Just read the article and the comments...would like to clarify a few things with American Express....If you are a Platinum card member and book thru the online system you are serviced by the Online department....When you call the Platinum travel number, you are booking thru Platinum and serviced by them....I all ways recommend calling Platinum first, most agents will give you the best advice for what you are trying to do...example, if you are going from point a to b and it's a simple domestic booking...book online and save the $39.00 per ticket fee. BUT and this is big...say your a family of 5 and your booking an American airlines flight, did you know there's a special benefit thru Platinum that if you had to change your plans, maybe because the kids got sick if you booked it with Amex Platinum American airlines will not charge the usual $200.00 change fee per ticket..just the diference in fare.....That's a saving of $1000.00 in change fee's. Also the International Airline Program is awesome...just a few perks you get with Amex Platinum travel services...
You left Ensemble Travel Group which is on par with the three mentioned out of your article. it would be good if you did your research before going to print. I also agree travelers should use a trusted local agent.
Because lord knows, there is nothing more degrading to the "American Tourist" than having to do something for themselves. After all, better to have the local lackeys take care of your dirty laundry. They're glad for the hearty-handshakes they get as compensation.
Achieve platinum with something like Marriott Bonvoy and you'll get all these same perks...mostly for free. Bonus, you can use your points and your vacation costs next to nothing. No need for middlemen/women.
While i can’t speak to the other two services mentioned in this article, four years of experience with American Express Platinum do not comport with the premise of this article. Sure you get freebies but when you really core in - I mean really start crunching hard numbers - the “deal “ was never cheaper. The room rate was always high enough to wipe out all the breakfasts, late checkouts and food credits - and even Amex’s third night free deal. Math doesn’t lie.
I've always found it difficult to understand why people are willing to spend so much money on a hotel when on vacation. I recently spent a week hiking in Death Valley and surrounding area. I was out of the motel from morning until night and needed only a shower and place to sleep which even the cheapest motels offer. I'd rather spend the money I saved on souvenirs and gifts than on a wet bar and better view of the landscape.
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@Dr. OutreAmour Different families have different needs. One of my daughters is developmentally disabled. She cannot be out of the hotel from morning until night. In fact, we are lucky if we get four hours out of the room per day. She needs a lot of downtime and quiet and is overstimulated by long travel days. Also, when I've traveled with my elderly parents, they have limited energy to sightsee. They need ample room to rest, restore, and recover.
I had a similar experience in India. I'd been living in Nepal and thought I was wise to the ways of South Asia before deciding to fulfill a lifetime dream and travel through India for six weeks. It's a very intimidating country, and my arrival in Delhi was inauspicious and disorienting. I was very lucky to have been brought to Incredible India, a state-run travel agency that seems to have been set up to "rescue" naive travelers like me. For a fee they set up an itinerary that could not be beat and I had many little unexpected perks along the way.
AMEX’s Fine Hotels & Resorts plan always gives you the kind of perqs the author is writing about. Occasionally, AMEX has a promotion with those to get a third or fourth night free. If you can nab those, that is a screaming deal.
With air, AMEX is a mixed bag. With a Platinum Card you get 5x Membership Reward Points for buying an air ticket through them. The rate is always higher than airline direct. But you get the AMEX points AND the miles with your airline frequent flier plan. The value comes later.
But their International Airline Program just never seems to work for me. That is where it does pay to buy from the airline.
High end resorts are sometimes more than happy not to pay commissions and offer a small savings by booking direct. And if you are like me - book early and watch for price reductions - having control of your booking can mean saving thousands. Your advisor is not interested in lowering your cost after you book. I’ve never had one check in 40 years of travel.
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All true, but that wasn’t the author’s point.
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I have used a Virtuoso agent for several years. Several times she has worked miracles. For example we arrived in Myanmar not aware that it was one of the country’s where use of American ATM and credit cards was barred. I was faced with a week in the country without a source for cash or use of a credit card. Our agent worked out a solution to the problem within hours. That was a moment of great relief.
@REP shouldn't your agent have told you about that problem before you left?
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This is a wonderful article, and so true. However, I wouldn’t discount the services of high-quality mom-and-pop travel advisors , who may have personal, rather than corporate, connections, and not the AMEX or Virtuoso brand behind them.
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After reading this article, I decided to try a Virtuoso agent for a summer trip that I am preparing. Since it involves a couple of different cities in Europe, I thought that an agent might be useful. But when the "advisor" replied, I realized quickly that there was a mismatch. She said that she could help me, among other things, with booking a yacht. I realize now that I am not in the "luxury" market, even though I am in the comfort market.
