There are many things in life where you simply pay for the convenience of having someone else do the legwork for you. Everything technically could be a DIY job if you had the time to do the research or learn a skill. This applies to most services, from accounting to plumbing, and there are certain jobs that are definitely doing yourself in order to save money. This doesn’t mean you should grab the nearest wrench, but booking a holiday would certainly fall under this category, as it takes little time to do yourself and will save you a packet.
The key to doing the job of the travel agent is to shop around and find yourself the best deals for you. Package deals are the typical offering of a travel agency, but these are by no means the cheapest way of booking, and you can often have the same holiday for less by building it yourself. Flights and hotels are usually cheaper if you get lots of quotes and are flexible with your dates, so you can build a holiday from the best value flights and hotel deals you find online.
An agent will rarely be able to tailor a holiday to your own specific wants and needs, whereas by building your own you can have multiple locations, the exact accommodation of your choice and plan activities you love for each day. This is especially good if you are travelling as a family or with a group who all have their own unique likes and dislikes to be met. Yes, it does take a bit of time and hunting around to make your perfect get away, but it is all worth it when you have the holiday of your dreams for much less than an agent would charge, and with no surprise fees.
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
