驴行天下自助游 驴行天下:找旅行社还是自助游

驴行天下:找旅行社还是自助游  

With the rise of online Travel booking engines such as Agoda and Zuji
you might expect traditional travel agents to be looking for new careers.
But not in Asia
thanks to travelers like Nicki Fung. A former Hong Kong resident
she has relied on the same travel agent for more than a decade.
'If I can route through Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific
I'll try to do that and have her handle the rest
' says Ms. Fung
who is now based in Beijing
where she co-founded the education pany Vericant.
Fung曾经住在香港，现在住在北京，是维立克教育公司(Vericant）的创始人之一，她说：“如果我可以通过国泰航空(Cathay Pacific)飞经香港，我会尽可能这么做然后让她处理其余的事情。”
The reason for her loyalty? The travel agent 'thinks ahead for me
' she says.
Not only does her agent
Christine Chiu of Shalom Travel
monitor seat availability and handle last-minute schedule changes
but she also pieces together plex itineraries.
Last summer
Ms. Fung wanted to bine a work trip to Canada and the U.S. with a holiday with her mother to Kenya. 'It was much easier to work with my travel agent and have her suggest things that I wouldn't have been able to find on my own
' she says.
Ms. Fung isn't alone. In Hong Kong
the number of new travel agencies cropping up has been steadily increasing over recent years. Last year
there were 1
683 members of the Travel Industry Council
a professional body whose membership is required for an operating license in the territory. In 2010
there were 1
568.
'Hong Kong citizens realize that if they want attention
they have to purchase through a licensed agent
' says Joseph Tung
the council's executive director.
Convenience
saving time
personalized service伟these are all reasons why I stuck by my travel agent in Bangkok for years
especially when it came to booking flights. A good agent can be a godsend at a time when airlines are ing up with greater restrictions and fees
and ever-more plex mileage rules.
My trusty agent
Mike Chan of Green Travel
had all my frequent-flier membership numbers on file
would book tickets with mileage
and snag upgrades.
But not all travel agents are created equal. For every on-top-of-it agent
there are plenty who do the bare minimum. That's driven Charmaine Wai
a seasoned road warrior and director of development at INSEAD's Singapore campus
online.
'You pay a premium for a travel agent
but they don't necessarily find the best fares
and it's usually a Y-class fare
not priority
' Ms. Wai says.
She adds that she prefers booking directly through an airline's website
which not only allows her to pick the fare class
but also her seat and meal.
Indeed
more travelers are turning to the Inter for their holiday planning. According to a report by PhoCusWright
a U.S.-based travel market research pany
the number of online bookings in Asia-Pacific is growing ice as fast as the overall travel market. By the end of this year
they're projected to make up 25% of all travel bookings.
Japan
an early adopter of e-merce
leads the region in online bookings. But markets in China and India are growing quickly amid an aggressive push by established international websites coupled with the growth of local ones such as China's Ctrip and India's Makemytrip and Cleartrip
says Douglas Quinby
senior director of research at PhoCusWright.
Booking online isn't for everyone. Mr. Quinby notes that Hong Kong and South Korea伟which has the highest Inter peration rates in the world伟are outliers that puzzle industry experts. Meanwhile
traditional agents still do good business selling to retirees and travel greenhorns on package tours.
Still
the trend is undeniable. 'In markets in Northeast Asia [Hong Kong
Taiwan
Korea
and Macau]
travelers are younger and more independent. We also see in India and China
city-based travelers with higher ine levels booking online
' Mr. Quinby says.
This bodes poorly for the family-run agency in your office plaza. That said
don't expect traditional bricks-and-mortar travel agencies to disappear entirely. In the U.S.
as online travel agents
booking engines and meta-searches took off
traditional agents began tailoring their services to specific markets. Need someone to arrange a bespoke tour of ceramic workshops Japan? Try Wabi-Sabi. Looking into that once-in-a-lifetime safari in Botswana? Ring up Ker & Downey.
Indeed
the line beeen those who use traditional agents versus those who do it themselves are more blurred than they appear. Ms. Fung regularly uses websites as research tools and books acmodations online. Mr. Quinby handles all his own business travel. But he does use an agent for an annual ski trip
which is a birthday gift to his mother. 'We get a specialist to do it
' he readily admits.
Here are some key tips to finding a standout agent:
Service Matters: You're more likely to find a decent agent in cities and countries with strong service cultures伟Thailand and Hong Kong
for instance. But China? If you read Chinese
better stick to meta-search engines such as Ctrip or Qunar.
To the Quick: How responsive is the agent to e-mails? Can she handle everything via e-mail? Saving time伟and thus
staying off the phone伟is part of the appeal of an agent.
After-Hour Care: Is the agent available on the weekends
and is there a mobile number you can call outside of office hours? This is especially important when you're traveling to a different time zone and need to change your flight schedule.
Exploring Options: Does the agent offer you a couple of alternatives or only the most expensive one? This is where doing your own research pays off 伟 investigate the carriers that fly a route and get an idea of what the fares are before you turn to an agent.
Just the Ticket: Does the agent explain clearly what the restrictions and conditions are on a ticket? If you're trying to play the mileage game
the fine print is essential.
To use an agent or not to use an agent? Leave your thoughts in the ments
and send your questions to Travel Well at with the subject line 'Travel.'