DIY online or Travel agent

[CarLuver]

its been over 20 year since i have stepped outside the states , canada and mex excluded . I wish to take my family of 4 to Asia in oct for a family vacation . I wish to go to japan and hK . one week each.

I am unsure to just do it online or have a travel agent help me. i know a lot of folks book everything online these days ,but i am unfamiliar with hotels and flights to these places.

So for a trip like this, would you use the services of a travel agent or diy online? Cost is not a huge concern, but smoothness of the trip is.

 

[John105]

Gee I didn’t know there were still travel agents. I mean even at work the system turned into a portal for employees to handle everything themselves (Concur). I’d diy so I can see what’s what….my .02

 

[SC Maintenance]

I didn't know there were travel agents either, however my daughter's college group used one - through the University. They needed to book like a dozen flights but didn't know exactly who would be going - and the travel agent was apparently able to do that. There called "advisors" now. https://www.asta.org/travelerServices/why-use-a-travel-advisor

Having said that every time I have flown overseas I have done it myself, but Asia has never been on the list, so depending where might have something to do with it. If your just planning the normal tourist sites in Japan and HK - since both are pretty modern, I would likely DIY, but to each their own.

 

[atikovi]

Don't know if Asia is different from the rest of the world and I haven't been out of the country for over 10 years, but normally I would book a flight and a rental car. Then you're free to stay at any hotel that you see along the road.

 

[JHZR2]

We still have a private travel agent in town. They donate a $500 or so voucher at the elementary school raffle each year, so they must do good business. I’ve never used one for personal travel and hate to have to engage with others for work travel.

That said, all my travel is North America and Europe. I might want some help to go to someplace in Asia, just because of what I don’t know.

 

[99Saturn]

Do you want an itinerary for the trip or do you just want air and accommodations for a week in HK and Japan each?

If I were looking for an itinerary I’d go with an agent. Or if looking to stay in multiple places and didn’t want to deal with hiccups. Sometimes a bit of the fun is figuring it out yourself once there though. Just my $.02.

 

[99Saturn]

Gee I didn’t know there were still travel agents. I mean even at work the system turned into a portal for employees to handle everything themselves (Concur). I’d diy so I can see what’s what….my .02

Same for us too (Concur) until you are on the trip and want to change something last minute… then it’s a call to the Concur agent or our travel line.

 

[CarLuver]

Do you want an itinerary for the trip or do you just want air and accommodations for a week in HK and Japan each?

If I were looking for an itinerary I’d go with an agent. Or if looking to stay in multiple places and didn’t want to deal with hiccups. Sometimes a bit of the fun is figuring it out yourself once there though. Just my $.02.

i am jsut looking for flights and accomodations. once i am there i can figure it out.

 

[wings&wheels]

You can do it yourself, but I would engage a reputable Agent w/ experience in the region. An experienced and knowledgeable agent can provide so much insight and information as to where to stay (local or American style hotel experience?) , when (are there any local holidays while you will be there?), local transportation recommendations, etc. and, importantly, what info. they have should be accurate as opposed to the 'net. If you have a Platinum Card, I hear the Amex service is good, but we haven't used it yet.

Oh, BTW, for a few years I ran global travel operations for a major company, from airline contracts to the corporate travel credit cards and expense report processing (and Concur!). I had 38k travelers spending ~$500+m/year, and I will be using an Agent for our family trip to ANZ next year!

 

[PimTac]

i am jsut looking for flights and accomodations. once i am there i can figure it out.

You can do that yourself.

 

[twouvakind]

Travel agent, hands down. After winning a raffle drawing for a travel agency gift certificate ($10,000), I was more than pleased at how the agency owner did all the legwork for a trip to Tahiti. She knew how to stretch the certificate by knowing which resorts give you a "buy two nights and get a third free. Which ones offered free breakfasts and/or lunches and got us private transfers. The puddle jumper from Moorea to Bora Bora, air from LA to Papeete included. Air from NJ to LA was on us.

I would not hesitate to use the same travel agent/agency for another "once in a lifetime trip"

 

[wings&wheels]

Travel agent, hands down. After winning a raffle drawing for a travel agency gift certificate ($10,000), I was more than pleased at how the agency owner did all the legwork for a trip to Tahiti. She knew how to stretch the certificate by knowing which resorts give you a "buy two nights and get a third free. Which ones offered free breakfasts and/or lunches and got us private transfers. The puddle jumper from Moorea to Bora Bora, air from LA to Papeete included. Air from NJ to LA was on us.

I would not hesitate to use the same travel agent/agency for another "once in a lifetime trip"

Your trip, I mean experience as it is so much more than a 'trip', sounds fantastic!

