Why Use A Travel Agent

You want to get away. You want the best deal you can get. How do you wade through all of the information available to make for a stress-free travel experience from start to finish? This is exactly why you should use a travel agent.

With the increasing number of options, planning a trip today can be confusing and time consuming. A travel agent not only arranges the various modes of transportation, researches the accommodation details and travel advisories, but can continue to be of full service throughout the duration of your trip to help in the case of an unplanned event.  All while, possibly saving you money with special fares and promotions to help you stay within your travel budget.

  • When Using a Travel Agent

You do NOT have to pay to consult with your travel agent. Travel agents are paid on commission by the travel companies, hotels, cruise lines, and rental car agencies they book with. So, we only get paid if you book through us. If you don’t use a travel agent, the travel company (hotel, cruise, rental car, etc.) keeps the commission.

So, say you book a trip online. You spend hours researching the best companies for your trip you’ve been dreaming to go on. You finally make a choice, you book, and pay. You probably would have paid the same price or less for the trip if you’d booked it through us. You see, the tour companies, hotels, airlines, and cruise lines don’t pass the commission along to you for omitting the agent. Furthermore, you’ve paid the same amount, and you’ve done all of the work.

  • When Travel Agents Charge Service Fees  

People tend to shy away from using a travel agency because they think they always charge a fee. Some, but not in all cases, travel agencies do charge nominal fees. For example, most travel agents these days charge a fee for airline only bookings. Why? Well, the airlines, in an attempt to cut costs, no longer pay commissions to agents.

However, this isn’t a reason to shy away from using Orco Travel to book your airline tickets. We have access to all of the available flights on all of the airlines. We can quickly check availability and find the cheapest cost per ticket. We can get you the best flight times, connections, and seats available. We can sell you insurance on the ticket and we can get you travel vouchers if you had a bad flight. Therefore, for Air-Only tickets we do charge a $25.00 service fee per ticketed passenger.  However, if you add a car or hotel to the same transaction, it is no longer “Air Only” and the service fee will not apply.

  • Travel Agents Really Do Get Better Deals  

Travel agents have industry connections that the general public does not. There are many travel wholesale companies that only deal with travel agents. These big companies negotiate rates with the airlines and hotels and pass the savings along to travel agents.

  • Travel Agents Will Leverage Their Industry Pull for You    

Travel agencies are service providers. We want to have a relationship with you. Your happiness ensures future business from you. So, if you experience a problem we will advocate on your behalf. You had a bad flight? Tell us and we will take on the task of letter writing to the airline.

Furthermore, with over 600 travel agents associated with Dugan’s Travels (our parent company), Orco Travel truly has industry pull.

  • Use Travel Agents as a Resource

We use word-of-mouth advertising and are eager to work with you. Call us and ask us to price out your vacation. We will ask you for information about your budget, your travel experience, and your flexibility. Travel agents can be a great starting point when planning your trip as they know all of the ins-and-outs of the business and know where to find the best solutions to customize your travel needs.

Then do a comparison. See if you can get a better deal online. Ask yourself if this is a time-intensive trip. Are you likely to encounter problems? If you would feel comfortable going it alone, and if you can get a better price elsewhere, go for it. There are some times when travel agents can’t compete with the last minute deals airlines run.

Another benefit to using a travel agent is that you have a point of contact if you have a problem at any time during your vacation. For example, if you are unhappy at the hotel or with a rental car, you can contact your travel agent who can then contact the business for you. Most businesses are more likely to bend for travel agencies than an individuals because they do not want to lose the relationship and repeated business that a travel agency provides for them.

At Orco Travel our goal is not volume sales, but to provide personalized service while customizing your vacation just for you!  We will dedicate as much time as needed in helping each traveler on an individual basis.  You are important to us.

Thank you and may all your travels be safe and memorable.

Jason L. Osieczanek
Orco Travel