Why Book Travel With Me?

When we are booking a holiday, cruise, or any travel element (such as flights, tours, etc), it can be easy to spend countless hours scrolling for the best deals, the most appropriate locations, and spending all our time seeing if the package we have found is worth the money and includes everything we are looking for.

Even when we know exactly what we want out of a holiday or package, it can still take time and energy to get everything organised and booked, and to make sure the supplier we are booking with is giving us a good deal for what we wish to book.

In either of these cases, using an independent travel agent can help to make the whole process way less-time consuming and a lot more hassle free. In this post, I wanted to cover why you would choose to book through an independent travel agent, such as myself, and what the actual benefits are of doing so.

Your Own Personal Researcher:

Whether you have no idea about where you specifically want to go, or whether you know the exact name of the hotel you want to stay in along with all the extra details, a travel agent can act as your own personal researcher.

If you only know that you want somewhere that is hot in the summer holidays then, as a travel agent, I am happy to get researching with any details you give me and find the travel arrangements best suited to your needs and preferences. You can give me as much or as little information as you want/have and I will make sure I am finding deals and plans relevant to you. You can let me know about details such as wanting an adults-only hotel, or maybe you are only interested in long-haul flights. Maybe you even want me to get searching for a pet-friendly hotel! Whatever it may be, it is my job to find what you are looking for, and put the time and effort in to do so. This way, you don't have to spend all that time scrolling, researching the specific location, and then going back to the drawing board when you realise the hotel you found is in the middle of nowhere.

Alternatively, you may have the whole holiday already planned out in your head including the destination, the hotel, the board basis, and what luggage allowance you want. In this case, it can still be really helpful to have someone who can go away and research extra details for you. I can spend time finding the best supplier for your hotel whether that be in terms of the price they offer or the amount they include in their package (such as certain lugagge allowances and return transfers). You may even just want to know if the holiday you are looking at has availability for the dates you wish to go, in which case, I can check up on this too and perhaps even offer alternatives if there isn't enough availability.

Long story short, as an independent travel agent, I am here to research whatever you need me to. This can help save a lot of time and hassle, and allows you to focus on other details for your holiday - such as which outfits you want to pack! You may even want me to research a few different types of travel plans, the sky really is the limit as to what I can look into for you.

Access To Competitive Pricing:

I'll always remember the time, before I was a travel agent, that me and my dad both opened up the exact same holiday package website on our separate devices, typed in the exact same holiday details, and clicked search, only to find that my laptop showed a price around £2,000 cheaper than my dad's laptop did. Obviously, we went with what my laptop said, and everything turned out fine! The point is, you can find your perfect holiday on one site, and assume that the price will be the same everywhere and so you get it booked.

However, this isn't always the case, and it can be difficult to know if we are getting a good deal. This is another area where an independent travel agent can be so helpful. Not only can I save you time by looking at a range of different suppliers and finding the one offering the best deal, but I can also look at some suppliers that consumers don't get access to. These suppliers can often have their own range of competitive prices that offer a far better deal than a range of other travel partners.

Also, with access to the agent portals to a variety of holiday suppliers, I can get exclusive deals and discounts for a range of different holiday types and extras. Now, this isn't me saying that I will always be able to get your holiday for the cheapest price. However, I am happy to put the work in to find that good deal, as well as make you aware of any current sales or discounts that relate to the type of travel you are looking at.

Personal Contact:

When we book a holiday, sometimes we just want to be able to as one, or a multitude of, questions but find that to do so, we either have to scroll through a website's FAQs, or spend countless minutes waiting on the phone to speak to a representative for the supplier we want to book through.

Using an independent travel agent can make the holiday booking process a lot less lonely in this sense! Whether you have already booked the holiday, or are simply trying to find the perfect arrangements for you, I am always happy to answer your questions and be there to support you.

Also, when booking the actual holiday (unless you have any preferences over keeping communication by email only), then I will call you as I am booking the holiday. This way, I can speak through any relevant information that you need to be aware of before booking, update you to any potential changes as and when they happen, and ensure everything is booked seamlessly. I will keep you on the phone until the holiday is booked and for as long as you need to answer any questions you have post-booking too.

Sometimes booking just on a website can feel either a little bit isolating or even nerve-wracking. Is this site legit? Has my payment actually gone through? Are there any hidden costs or information I am not being explicitly made of? Using an independent travel agent provides that one-to-one contact and can reduce a lot of the anxiety or worry that may be surrounding an online booking.

You may also have a range of questions leading up to your holiday. I am always happy to try to answer these questions by phone, email, or text message (whatever works for you!) no matter how big or small they may seem. If I don't have the answer, I will look into it and get back to you.

You Are The Priority:

As an independent travel agent, I do receive the commission on your booking. However, I am not linked to any specific travel partners, have any hidden incentives, or have any preferences on what or how you decide to book and plan your holiday. Making sure you get what you want out of your travel arrangements is my main priority. You deserve to go away and have fun, not have lots of hassle and stress over booking a holiday, and to feel confident that your booking is safe and legit.

I'm not here to try and get you to spend as much money on your holiday as possible - I am here to make the process of travelling fun, enjoyable, and hassle-free. If I find your holiday cheaper elsewhere, then this is the supplier and price I will include on your quote!