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@John
I once set foot inside of a rich person’s house. It was inside of a gated community that had a real security shack, complete with guard who checked credentials of all visitors etc.
The place was massive. Each house came with it’s own golf cart and charging station. They had their own personal batting cage complete with pitching machine. It was then that I realized wealthy people are not the “same” as I am. I’d never felt so out of place and uncomfortable.
Literally felt more comfortable sleeping on the webbing of a C-130 than standing inside that expansive foyer. I spend a lot of time reflecting on that.
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@Austin Ouellette
The rich ARE diferent, ain't they, Austin?? I once stayed with v. Wealthy friends in very posh surroundings.....and. could not wait to get back to the Midwest, where my values and friends gave me great comfort.
The Amex 2:1 front of the plane recommendation has never worked once in the last decade of travel.
Every single time, the price for a single ticket is less than half of what Amex quotes, so there is no benefit (almost always extra cost) to booking the Amex 2:1 rate
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I've had good results with Hoteltonight.com app. On Nov 4 I made a reservation for a hotel room in Ft Lauderdale for that night. I made the reservation (on-line)while sitting on a plane in Atlanta, waiting to depart. I used the "daily drop" function on their app and got a $59-/night room at the centrally located Ocean Beach Club for my wife and myself. After $14- tax/fees charge the room was $73.00. It was a great room with wonderful staff at the front desk that was perfect for a last minute change of plans. The only downside was the $30-each way Lyft ride to get us to the FLL rent-a-car desk. All in all a bargain in my estimation.
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I generally book all my own hotels, almost always directly through the hotel website. On the basis of this article I just checked Virtuoso for deals in a city where I'm booking a trip. Sorry, but Virtuoso's price for the same exact hotel and same exact dates I'm looking at is $150 per night MORE than the hotel's direct booking website for non-refundable and $100 more per night for the refundable price.
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@rbjd Sometimes the price you are checking on the hotel's website doesn't include the taxes. Did you check that? If it did include the taxes, and you work with a travel specialist, you only have to advise them of the discrepancy and they will make sure you get the same rate that is advertised on the website. And on top of that you will receive the Virtuoso amenities. Usually $100 spa or food and beverage credit, early check-in and late check-out, as well as a room upgrade to the next category.
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The best thing to do when traveling is try to meet up with a local. Take a walking city tour as soon as you get to a new place, and don’t stop asking questions.
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That travel agents don’t charge the traveler fees is the exact reason they went the way of the Dodo: they are paid by the hotels, cruises and activities they recommend. That’s not a feature, it’s a bug! Do we really want to go back to the days before the internet offered us the control, us the choices and provided transparency in the hotel and air industry in particular? Give me a break.
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@Shawn I wouldn't mind the days before faked resort photos and a jungle of airline pricing schemes,
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@cynner This is where sites like TripAdvisor are hopeful. You can get honest, detailed reviews and photos from travelers. You can even search using terms that are important to you (ie, “snorkeling”, “pool”, “breakfast” etc). This and Facebook travel forums to discuss with travelers in your demographic is also incredibly helpful (I’m part of the Physician Mom Travel group, and there are hundreds of variations).
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Shopping for travel online is like researching your politics on Facebook.
A trusted-brand travel advisor like AMEX Platinum winnows out the chaff.
Thanks Michelle for laying out tangible benefits of booking through the Amex site. I usually tend to avoid phone calls, but never thought that using their site might yield equivalent results when compared to calling a Platinum Card agent. After reading your article I will make a point of more consistently using their online service for future travel!
BTW - one valuable feature worth mentioning is their reimbursement of Airline baggage fees and the free use of airport lounges during unexpected delays. Certainly made a big difference to a poor student, when my daughter took two large suitcases to her summer semester in Europe, and back.
They also reimbursed my TSA fees when I had registered with their frequent traveler program.
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I use a travel agent when I don't know the country I'm going to. That has worked out for me in the past.
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@ AMM New York
Agree with you completely. The only difficulty is not to seek travel agent's recommendations of local haute cuisine: people's tastes are unpredictable, and what is good for one, may be unpalatable to another.
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We live in a predominantly service economy, where everyone (rightfully) wants to be paid for their talents, but begrudges the other person’s fee. I want mine, but does the lawyer, accountant, travel advisor, real estate agent, financial advisor, consultant really need to charge that much?
