What makes a good travel agency?

Booking my trip to Africa for Summer 2015.

Have put in a call to two well known travel agencies based on a recommendation from my outfitter and recommendations I found here. Had a decent conversation with one and waiting for the other to call back.

What general things do you guys traveling from the US to Africa look for when talking with a travel agent?

Also is this Ebola outbreak making anyone head to the RSA concerned?

Here are a couple of threads…
- Find A Hunting Travel Expert: http://www.africahunting.com/threads/find-a-hunting-travel-expert.14397/
- Our Hunting Travel Specialist on AH: http://www.africahunting.com/threads/our-hunting-travel-specialist-on-ah.2734/

Jerome,

I did contact Lori and had a good conversation with her. I have also read all the info you put up on traveling to Africa. This website has a wealth of information and it is a great benefit to those planning a Safari.

Thank you...R

Radiater said:

What general things do you guys traveling from the US to Africa look for when talking with a travel agent?

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First I assume you are referring to simply a travel agent, for travel only, not a booking agent. You can figure it all out on here and find great deals... Which is what I strted with but soon my head was spinning and my wife told me to go through a booking agent for our first trip and have someone to call up and get advise and hold our hands, so to speak, through the process. Ultimately we ended up booking through James, who is now the official booking agent on here. (he was not when we signed up).

We ended up needing to delay our trip 8 months and James smoothed that all out and all is cost was a small fee on the plane tickets. We had a great trip and my most recent call to James was on advice for shipping trophies home... I'm sure I'll call on him over a year after our trip for final little pieces... So well worth using someone like him, and especially so on a first trip... we went with his recommendation for travel agent and she delivered as well.

So back to the original question; 1. Good reputation and experience. 1.a. References. 2. Someone to look for a good deal and sort out all out. 2.a. Knowing the connections and layover times to be sure we will be able to make it. Not just booking the cheapest flights on orbitz and hoping all connections work out. 3. Someone who has been through it many times before and is not rattled by a twist or turn that comes up. 4. Someone to call and someone I will be able to get hold of all hours if the need arises (this is where you are doubled down if you use a hard working booking agent). 5. Someone who will clearly walk you through hall the paperwork and prepare you for all contingencies.

Those are the ones that come to mind right now. I'm sure others can add to the list.

We used a booking agent, travel agent and gun permit agent.... But all were arranged by the booking agent originally. These people do this professionally and at leadt the ones I used were good at it and delivered for us.

This was a 30 year Anniversary thing for us and a little extra cost did not matter as much as having things go well. Now that we have "been there and done that" I would be willing to do it on my own, but will likely use agents again.

Lori has helped me with both our trips and I will never use anyone else.Always saves me money over the others and the trips are plan very well.Always enough time between flights and connections always work out.Answer all question quickly to never wait for her to get back to you more then one day

Thank you gentleman!!!

I have only been able to save money one time by going through a travel agent, my 4 other african trips I could find cheaper flights myself with good connection times. Where I think a travel agent could really be of help might be if you want to change dates after booking, they seem to be able to pull more strings. After I bought my last tickets I wish I would have added a second hunt and been able to postpone my return.

Here is one an article that I missed:
- Why You Should Always Use A Hunting Travel Agent!: http://www.africahunting.com/threads/why-you-should-always-use-a-hunting-travel-agent.14398/

Radiater said:

Booking my trip to Africa for Summer 2015.

Also is this Ebola outbreak making anyone head to the RSA concerned?

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To me the simple answer is no.

I may end up apologizing on this but it exasperates me a bit.... I was just quizzed the other day about ebola because a guy knew I had been in Africa... In April! Long before the outbreak. And I was in RSA... That is most of a continent away from the area of concern. Without actually checking the distance. That is kind of like wondering if you should travel to New York when there is an outbreak in Guatemala.

