My wife and I are trying to plan a big trip back to the homeland (NZ), but we have some complicating factors. The biggest factor is our 8 mo old baby. We know we need to get a ticket for her, but we need to know about renting a car with a car seat. I’m sure there are a hundered things we haven’t thought of. It’s a big enough trip, that I wonder if it would be useful to have a travel agent help plan it. What do they charge? Is it possible that I could actually save money by using one?
Well, bearing in mind you can get no-obligation quotes off a travel agent, I’d say there’s no harm going to see one.
You could, of course, spend a lot of time looking for the information you need on the internet (and probably make all your bookings as well), but I think there’s a huge convenience factor in going to a travel agent.
It’s possible the agent will have personal knowledge of the location you are going to.
The thing about travel agents is they KNOW things. Well the good travel agents do. They get feedback from their clients and they know what services are good, which are excellent, which are priced well but are bad deals.
They want to keep their clients happy so they are gonna balance price with feedback. At least a good travel agent will.
But remember their income comes from the bookings not you. So bad travel agents may recommend higher priced things to get more commission.
So like anything beware.
As a person in the travel industry if you have special needs like you’re disabled STAY AWAY from the Priceline or Orbitz type of services. They are OK for what they are but you HAVE to be VERY flexible to use them properly
For a straightforward trip like yours, not sure how much value added a travel agent would provide. What are your plans once you arrive? Do you know where you want to stay, or do you also need help with that?
I have found travel agents great for helping me decide where to go (“I want to go someplace warm with my kids when they are on spring break”), where to stay, what to do, or come up with creative alternatives for transportation (“The flight is cheaper if you connect through Rio and you can stay one night free in the xxx hotel”). If you just need to get from point A to point B, the online sites do a good job. Years ago I would have said to use an agent since there’s no added cost, but now there usually is since the airlines are squeezing them.
One thing’s for sure, it’s free to call one and find out how they can help you!
I was thinking it would be nice to stop someplace warm on the way, but its going to be expensive enough. I think we will spend some time staying with family. It seems a shame to go all that way and not take a bit of a tour.
Well, since NZ is your homeland, I needn’t tell you that most of the country IS quite warm this time of year. Although perhaps you weren’t planning to go until the austral winter.
If you do go in the next few months, the Coromandel Peninsula is warm, has nice beaches, and I believe is quite baby-friendly.
I’ve heard the beds in those hotels are just disgusting though
I usually book my business trips through a travel agent. Often, I could do it cheaper online. But then there is a trip like my last one.
Oh, the trip was fine - all my flights were on time and my luggage got there with me. But, between the time we originally booked the flight and the time of my trip, the first airline changed the flight times and routing three times. Ultimately, the flight would have gotten there well after the start of the conference. We eventually canceled that ticket and rebooked on two different airlines.
I would have been totally lost trying to follow this through - and I would never have thought about using two different airlines. So in this case, paying the extra for the travel agent ultimately paid off. Sort of like fire insurance - as long as you don’t have a fire, it’s just money down the drain. But, when you need it…
Those tickets get very pricey as you get past September, so I think we are looking at a pretty cold and wet trip.
In my opinion, the main advantage of using a travel agent is for the convenience, as others have mentioned. I suppose it can also provide some peace of mind, though there is only so much a TA can do for you once you’re on your trip. They might save you money if the alternative is you not doing much research to try and find the best deals on your own. I’ve only used a travel agent once (while already abroad) and it was a good experience. I don’t remember what it cost, but I was a poor student so it couldn’t have been too much. What I’ve found since is that I really enjoy the planning part of my trips. Plus, once I’ve done the planning I feel a lot more knowledgable and confident when trip time comes and I’m actually on the road. There is also something to be said for a TA having personal knowledge of an area (or at least reviews from past customers). But, if you have family where you’re going, then I don’t think you’ll need a TA to tell you what to do and see.
To address a couple of your concerns:
Car seat
When I’ve booked cars online (domestically) I’ve often been given the option to request a car seat. Check out a booking site like Travelocity to see what rental agencies are offered at your arrival airport in NZ (assuming you’ll rent from the airport and not somewhere else). Then I’d either go through the booking steps (without actually booking) with each one to see if the car seat option comes up. Or, just email them and ask.
Related to flying with a baby: I’ve never travelled with a baby, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen people bring babies on in a carrier thing that looks like it can snap into a car seat (maybe they gate-checked that part?). You can also check out a particular airline’s website for info regarding children…they probably provide details on what you can and cannot do, and I think some airlines even offer bassinets.
This message board has a forum dedicated to travel (especially flying) with children.
Stopping somewhere warm on the way
Where do you want to go? You’ve got plenty of good options between the States (I’m guessing that’s where you are now) and NZ. Obvious ones include Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, but also places like Tonga or the Cook Islands. I’d start out by seeing who’s offering the cheapest tickets between your departure city and your final destination in NZ, then check out where else they fly. I’ve seen Air NZ and Qantas offer free stopovers to other South Pacific locations from time to time. Or, do what’s called a “multiple destination” search on one of the travel booking sites (e.g. LAX–>HNL–>AKL–>LAX).