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Ever since I took an executive position with a travel agency two years ago (Travelmax), I've been looking into tying our agencies into one of these networks; they're great for non-price-sensitive luxury travelers. HOWEVER, what travelers do not know is these networks/consortia carry with them non-trivial membership fees and often feature expensive compliance requirements. If you think those costs aren't passed on to the end consumer, you are deluding yourself.
Because my agency's clients care first and foremost about price, we leverage other tricks of the trade to find genuinely low-priced rooms and services (not rack rate rooms that happen to come with some extra frills, which is what these networks enable). I just want it to be clear that these benefits *don't* come at zero cost.
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Back when I used to travel, a lot, I always used a travel agent. She is, and always will be, my best friend ever. Even though she quit the business she is still a font of great advice and great memories of the places she went when she traveled herself and we traveled together! Even mis-adventures are still adventures...
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Several years ago in Scotland we were awakened about 3 am every night by strange loud noises directly overhead. Third night I went to the front desk and explained we must be moved. Next day we were in the penthouse. Quite wonderful and very quiet.
Last month in Paris a very loud child was running, running, running overhead. Went to the front desk at midnight and explained we must be moved. The next day we were in their finest room. Quite wonderful and very quiet.
Which booking was made by a TA?
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Well, lovely to think about. But the reality is that my vacations are not luxury by any stretch of the imagination; but I don't spend much time in my hotel room, either - too busy out and about shopping, sight-seeing, museum hopping. The last major trip I took was to Madrid in 2012 and for a week there, my cost was about $900, including RT airfares and a sparkling clean room with en suite and TV. I stayed at a small family owned "hotel" two blocks off of the Paseo and close to the Prado Museum. It was quiet, serene, and within walking distance of shops, museums, large and small restaurants that served meals early in the morning to late at night, even a McDonalds. Good local wines were sold at a small neighborhood grocery store for $2 to $3 a bottle; food, sundries and snacks were also available. That's luxury to me :)
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Even a McDonalds? Not exactly what most travelers are looking for in a destination - it would be a turn off for me. But glad it worked out for you.
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@Jan N
why would you mention 2012 prices?
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And no mention that travel agents now charge a separate fee for their service?
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@MB I make almost all my hotel and cruise reservations through travel agents and none of them charge me a fee. They are paid a commission by the travel provider. The only fees charged by travel agents are for booking airfare, because the airlines stopped paying commissions years ago. The airline fee is mentioned in this article.
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@MB
My family went to Europe for 2 weeks. We used a travel agent to book everyone. She charged $50 total. What a great deal. Well worth it.
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@MW Having flown hundreds of international and domestic flights I would never book a flight with anyone but the operating carrier. It ensures that seats are correct, luggage is routed, points are recognized and awarded, and you are treated as a true customer. The minute you hear the words "voucher" or "call the travel agent" or "talk to the ticketing carrier" confusion shall ensue.
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Used a Virtuoso agent for Disney. She was the one who got up at 6 am on the day to make restaurant and ride reservations (Those reservations book up in minutes) and also steered us to the best meals we’ve had there. Also love Am Ex platinum perks through their Fine Hotels and Resorts program. . The 4 pm check out when we have evening flights home is alone a huge benefit. And the included breakfast and $ 100 additional food credit is very nice.
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I like using a local travel agent because she's always reachable. I'm never put on hold for more than a few seconds. And because she's helpful: The summer Paris flooded and the TGV wasn't running, she was able to get our train tickets from Strasbourg to Quimper refunded and booked us on a flight through Lyon, all in less than an hour. Kayak doesn't do that.
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As I sat over my laptop & phone booking a trip to Florida that took way longer than I desired, I asked my friend nearby “whatever happened to travel agents? I’d definitely pay someone to do this baloney!”
That said - I googled Michelle Higgins name and the very first thing that showed up was her LinkedIn profile as a travel writer for the New York Times. Assuming a good hotel ($299/night? Let’s hope so!) takes less than a minute per reservation to see if the person booking is someone of note, then her idea that they upgraded her & gave her the complimentary gifts were because she used a travel agent and wasn’t “found out” is questionable.
.
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@Susan Baughman I have had the same experiences she described in this article, by booking with Virtuoso and Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts. I’m retired and not a writer for the NYT.
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@Susan Baughman, me too, often, using Virtuoso.
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I have been traveling in the US and world wide since 1994. Pre-internet. When Arthur Frommer was my new best friend. We now travel about 5 months out of the year. I rarely use a TA. We made two trips one to Asia and one to Austria and Switzerland. For both trips she gave us wrong advice about purchasing trip insurance and having pre-existing conditions covered. Hint: as soon as you put $1.00 down for anything, within 10 days.