You had me at "..puddle jumper from Moorea to Bora Bora.."

 

[tblt44]

I DIY

 

[y_p_w]

The biggest problem is typically the language barrier for certain countries. A good travel agent can really smooth that out.

I remember going to Thailand back in the early 90s and it was weird trying to deal with the language barrier. We got free tickets (kind of complicated) but then we booked everything else on our own including travel to other countries. It didn't go all that well, and we even got scammed by one of the tour operators that was recommended at our hotel tour desk. You know - running out of fuel and asking to borrow cash that will be returned later for fuel. But the other thing I remember doing was going to see some kickboxing and I had no idea how to do it (this was before the WWW) and we didn't even have mobile phones. Once we got stranded by taxi drivers although we managed to walk to where we could hail another taxi.

 

[ATex7239]

After using a service for the first time a few years ago we are now fans. Highly recommend it.

 

[dishdude]

You don't need a travel agent.

Book direct with the airline, sign up for their loyalty program and check into getting their credit card.

HK and Tokyo both have Grand Hyatts, book direct and I'd recommend a club level room. Once again, sign up for their World of Hyatt program.

 

[PandaBear]

I think I've only seen travel agents for tour packages these days. In general I recommend tour packages to people who aren't able to drive or take transits, and need a tour guide to help them (either language problem or for safety reason in old ages).

You don't need anything more than English in HK for sure. Japan, you should be able to find other tourists or google your way around, everyone use google translate or something like that there. So, DIY and just book online.

 

[Carmudgeon]

If you want a turnkey experience, an agent can provide that, and hopefully, you can find a good one.

But in this day and age, I'm not sure how much better an agent can do in securing better rates, and having the local knowledge, the two things that made them valuable in the past. I'm sure there are types of complex bookings, deals, and specific destinations where that kind of niche experience is still plenty valuable, but for a trip to Hong Kong or Tokyo, you can probably find all you need to know from your own online research, as long as you're willing to put in the time.

I haven't been to Tokyo in many years, but as a former British Colony, for English-speakers, language is largely a non-issue in HK.

Unlike many car-oriented cities, especially in the U.S., public transit is critical for the city to function, and they are willing to invest in it, so it is good, and cheap. Just grab an Octopus card when you arrive, and getting around will be very easy. Such IC cards like it, or the Oyster card in London, make it easy. Local prepaid SIM cards are cheap, for mobile access, if you don't want to pay your home carrier's usurious roaming rates.

The greatest concentration of hotels is at the southern part of the peninsula in TST, or the northern part of HK island, so that's where most tourists stay, and where the action is. Many are operated by the familiar American or European hotel chains, but even those that aren't won't be making you sleep on Tatami mats or use a pit toilet.

If you, or your kids are into car diecasts, or other toys like LEGO and figurines, I can suggest a place to check out.

While it's a touristy thing, do take the Star Ferry across the harbor channel, and sit on the upper deck (choose the right ramp) for the best view.

 

[Donald]

its been over 20 year since i have stepped outside the states , canada and mex excluded . I wish to take my family of 4 to Asia in oct for a family vacation . I wish to go to japan and hK . one week each.

I am unsure to just do it online or have a travel agent help me. i know a lot of folks book everything online these days ,but i am unfamiliar with hotels and flights to these places.

So for a trip like this, would you use the services of a travel agent or diy online? Cost is not a huge concern, but smoothness of the trip is.

I have found the best deals on a flight & hotel package booked on one of the major travel sites.

At the hotel I work for in IT all the reservations come into one system no matter where they originate.

Like many other things in life, the web bringing reservations to the consumer has pretty much eliminated the need for a travel agent.

I am hoping the web can eliminate the need for realtors also.

 

[mrnkc130]

I just got back from Asia with my son this summer, we did Tokyo, Singapore, Hanoi, Bangkok and Seam Reap (angkor wat)

I did it all on expedia (youre not gonna beat the flight prices vs airlines website) as well as all hotel bookings. Ive been to asia a couple times now and while the language barrier is there more than most european countries its usually not bad, you can pretty much always find someone who speaks english, it may be broken or slightly difficult to understand but that adds to the foreignness of the trip I think!

Asian countries are very service driven and affordable so your hotel or tour you booked on expedia will be very helpful (although japan and hong kong possibly less so of both)

I love asia (SE Asia to be specific) the prices are amazing and the people have always been very friendly and helpful, no major crime to speak of either, the only bad part is the long flights really!

If you spent a couple hours with a on expedia you could book an amazing trip for pretty affordable prices, but if affordability isnt your concern then im sure a travel agent would make it much easier. I like to come up with very unique itineraries and see what i want to see without alot of downtime so I find this is the best way for me.