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The term is very confusing!
But you have come to the right place to learn more about what an online travel agent is.
Chances are, when you think about an online travel agency, you are thinking about the old days of travel planning.
Call the travel agent, make an appointment, go in, and tell them where you want to go……..well you get the idea by now. Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with that.
It is true, not everyone does things online.
But, for those who do know what online travel agencies are, it is the start to a glorious future of independent travel planning – not to mention cheap airfare, hotels, and car rentals. Are you getting excited yet – I am just by talking about it! Now days every online travel seller calls themselves online travel agents.
You can find cheap flights all over the internet.
Basically, what I am getting at is that traditional travel agents and travel agents online are two different things, and I am here to help you figure out what an online travel agent can do for you.
There are two kinds of online travel agents
And the two kinds are: self service, or full service – just like a gas station! (that was my attempt at a joke – sorry). You can log into their website, find some great deals, book your trip and there you have it – your trip planned and you are ready to rock and roll.Then, it is up to you to find out:
- How to get to the airport, train, car, etc.
- What you are going to do once your there
- Times and dates that the attractions are open that you are visiting
- What you need to bring – electrical adaptors, etc.
- Where or how you are going to get fed
- Where you are going to sleep – yes even in Las Vegas people sleep (during the day)
It’s not as bad as it sounds!
Cheap airfare is great and you can find awesome deals on websites these days.
The websites also usually provide options toward the end of how to go about finding those extras. For example in the middle of booking your trip, suggestions will come up for package deals and extra ticket options for things to do at your destination.
Self service online travel agents really do provide a great option for people who are looking to book their trips online, on their terms. My travel to Germany page has some great suggestions on booking travel online.
Full Service Online Travel Agents
They are harder to find!A full service online travel agency or agent is someone that you have personal contact with – similar to a traditional travel agent.
There are two different scenarios for working with a full service online travel agency or agent.
One is that they would do the research for you and you would do the actual purchasing.
For example – you tell the agent that you want to go to Bavaria (of course) and want the cheapest flight out of O’Hare. You also tell them that you want to park-n-fly out of Chicago.
Then you tell them that you are planning to rent a car when you get into Munich, and then want to stay for five nights before returning home.
Your online agent will then do all the online research for you to find the best deals. They would then tell you their recommendations for booking, and give you links to the website (websites) that you should book your reservations on.
This is a great option because you can give input into how to travel, but not have to hand over your financial information ahead of time to a stranger. Many times, a full service online travel agent really is certified and trustworthy, but on the world wide web, you never know.
Another scenario is similar to the one above, however the agent would actually book all of the travel for you (upon your pre approval) of course.
This option is great for people with little time to spend researching trip and vacation planning. These folks generally may not even have time to zip into a traditional travel agents office, and they LOOOOVE email. So, for these guys this option is great.
Typically when a full service online travel agent is doing the booking for you, they would utilize an online payment system similar to PayPal, Amazon payments, or Merchantinc., or something similar. When doing this, remember to be careful and read the fine ink!
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