Travel Agent or Book Your Own Flights

[The Engineer]

My last trip was to Moz in a very remote location. Long story but extended the hunt 5 days. It was really handy having a travel agent that could rebook flights, arranges hotels, etc based on one message.

 

[206moose]

Another recommendation for Gracy travel. Being met at the gate and navigated was well worth any extra cost.

 

[Tgood1]

Endorsing @TRAVEL EXPRESS here,,,again. Fantastic experiences, smooth travel, excellent communication. Always handled unforeseen mishaps that occurred . I have traveled to sa on my own bookings and all went well but I put my trust with Lori now.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Another recommendation for @TRAVEL EXPRESS
I have only done 2 SA trips and a 3rd is booked. Jennifer makes it easy. I had a little glitch on 1st trip but a Whatsapp and all was taken care of. It’s worth it to me to have them handle everything

 

[autofire]

I think Royal27 stated the decision making criteria very accurately. I've had generally good and easy situations on my flights between O.R. Tambo and Atlanta. However I've had some unpleasant experiences multiple times with Intra Africa flights and will always use a ticket booking agent and rifle permit agent for those situations.

 

[YancyW]

I don't believe an agent is necessary, but I really don't see any reason at all not to use one. The difference in price, if there even is one, is very small. But having an extra person on my team while I am taking multileg international trips is worth much more than the cost.

Lori with @TRAVEL EXPRESS has always been awesome to work with, highly recommend.

 

[MarkB]

I am 50% with an agent and 50% without for outside country travel. All internal to Canada no agents. Being Canadian and from small town BC both times I used an agent I could not understand why. I felt I understood and had a better grip on flights, firearm rules and details better than they did with costs over internet quotes. It is still you who has to call airline for firearm rules, check ins and paperwork. I do spend many hours researching and of course have this awesome site that they do not. One time using an agent the SAA strike stranded us in Zim for 8 extra days and then SA for another 5, where was my agent???? In Canada with an answer of "what do you expect them to do". The knowledgeable agents and outfits mentioned on here are well versed for US travelers but that is no assistance to a Cannuck. If I had access to face to face African specialist agent then I would use. I will use an agent in Jan 2021 as I have "vouchers" to use for our Covid postponed hunt. No experience with that hassle.

MB

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have always lived by the maxim 'do what you do well to earn the money to pay someone else to do what they do well'.
i am not a travel agent and on the few occasions I was forced by a client to do it myself it was a cockup deluxe. Just one delay on a multi-leg routing and see how complex it can become. My travel agent gets flowers every year, heartily deserved.

 

[mark-hunter]

For my first safari - I booked flights by myself. I travelled alone.
Reason, I have gold travel card, and frequent flyer miles from Emirates.
So it was cheapest for me. The drawback was 10 hours waiting for connecting flight in Dubai.
Waiting I dont mind, I have books to read, check the beer, eat the steak... who cares?

For my second safari, flights were booked by hunting agent, via travel agency.
The flight tickets were 40% more expensive, and only 2 hours waiting for connecting flight in Doha. (Qatar airlines)
I would be using same airline as for first safari, by Emirates, but the pressure was from my group of hunters, taking kids, in order to avoid waiting 10 hours for connecting flights. So I (we) paid moooore, but had much less waiting.

BTW, I travelled around the World, in last 20 years. All continents. Each year, this makes thousands of air miles. I have seen nuomerous airlines in that period, but I can say that the most comfortable airlines, and highest standard that I have seen is Emirates. And the best international airport ever - Dubai airport.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

For my first safari - I booked flights by myself. I travelled alone.
Reason, I have gold travel card, and frequent flyer miles from Emirates.
So it was cheapest for me. The drawback was 10 hours waiting for connecting flight in Dubai.
Waiting I dont mind, I have books to read, check the beer, eat the steak... who cares?

For my second safari, flights were booked by hunting agent, via travel agency.
The flight tickets were 40% more expensive, and only 2 hours waiting for connecting flight in Doha. (Qatar airlines)
I would be using same airline as for first safari, by Emirates, but the pressure was from my group of hunters, taking kids, in order to avoid waiting 10 hours for connecting flights. So I (we) paid moooore, but had much less waiting.

BTW, I travelled around the World, in last 20 years. All continents. Each year, this makes thousands of air miles. I have seen nuomerous airlines in that period, but I can say that the most comfortable airlines, and highest standard that I have seen is Emirates. And the best international airport ever - Dubai airport.

My current favourite is Virgin Atlantic, but in all my travel years the best ever was surprisingly Uzbekistan airlines, excellent food. Dubai was a long while back, but I recall it was very good. Favourite airport was Vilancoulos Mozambique, small, old fashioned with a mechanical scale with the huge round dial. From there you always exit to paradise. Worst airport was Guarhulos Sao Paulo, such a gray place and almost always a delay.

