According to Montecito Village Travel, the most popular destinations for Santa Barbara travelers are Los Angeles, Seattle and New York City. Internationally, Santa Barbara travelers mostly visit London, Paris and Tokyo.
The most expensive flights are to Tokyo, averaging $2,349, and the least expensive flights are to Seattle, at $321.
In all, trips originating in Santa Barbara this year totaled 24,749 through Nov. 20. The holidays are upon us and booking travel will only increase.
Let’s face it: There’s nothing quite as simple as hopping on Orbitz.com and booking air travel or a rental car. You are assured to get the very best deal and the transaction must be faster than getting on the phone with a travel agent to discuss itineraries.
Or is it?
The fact is that booking online has some serious disadvantages, and booking with a human being gives you peace of mind and, interestingly, better pricing. That was news to me as I explored this subject, but it turns out to be accurate in most cases.
Pricing
Although it would seem obvious that purchasing on your own through an aggregator like Orbitz or Expedia would cost far less, that is often not the case. Consider that a good travel agent is also a volume buyer and has the same, if not better, discounts to offer clients.
What’s more, while the search algorithms and pricing filters are very advanced in the online world, nothing beats an experienced agent who knows how a subtle adjustment in itinerary can save a bundle.
For example, say you are booking airfare to London from Los Angeles and wish to stop over in Paris either on your way there or back. The online system requires you to go through a myriad of search queries to provide the best-case scenarios. Even then, you’re not getting the best pricing.
An agent can examine the itinerary holistically based on your travel dates and desired days in the destination cities. This open-ended query allows them to present scenarios on days of travel that save 20 percent to 40 percent for that single airfare purchase.
Those pricing advantages are even more pronounced when booking hotels. The hotels sell an allotment of rooms at certain prices that fluctuate as the booking date approaches. There is no “human” analyzing the pros and cons of waiting 12 hours to make the booking or selecting a reservation from a lower priced inventory.
A well-connected booking agent will work with a human at the hotel or distribution provider of the hotel to find a deal that the online systems simply cannot access. This can add up, especially for stays longer than 2-3 nights.
Convenience
I get it. You wake up at 5 a.m., ready to start your day, and your loyal laptop is right there waiting to book your vacation plans. There’s nothing more convenient than letting your fingers do the work to set up a custom itinerary for a dream vacation.
It’s true that most travel agents are not available in the middle of the night, but when it comes to convenience, there’s something even easier than artificial intelligence, and that is actual human intelligence. In a 5- to 10-minute conversation, you can explain the concept of what you want and not spend any time doing the research.
Sure, if you’re just buying a ticket from point A to point B, it might just be simple to go online and buy that ticket. But, that scenario is rarely the case and leaves little room for error.
Travel agents have special relationships with airlines, such that if your plans change, they can make an adjustment without you incurring the dreaded change fee and/or re-booking fee. If you’re OK with the risk of a change fee and you’re OK with the research, then going online maybe the more convenient way to go.
My advice is that you try a booking agent for your next airfare purchase and keep track of the time that’s spent getting what you want versus launching your browser and doing it on your own.
Risks
Just a few years ago, a major hack into a database or website was rare news. These days, it seems we hear about a major monthly security breach that often affects hundreds of millions of people. Credit cards, Social Security information and more is accessed, leaving you vulnerable for identity theft and fraud.
I’m not suggesting you suddenly stop entering your credit card information or somehow go back to retail shopping instead of Amazon.com. However, there’s an added level of risk with booking online travel in the form or your booking being deleted or replaced.
Imagine arriving to your destination only to find that no room exists at the hotel you thought you booked. Confirmation papers in hand and due to a technical hack or glitch, the booking was canceled along with your room. That can change the trajectory of a vacation or business trip quite quickly.
Further, there’s an intrinsic risk in doing your own research. Despite wonderful community reviews and the ability to see a location from the outside-in, you are still taking a huge risk when booking a location you have never visited before.
One recent horror story involves a couple who organized their own honeymoon across Europe. When they arrived at their romantic hotel in Venice, they were shocked to find that the location was some 45 minutes from St. Mark’s Square — not the “few steps” that had been promised online.
Ironically, the couple’s Venice stay was salvaged by speaking with a travel agent who reserved a charming spot at St. Mark’s, as the agent had a special relationship with the innkeeper and was able to make a late-evening booking.
Show me a website that does this seamlessly.
Complexity
Having visited about 80 countries in my life, mostly for leisure travel, I can tell you that the most amazing adventures have always been complex. And by complex I mean that I have covered a lot of ground in a short time and traveled efficiently, both in terms of time spent and cost.
In my case, I spent an enormous amount of energy and research to determine the best itinerary to go from point A to B to C, and where to stay. In certain parts of the world that are less reliable, the plan often failed. Since I was up for a sense of adventure, it wasn’t a big deal.
But today, I want it all. I want the complexity to take advantage of my precious time in one region, and I want the reliability that what is planned actually comes to fruition. This simply isn’t possible with online booking.
Consider the ease of calling a human and explaining to them your “goals” and your “style,” with them doing all the leg work of identifying the best places to stay and how to travel. There’s simply no computer or website out there that can figure this out.
So, if you value your time and still want to have a full experience, consider a short phone call versus hours of research for what may or may not work out.
Perks
Saving the best for last, there are some value-add perks to booking with an agent that they want to give to you. For instance, when reserving a hotel, an agent can set you up with complimentary breakfasts, upgrades to better rooms, and even spending credits for various amenities.
These amenities could be a bottle of champagne or a bucket of beers, or tickets to local shows. These perks get expanded for specialty travel like cruises, where you can get a specific cabin that caught your eye or invited to VIP cocktail gatherings. There are even reserved cars awaiting for you at each port destination.
When flying, travel agents can actually set you up with access to club lounges, private check-ins (skip the lines), and even get the dreaded change fees waived if your plans need alteration.
Well, there you have it — several reasons to think twice about how to book your next travel. At the very least, give the travel agent a call. You may be pleasantly surprised at just how simple, effective and valuable a phone call can be in this technical age.
— This sponsored feature is written by Chris Weatherhead, vice president of Hotel Relations & Digital Media for Montecito Village Travel. For the best in travel, find us at www.montecitovillagetravel.com or call 805.969.5096.