Also, I am not going to try and talk you into travel plans that don't fit your brief just because it might be easier to find a different holiday, for example. The travel arrangements you want are the arrangements I will spend time researching. I might come across a 5-star hotel in the area you want with some amazing reviews, but if it has no kids club and that is something you need, then I will keep looking for the next holiday which can fit this brief.

For me, it isn't about seeing what you want and getting you booking as soon as I can. It is important that I find the plans that are going to be enjoyed by you and the people you are travelling with. I know first hand from all the times I have booked holidays and travelled myself that you can't neglect your own preferences and wants for a holiday just because there is an easier option sat there.

At every point, you are my priority! I am here to help and make things more relaxed and easier for you.

Continued Support:

I don't just want to book the holiday and say 'Right, here's your tickets, have a great time!' I can if you want me to, but I can also continue to help you throughout the build up to your holiday, and even after if you need me to.

For example, I don't think I know any airlines that do not offer online check-in now either on their website or via their app. If all you want to do is think about packing (unfortunately, I cannot do that bit for you!), then I would be happy to check you in myself. I'll ask you to send over all the relevant details that I don't already have from when we booked such as passports (which you only need to send a photo of, and I promise all data I receive will be kept safe and deleted when it is no longer needed by me), and I'll do all the hard work for you.

I have been on a few holidays now where around 8-9 people have been joining me, and in these cases, I am always the one checking us in, printing off boarding passes and travel documents, and getting all that fun admin stuff done, so I am used to doing this for other people. That means I also know how tedious it can be to check-in, typing and re-typing passport numbers and expiry dates, praying you are getting them right. This can sometimes just be extra hassle on top of what should be an exciting build up to your holiday - so take that hassle away and pass it onto me!

It isn't just check-in I can support you with after booking - I can help or look into anything you need me to. If you don't have a printer and you want paper copies of boarding passes, I could also print these off and send them to you if you would like (obviously ensuring this is requested in a decent amount of time to allow for postage times). You may also want me to look into hand luggage requirements for the airline you are flying with, or find out when you need to arrive at your airport. Whatever it is, I'll be there to help you - the support doesn't end after making the booking!

The Service Is Free:

Like I mentioned earlier, I receive the commission for making a booking. However, this is not something you need to cover! Every part of my service is free when I am researching, planning, and booking your travel arrangements.

Even if you don't end up booking the holiday based on any quotes I send you, there are no fees for my service. Any support and help I give you after booking is also free, so all you ever need to worry about is the cost of the holiday and paying this. This means you get all the previous benefits of using an independent travel agent, and you don't even have to pay for it.

Appropriate Training & Experience:

When I signed up to be an independent travel agent, I didn't just get a welcome and congratulations email sent straight to my inbox. I have done all the relevant training to be an independent travel agent, from my ABTA training to my GDPR training and much more.

The suppliers I can book with also provide their own training videos and webinars to ensure agents are booking holidays in the right way and know how the booking process works on their individual platform. This means that I know what I'm doing and what I'm talking about when it comes to booking a holiday!

Also, as someone who has travelled a lot all throughout her life, I have a lot of experience in travelling and holiday booking. I've been booking holidays for myself and close family for a few years now, as well as getting all the admin side of travel sorted out from check-ins to organising boarding passes. I've also had my fair share of hours scrolling to find the best deals, and learning about the times where travel is cheaper or quieter for example.

I've travelled with people of different ages too, including my young niece and nephew last year, so I know that travelling isn't always straightforward and can require a lot of preparation, as well as research into what you can and cannot bring as an individual but also when travelling with little ones.

Since travel is such a big passion of mine, I am always learning more and keen on getting my hands on more information to help make my travel, and my customer's travel, easier, hassle-free, and enjoyable.

Range of Suppliers:

I am not just linked to one travel partner - I have a whole host of companies I can book through and I can book any type of holiday you may be looking for too with this wide range of suppliers I have at my fingertips.

Whilst I do have agent access to a lot of suppliers, it doesn't just stop there. If you wish to book through a certain hotel or company, I can contact them on your behalf and request rates for their rooms and packages. I can then book this for you if they come back with a deal you are happy with!

Overall, a more hassle-free and exciting experience...

Using an independent travel agent can just help make the whole process of booking a holiday or any type of travel arrangement more relaxing, allowing you to focus more on the travel itself and looking forward to what is to come.

Like I touched on a little bit earlier on, your holiday enjoyment truly is at the centre of what I, as an independent travel agent, do. I have a passion for travelling and I want to share that with others and help them achieve their travel dreams and goals! Everyone should get to enjoy travel, whether it is their first time booking a holiday, or they love regularly getting out there and exploring the country or the world.

Your travel arrangements are about you - not me or the supplier responsible for your booking - just you and any friends or family you may be travelling with.

If you have any more questions about what it means to book through an independent travel agent, then feel free to reach out to me at ellie.burnett@outlook.com or text me on 07584485293 (please only use this number for travel/travel agent related enquiries!) and I will gladly help. Alternatively, if you are ready to get booking, then great! You can contact me via email or text message, or you can fill out the form with all the details for your holiday (you can include as much or as little information as you wish) which can be found under the 'Request a quote' tab on this website. I'll look through this information, get researching, and get back to you via email with a quote for the relevant travel arrangements.

Thank you so much for reading this blog post on the benefits of booking through an independent travel agent. I hope to hear from you about booking travel but if not, I really hope that you get the chance to visit somewhere on your bucket list in the near future!