 

[gordon kings langley]

Hi
I used Trailfinders, during my last trip, they emailed me saying your flight was cancelled. No help nothing. Leaving me to make my own return flight. And what made it worse, I still trying to claim on there travel insurance.
Both are a joke
So make your own arrangements

 

[Hogpatrol]

For our foreign members, I can see your points on not using travel agents. Luckily for us in the states, there is a selection of highly skilled, knowledgeable and up to date agencies that are dedicated to hunting, traveling with firearms and foreign venues.

 

[Cam Moon]

When you went did you travel with a firearm or did you rent? That’s usually my biggest consideration when choosing to use an agent.

No I was not traveling with a firearm, and get what you are saying. However, on my last trip (that is still on hold with COVID-19 BS) I was planning on bringing one. I just downloaded and printed the required forms that seemed fairly straightforward to fill out, and was going to do that part myself too. Like I said, I may look into an agent after all. The peace of mind may be worth it, providing it's not too expensive

 

[Hogpatrol]

@Cam Moon, I can assure you the temporary firearm permit is NOT straightforward. One T not crossed or I not dotted and you'll be a Wish-I-Had.

Using an agent, I've seen guys at SAPS that got there before me and were still there when I left. "XXXX" clients go through there like a dose of salts.

 

[375Fox]

@Cam Moon, I can assure you the temporary firearm permit is NOT straightforward. One T not crossed or I not dotted and you'll be a Wish-I-Had.

Using an agent, I've seen guys at SAPS that got there before me and were still there when I left. "XXXX" clients go through there like a dose of salts.

I’m not a person to pay extra for an upgrade or business class, but I will definitely pay $150 every time for a pre-approved permit to spend less than 5 minutes in that SAPS office after a long flight. I’ve seen the people in there too many times that will spend hours cause they have last place in line after all the pre-approved permits as all the international flights come in.

 

[wesheltonj]

. . . I have seen nuomerous airlines in that period, but I can say that the most comfortable airlines, and highest standard that I have seen is Emirates. And the best international airport ever - Dubai airport.

I agree the FA's on Emirates can't not be beat, no matter what class of service you are flying. I have been in both Cattle class and Business on Emirates. But it's not worth 40% more over Qatar.

I guess that depends on which terminal in Singapore you are comparing to which terminal in Dubai. I would pick Singapore as the best airport. And finding the lounges in Dubai was not easy, the signage of awful.

 

[Cam Moon]

@Hogpatrol and @375Fox Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Royal27]

I am 50% with an agent and 50% without for outside country travel. All internal to Canada no agents. Being Canadian and from small town BC both times I used an agent I could not understand why. I felt I understood and had a better grip on flights, firearm rules and details better than they did with costs over internet quotes. It is still you who has to call airline for firearm rules, check ins and paperwork. I do spend many hours researching and of course have this awesome site that they do not. One time using an agent the SAA strike stranded us in Zim for 8 extra days and then SA for another 5, where was my agent???? In Canada with an answer of "what do you expect them to do". The knowledgeable agents and outfits mentioned on here are well versed for US travelers but that is no assistance to a Cannuck. If I had access to face to face African specialist agent then I would use. I will use an agent in Jan 2021 as I have "vouchers" to use for our Covid postponed hunt. No experience with that hassle.

MB

There is a definite need for an agent who has expertise with guns if you use an agent.

On the trip the travel agent told me "good luck with that " I definitely knew more than the airline agent did. They tried to route me through Amsterdam with guns, without permits! I had to argue to keep that from happening. Luckily a supervisor helped out and stopped it. Nothing bad ended from it but it was certainly stressful to have to deal with that when I shouldn't have had to and should have been easily preventable.

 

[JimP]

Use a agent, then sit back and not worry.

On my trip the airline changed the departure time out of Dulles on my way home to Denver. The time frame was such that there would be no way to make it after getting in from Joberg and having to go through customs. Jennifer from @TRAVEL EXPRESS caught it and sent me a email with a solution of taking a later flight. When we arrived at Dulles and got through customs that original flight had been gone for a half hour. We would of been stuck with trying to arrange a new flight and since the one that we flew back into Denver on was booked solid we may of had a lot of problems.

There are just so many things that can go wrong with multiple flights where is is just easier to let a pro handle it. As for the cost, Lori at @TRAVEL EXPRESS got us our flights for the same cost as it was if I would of done it myself. They also steered me away from a gun unfriendly airline that I was looking at for the US flights.

 

[Royal27]

Use a agent, then sit back and not worry

If only it were this simple.

This doesn't always happen, at least not for me it hasn't. Agents can help, but they don't always and you can still be left on your own although hopefully the odds of that will lessen with an agent.

Just like anyone would (hopefully) with an outfitter - do your research and know the pros and cons of using an agent. Only then should you decide on what's right for you.