I never realized the value of booking trips with a travel agent until I spent a whole year travelling the world. Back in 2013, I visited 16 countries spanning over 6 continents in 50 weeks. It was an adventure of a lifetime, to say the least. During this trip, I worked with a travel agent to book my one-way ticket around the world, and it was literally one of the best decisions I have ever made. Working with my travel agent not only saved me money but also saved me heaps of time. I didn’t have to spend hours trying to piece together a very elaborate itinerary. All I had to do was email my travel agent the dates I wanted to travel on and the locations I wanted to explore, and BAM, she put together the whole thing. As I said, it was amazing!

If you follow me on Instagram (which you should….please), you might have seen that I announced that I am now a travel agent. This is not another fake news story. I am, in fact, working with Flight Centre, as an international travel consultant. (YAY ME!) This new career path is very exciting for me because it means that I can go one step further in helping my readers and followers live out their travel dreams. At the end of the day, one of the primary reasons I started Loving Life With Cass is so I could help people love life (with Cass) by embarking on wild adventures and having authentic experiences around the world. My blog, Loving Life With Cass Adventures, and my new career, all allow me to do this, and I am so honoured. 

Let’s get to the meat and potatoes (or the tofu and eggplant for you vegans) of this article. Why should you book with a travel agent? Great questions, thanks for asking! Working with a travel agent is way more beneficial, then most people realize. Here are my top 5 reasons why you should book with a travel agent, aka why you should book with me. 

1.Convenient 

Working with a travel agent is the most convenient thing in the world for several reasons. Travel agents do all of the work for you, including searching the internet for hours upon hours trying to score the best deal and build you a package that you are going to love. We also have the resources to search for the exact thing that you are looking for. Want to fly from Toronto to Paris but enjoy three days in London on the way home? Not a problem, we have the resources to search for literally anything that you can think of. 

Booking with a travel agent is also very convenient because travel companies are a one-stop-shop! We can book hotels, flights, cruises, tours, safari, tours and more. We are all busy people; every day, we are juggling work, family, social events, trying to eat at least one green vegetable a day, get in our steps etc. Visiting a travel agent and letting them help you book your dream trip or your domestic flight to see your grandma in Bobcaygeon will be way more convenient than you doing it yourself. 

2. Travel agents know travel

Why do travel agents become travel agents? Because we LOVE to travel more then you do! Us travel consultants live to travel, and most of us have been to some totally amazing places in the world. From our passion for travelling, we have gained knowledge and experience that allows us to help you book the best trip ever. 

Also, just like at any job, travel consultants go through hours and hours (and hours and hours) of training. And guess what we are learning? Everything to do with travel! We literally spend weeks on end learning everything there is to know about each destination, different tour companies, hotels, airport codes, cruises etc. We also get to experience some of the great “products” that we sell, which helps us know which areas, places, airlines etc. are the best for each of our customers. 

On top of that, we here at Flight Centre are connected to a massive network of employees and suppliers. So if we don’t know which hotel in Zanzibar to recommend to you, we can call someone who does.    

3. Save money and add value to your trip

Travel consultants who work with big companies like Flight Centre have the resources and training to help you find the best deals. If you are trying to stay within budget, a travel agent can help you do so by using our vast network of suppliers and scroll through hundreds of hotels, airlines, cruise, etc., to find an itinerary that will work for you and your piggy bank.

The best deal isn’t always the lowest price, and the great thing about working with an international travel consultant is that we can help you book a package that has the most value for your money. Sure we can get you the cheapest flights to Europe that have three 8 hour overnight layovers, but maybe for $300 more, we can find you a flight with one 4 hour layover, and for another $100, we can add a museum passes, and a romantic sunset dinner. I think this is one of the greatest perks of working with an agent, and I believe that it is overlooked. Travel agents are here to make sure you have a perfect adventure, and one way we can do that is by adding value to your trip when we see the opportunity. 

4. We are an advocate for you!

Travel consultants literally do everything for you. We take care of you from the planning stage of your trip to when you walk into your house and drop your bags on the floor, leaving them for a week and procrastinating on laundry. (Please tell me I am not the only one!) The care you receive from a travel agent can take a lot of your shoulders, especially if there is an issue during your trip. If there is a problem like your flights get cancelled, your travel agent will be there to help you call the airline and schedule a new one. We, as agents, will call the airlines for you, and sit there on hold with the airline for 7 hours, so you don’t have to. Our role is to do a lot more than just book your trip, we are here to help you out and make sure everything goes smoothly. 

5. Human touch

Last but certainly not least, booking with a travel agent means you get to book and interact with a human. In the age of algorithms and bots, it is refreshing to get to engage with a human, especially over something so exciting as a new trip! When you book with me, you are going to be working with a person who genuinely cares and is super stoked for your next vacation. As I mentioned above, my goal is to help people love life through travelling. Working with a person with a goal like that is going to beat working with an algorithm. #bookwithahuman 

On that note, let me get excited with you on all your upcoming adventures! Please fill out the form below and let’s start planning your dream trip babes! 

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I hope your day is fantastic, and you get to go on a new adventure soon! 

Love you heaps,