Help! Need some advice on travel agent and prices!

[rodent]

also the online rates might just be for a limited number of rooms. still, look around & you might find a TA that gets you better rates.

[eebruce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lambert13 Another thing to consider is if the packages are comparable. We always use Liberty Travel and the pices our agent quotes us include things like transfers, all taxes, etc etc.

Good point. She did include transfer to and from the airport and I think taxes too.

[weddingirl]

Hi my name is Lisa and I too have been looking at Azul Fives. I put in my request for 06/20/2009. My TA quoted me 880 for 5 nights all inclusive without air and 1440 with air and all inclusive.

[JenniferSS]

Group rates and individual rates work in two completely different ways....and so the pricing is usually different.

 

Hotels base their pricing on inventory management, historical data of room prices and several other factors. As inventory sells, the hotels raise prices. If it doesn't sell as well over a given time period they introduce a sale ect.

 

Group Rates

When you request group rates the hotel will look at those factors, how many rooms you want, the length of the stay and then average all of that in to come up with a price.

With group rates you are taking out a block of rooms using a small deposit. You have the opportunity ( up to a point) of changing the names on the reservation.

Everyone is guaranteed to pay the same amount

 

Individual internet rates

The initial price for the first few rooms may be lower, the next few a little more expensive and so on. So your guests will be paying different prices throughout the booking process. Some may make mistakes (like dates, forget to add transfers, not look to see if all components are added inand bad decisions on flight times- we see all of these a lot!).

 

Must pay in full with internet rates- this may delay some of the guests booking their travel until it gets so expensive it becomes a burden or they just can't go. Plus, if they are using their credit cards to pay in full, the interest rate over 6 months on an average booking of $1500 will probably be over the $40.00 saved.

The interest rates on $150 over 6 months will probably be extremely small- if anything as it'll be easier to pay off quickly.

 

 

Then the intangibles that a TA offers as opposed to booking online....service if there is an issue, answering questions for the bride & groom and their guests, providing the guest list to make the planning easier on the B&G ect.