.
“If you fly Continental or Delta of United, they’re all about the same. But cruises and tours are not the same. No matter how good a consumer is on the internet, there are huge and complicated choices,” he said.
The third area is complicated trips involving multiple hotels or various means of transportation that might include airplanes, buses or trains.
As for hotels: “The public perceives hotels as simple, but it’s a mistake to believe a hotel is just a hotel. Do you know if it was recently renovated, or not? It might look good on an internet picture, but a good agent has the knowledge to steer consumers in the right direction.”
Mr Mancini’s company has an unusual way of marketing. He does not have a web site or even a listed telephone number. All of his clients — and he has some major travel companies — come to him by word-of-mouth. Why is that?
“It’s the same as in the restaurant business. Gee, people think, ‘they don’t even have a telephone? They must really be good.’ It’s perception, and it works,” he said.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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