Travel - online booking vs. local travel agents

[chepar]

This question is not necessarily strictly related to dive travel, so if I posted it in the wrong area, I apologize.

Does anyone have any opinions/tips/experiences regarding booking of foreign tours online directly with the tour company vs. through a local travel agency?

My family and I are planning a 2 week trip to New Zealand in a few months. The first week we are on our own on the North Island, the second week most of the group is returning home and only a few of us are continuing on to the South Island. I wanted (for ease of travel) to take a tour during the 2nd week. I've been looking online and have found several that appeal to me. The prices quoted online are in NZ dollars, and once you figure out the exchange rate, the prices are fabulous.

However, upon inquiry to several local travel agents that offer similar tours, their prices are almost double. I understand that part of the cost is the service you receive from the agent and I guess the peace of mind of having a local contact, but is this really worth half the cost of the tour?

I'm a real beginner with online commerce - is booking directly with the NZ company safe? Are there any specific things/questions I should be looking for if I decide to try this, or in the case of international travel is going with a local travel agent the better choice?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[large_diver]

Perhaps it is the same pricing issue described in this thread.....?

http://www.scubaboard.com/t4739/s.html

[chepar]

Well, I don't think it is . . . (at least I hope not) -

The different pricing I received online and with the local travel agents are not for the exact same tour with the same tour operator, the itineraries and what the tours include are just very similar.

I don't want to open a can o' worms by implying somehow that I'm being gouged by a travel agent - just trying to figure out why booking directly with the tour operator in NZ would be almost half the cost in US dollars for a very similar tour. Would it have something to do with the $NZ to $US conversion and back?

[Drew Sailbum]

Looking at historical info, the US Dollar: NZ Dollar rate has been fairly stable, at least over the last year. Roughly 1:2.3

I would think the tour operators would have accounted for any rapid movements in exchange rate by now. More likely, there is some difference in service that the one operator feels justifies a higher price.

My vote is to book direct with the tour operator of your choice over the net. After all, who are you going to talk to if their is a problem while you are in NZ?

[Stone]

Chepar,

Here's a link to a short thread that has some information about saving money if you are comfortable with making some of your own travel arrangements. Travel agent thread

In the past year I have saved at least $2000.

[Scubaroo]

Hate to break the news, but when you live in a country with a strong currency (i.e. USA), you often pay a premium locally for overseas/imported products and services. Part of the reason is simply it's so cheap after currency conversion, there is more room for profit without making the product or service seem expensive.

Eg. a (mexican made) Van Heusen business shirt will cost me about $US40 in a store here, and the same (indonesian made) shirt is about $Aus50. Sounds like I'm paying more in Australia, but in reality that's only about $US26. So is the Australian shopper being ripped off because the cost of the shirt is higher compared to his overall cost of living and income ($50 vs $40), or the US shopper because he could buy it cheaper overseas? Mind you it doesn't cut the other way - US goods are way expensive in Australia, which is why so little US product is exported down under.

Back to the holiday, say a holiday costs $NZ1000. Remember the average kiwi is earning the same dollar figure as a US worker (roughly), so say he earns $NZ25,000 a year, that holiday is 4% of his gross income. To a US worker on $US25,000 a year, that $NZ1000 holiday is only $US425, less than 2% of his gross income, while a comparable US holiday may still cost $US1000, so obviously the US travel agent is going to take advantage of the exchange rate, and hope his customers aren't going to realise.

However, in the travel agent's defence, their costs are in $US, not $NZ, so while the actual accommodation/travel/taxes/charges part of the $NZ1000 holiday might be fixed at say $NZ600, the remaining $NZ400 won't buy you a lot of customer service once it's converted to $US and is needed to pay US rents and US wages to the shop and staff. So a straight conversion from $NZ to $US is an unfair comparision.

If I were you, I'd buy a $20 phonecard, and RING the NZ travel agent and book over the phone. The time differences aren't that great, and if you listen hard enough, that's English they're speaking

[Jonathan]

I must admit I tend to search the net these days and then book direct with the hotels and operators where I am going. I also have a friendly travel agent who always does me proud on the air fairs.

Jonathan

[dmentia]

Although I haven't booked a dive trip or the internet, I have booked numerous flights, hotel reservations and car rentals. I recently booked and went on a 1 week trip to Ireland with my wife, and we saved $800 using the internet. I think a previous note gave the best advice- if you are comfortable doing things on your own and researching some things, you should. I think it comes down to how much value you give to the "local comfort" factor of dealing with the travel agent. $$ vs. comfort, so to speak.
Have a great trip either way!
Dmentia

[kelpmermaid]

I think part of this is being in the right place at the right time...and you can do that online. We did part of our shopping online for my xxth birthday trip to Australia prior to the Sydney Olympics, and it paid to shop around.
Bengiddins... need a USA personal shopper? I did some mens' business shirt shopping for Christmas, and discounts were amazing...

[Scubaroo]

Thanks kelpmermaid, but I picked up a bunch at the Boxing Day sales in Sydney while I was back visiting Oz for Christmas (work paid for that flight so I didn't have to worry about booking it online )

Also stocked up on Vegemite which is about 4 times the cost here (when you can find it!).