I’ll use a TA to book a cruise because of a few perks. Some trips I book straight thru the company: Road Scholar, Vantage, A and K.
I would much rather do my Frommer and internet research and get the most bang for my buck. And I take responsibility for making all the deadline payments. Not waiting for a TA to send that promised reminder.
And like a previous writer said above, many TA’s have never gone themselves to some of these exotic, hidden, less touristy spots.
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Road Scholar has been the best bang for your buck educational travel for the last 30 years.
We used a Signature Travel Agency called Five Star Alliance and we received all the benefits and we book online. They called us as well to provide airport transfers and secured an upgrade at the hotel
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I think it all depends on how familiar the travel agent is with the area you want to go. Years ago, we traveled to Quebec City and asked the travel agent to book us for 2 nites at the Frontenac and 1 nite someplace else to get a different sense of the city.
She booked the 1 nite in a place way, away from downtown which we did not stay in. Instead, we walked around to find another place for the single nite. I have not used a travel agent since.
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The notion of $300/night for lodging as the baseline for getting “free” add-one is, IMO, a tad over the top.
We have done many trips all on our own with careful online flight selection, not being picky about rental cars and staying in moderate price hotels and Airbnb’s in several countries. Lodging on our last trip to Germany ran $1250 for a week with in house with free on-street parking, two bedrooms, 2 baths, a living room and full kitchen for two people. We were a block from 2 grocers and a bus stop and an 8 minute walk from several restaurants.
While it is nice to have someone to call when things go sideways, we’ve generally found things can be sorted out locally if one is pleasant and flexible. It’s foreign travel and things don’t always go according to plan.
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@Noley : Thanks for pointing that out. If you spend $100 a night on a room, I doubt that breakfast would add anything close to $200. While the Sedona experience described by the author sounds lovely, I wonder how much less could be spent for a perfectly fine room in a place without a spa or golf course, neither of which the author took advantage of anyway.
I am skeptical of the hard sell here. August is the worst time to go to Sedona, bar none. The typical high temperature is about 100 degrees. And that dry heat thing doesn't apply. August is the height of the monsoon season, when humidity is much higher than usual.
The main attraction in Sedona is the red rocks. In the blinding sunlight, the heat, and the humidity, forget that. Forget hiking, another attraction. And the restaurants close early because the place is empty. So forget about outside dining. Basically, it's you, whatever is air conditioned in your resort, and the pool -- an hour max at the pool unless you stay submerged the whole time. Sedona August giveaways based on purchase from travel agents sound extremely suspect. The resorts probably treat all three of their guests like royalty. But I confess, I don't know for sure. Nobody from Arizona goes to Sedona in August. Flagstaff is 30 miles away, 2500 feet higher in elevation and 20 degrees cooler. If you can get a deal in Flagstaff in August, I'm all in.
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@michjas Sedona is much cooler than Phoenix/Scottsdale in the summer months by 10-15 degrees and it is the slower season but you would be surprised by the number of people that are in Sedona in August.
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@Kelly More to the point: guest reviews note that “there is no need ever to leave the resort”. Guests are not there to visit Sedona. They are there to be pampered. And I would guess that a mother-daughter spa was the highlight and would like to know how much that cost.
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Actually August is high season for folks to go to the Grand Canyon and other points in AZ even though it’s a billion degrees: kids are out of school, teachers are on vacation, etc. I was in Sedona this August and there were no deals to be had.
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As a retired travel agent, I want the readership to know that while booking just an airline ticket with an agent may cost you more, a cruise, tour, top end hotel may cost less and you'll get a log of perks. Online isn't for everything.
As others have stated, when things go wrong, your travel agent is there 24/7. Missed flight, delayed luggage and moe they can help.
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It isn’t just the perks that a Travel Advisor can provide, it is their expertise when things go awry. We had a two week New Zealand tour scheduled and the tour operator inexplicably cancelled it shortly before we were due to leave. Our Travel Agent (yes, she still prefers that term) worked with someone in country and put together a tour for us that was better than the one we had originally booked at a lower price. In addition we were almost always in small groups rather than a 44 person bus.
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Ms. Higgins gives here an excellent advice to travelers. A reputable -- repeat, reputable -- travel agent takes all the planning and ordering hassle from the client's hands. Of course, this costs something, but try to do-it-yourself in booking a gastrotour of great seafood restaurants and historical battlefields in Japan.
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