Try a Travel Agent

With online booking services like Kayak and Expedia, travel agencies are often seen as an outdated service. There’s the assumption agents are always overpriced and their service will add extra padding to the already high cost of travel.

The truth is, good agents will have their own network of connections, which can save customers money and time spent clicking through dozens of travel searches. Although some agents charge a small fee, many more work strictly off of commissions from hotels and wholesalers, making it a free service. An agent will know which discounts and deals might apply to your trip, and what sort of ticket restrictions each airline sets. In addition, he or she is usually able to give recommendations and advice based on industry knowledge of an area.

Travel agents can even offer aid to travelers who find themselves in emergency situations, or negotiate on the behalf of customers facing service issues abroad. According to the American Society of Travel Agents, a surprising number of the younger set are using agents, with people under 55 twice as likely to book a leisure trip through a live person. In 2012, the New York Times Frugal Traveler Blog decided to run a series of tests to see whether travel agents could beat online booking tools for price. More often than not, they did — sometimes by hundreds of dollars.

Visit TravelSense.org to search for an accredited agent.