We Americans can really be something at times. Have you looked at a map of where the ebola outbreak is? That is so far from RSA that I don't think it any more likely to break there than in the USA. The way people travel the World these days, anything like this can circumvent the globe in short order, if it was airborn.... But it is reportedly NOT airborn. So even in you were way up near the area of concern, you would need to come into contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or corpse. And I believe those are very 3rd World countries. The RSA is not.

RSA is really very civilized. There are modern facilities throughout most of the country. To simplify I would put it as a kind of mix between the USA and Mexico. The major roads are good, there are health care facilities readily available.... Now if you are in the mountains or way out in bushveld, you may be a couple hours away by Toyota, but no different than remote parts of the US. If your worried get the Global Rescue insurance.

My wife and I asked to be dropped off at the rental car place in the airport and got a rental car and drove around on our own for 8 days, with really no hotel rooms even booked ahead. We just kind of took it as it came and did not want to be on a schedule.... We also rented a GPS and bought a map. Of course that was the Garden Route in the South, I would not recommend that in the real wild jungle area.. down town Johannesburg. (big cities scare me a lot more than wild animals) But we got many miles out on some dirt roads and just turned around when the tank got to the half way mark (yea the GPS was not perfect).

I will go back with what I know today and not have any more worry about ebola than flying to Europe.

jeff said:

Where I think a travel agent could really be of help might be if you want to change dates after booking, they seem to be able to pull more strings.

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Not doubt… Here is a thread to read: Bad Experience with South African Airways: http://www.africahunting.com/threads/bad-experience-with-south-african-airways.11419/

When you are talking about a trip Like Africa or any other place that requires Plane and Carrier Changes and long Flights Overnite Stays at B&Bs and Rifles permits,,trying to go it alone just to save a few bucks is Nuts,,That being Said You need someone who's been there and done that,,I have only Used Lori Spears for my trip because she came Highly recommended by other Members of the Forum. When I didn't recieve my rifle permit to get thru New Amsterdam a Day before I was suppose to leave Lori Worked her Magic with Personnel call to their office and got me the paperwork I needed to ship my Guns,,I will always use and Highly recommend her company to anybody planning a trip

Radiater said:

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Also is this Ebola outbreak making anyone head to the RSA concerned?

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This should reduce some concern for you.

The Health Ministry has also ramped up screening. Any suspected case is being quarantined immediately. So, if you have a fever from the flu you can expect to be held up for a bit.

Anyone wanting to enter the countries of concern from RSA must apply to the proper government department to get clearance. I doubt to many applications have been filed.

South Africa issues Ebola travel ban

The Cabinet in Pretoria has issued a travel ban for all non-South African passport holders from West Africa who want to enter South Africa. This leads to a total travel ban for all non-citizens travelling from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, unless the travel is considered absolutely essential.

South Africans who wish to travel to these countries will be requested to delay their travel unless it is absolutely essential for them to travel.

South African passport holders travelling from such high-risk countries would be subjected to a temperature screening process and if needed medical examination. Before their entry to South Africa these granted travelers would also need to complete a comprehensive health questionnaire.

People traveling from medium- or low-risk countries, like Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia just have to pass the usual surveillance processes.

We used Lori and it was worth it. Had a bit of a problem with a flight and she fixed it at 9 PM on a Sunday. It would have been a bad start if could not have got on the first plane of our trip.

What you need is Delta and travel insurance. Flight 200 from Atlanta into ORTambo. Then flight 201 back to Atlanta. Try to stay on one airline if possible. I didn't need a travel agent. Now I understand that sometimes they, travel agents, can find you the deals. Be educated. Spend some time looking yourself on airline websites. You will then know a deal when you see it. When I first started looking it seemed mind blowing but I had a long time to look. Explore different months and length of stays as well. Give yourself long layover times when connecting. For instance flight 200 leaves ATL at 7:00 pm but I left Kansas City at 10:25 am arriving in ATL about 1:00 pm . Gives you lots of time if there are problems. If you are an infrequent flyer then an agent my indeed be the best thing for you but I would still look around first.