Yes, many times you can find a real deal with an online travel discounter like Book It, Priceline, Expedia, etc. You can also sometimes find a good deal with Sam’s Club and Costco.
However, what happens when suddenly travel has to be shut down due to, hmmm, let’s say a virus? That’s when you find out that your great deal may not be such a great deal.
Some of the customers to those found it difficult to know what to do. Sometimes they would call the vendor (cruise line, resort, airline, etc.) and be told they must contact their travel advisor.
The discounts are real on this travel, but that’s because almost everything is automated and getting a real person, while normally not that difficult, can become difficult when everyone wants to or needs to change their plans.
Using a travel advisor in a situation like this would have made these customers much happier. Yes, they would have paid a little more (the regular price, or the sale price of the vendor), but the travel advisor would handle everything else.
Many vendors notified us (travel advisors) that refunds or future credits would be automatic. The vendors also explained how to handle those who didn’t want a future credit but wanted a refund – and when. This made it much easier for the travel advisor to handle all their clients much quicker.
While those travel discounters can offer some better deals (typically not by much), it can be a bit difficult when there is a mad rush to cancel or change plans. Know this going in if you use one.