Why use a travel agent?

The most common question I ever hear – the one that hordes of strangers literally sprint up to me like a scene from 28 Days Later, daily, and beg me to answer – is, “Why use a travel agent?”.  So here I am to explain it.

A Little Context

Before Lucie and I launched Dorsia in 2017, I used a wide range of travel agents myself—American Express Centurion, independent operators, and some of the largest UK-based agencies.  Did I have the over-inflated confidence to decide I could do it better?  Absolutely. But this isn’t about my ego (not today, anyway).  This is about why, even as someone who genuinely enjoys poring over reviews and planning every detail, I’ve seen the undeniable value of using a competent agent.

Why the scepticism?

I know plenty of people are sceptical, so let’s start with the most obvious benefit: it doesn’t cost you anything.  And no, I’m not just saying that because I’m paid to.  Hotels and resorts pay the commissions, not you.  Of course, not all agents are the same—some charge service fees or annual memberships that can stretch into six figures.  We don’t do any of that.  Why?  Because we’re nice.  We want your kids to live on a diet of caviar and sipping the blood of their enemies.

I get the hesitation, though.  With so many OTAs like Expedia and Booking.com, it’s easy to wonder why you wouldn’t just book there.  But not all bookings are created equal.  Hotels often deprioritise OTA bookings.  My wife’s time at The Connaught confirmed – bookings made through trusted agents are handled with far more care.  Why?  Because agents bring repeat, high-value clients, and hotels know keeping those clients happy is good for business.  Simply put, booking through an agent gets you noticed.

So, it’s free.  Nice, right?  But what do you actually get?

Protection

Yes, we are essentially the mafia, but less obsessed with Italy.  Well, some of us.  Mistakes happen.  Hotels screw up.  But when you book through an agent, those mistakes are far more likely to get resolved quickly.  We book at a volume you, as an individual, never could, and properties know that if they lose our business, they lose much more than just one reservation.  For example, in the Maldives, we work with the largest supplier in the region, and we’re one of their top clients.  If something goes wrong, properties will go to great lengths to make it right.

Recently, we had a client unhappy with their resort; we secured them a full refund for their stay—no drawn-out arguments, no wasted hours, no stress for them. That’s what happens when a General Manager sees an email from me: they think I don’t ever wanna hear from this person again, just give ’em what they want.

When things go wrong—and, at some point, they will—you want someone who can fix it without you lifting a finger.  Flight cancelled?  Room not what you were promised?  Rather than waste hours dealing with it, you pass the problem to us, and we get it resolved.

People on the Ground

No, it’s not me personally greeting you and licking your boots after you step off your private jet, but in every country we operate, we have trusted local specialists who are there to make your arrival and journey seamless. They’re the ones who know everything happening on the ground and ensure that, from the moment you step off the plane to the moment you reach your destination, everything is handled.  That includes whisking you through immigration, bypassing the queues, and making what could be a chore feel like a first-class experience.

It’s not just a safety net; it’s pure convenience.  They take care of all the logistics, smoothing over any potential hiccups and handling last-minute changes with ease. I’ve seen too many plans derailed by unforeseen circumstances, but with our local partners, those disruptions are managed swiftly—often before you even know there’s a problem.

Access and Expertise

If you’ve ever met someone who thinks they know everything, congratulations—you met me circa 2017 when I started this.  Of course, like anyone punched in the face by the Dunning-Kruger effect, I quickly realised that the more I learned, the more I understood how much I didn’t know.  But as my knowledge has grown, so has my network of people who know even more than I do.

A good agent also delivers access and expertise you simply won’t find on Google.  We spend much of the year travelling to the world’s best luxury properties and attending major travel shows, which gives us firsthand insight into what’s worth your time, what’s overrated, and what’s an outright waste of money.  And we’re not basing decisions on glossy marketing materials or generic “top picks” lists. We’re constantly hearing real feedback from high-end travellers, and that feedback informs everything we recommend.

It means we know which safari lodges live up to their promises and which ones are coasting on outdated reputations.  We know which Caribbean villas have the views and the working air conditioning (yes, that’s a thing).  And when we don’t know something, we know exactly who to ask.

Like-Minded

Like a Christmas rom-com, there’s someone out there for everyone. In this case, a travel agent.  When we started, it was just the two of us, and most of our clients were couples. Fast-forward to today, as a family of four, and it’s no surprise that most of our enquiries now revolve around family holidays.  But it’s not just about knowledge or expertise; it’s about finding someone who shares your perspective, understands your preferences, and has firsthand experience with the places you love.

It’s also about having someone on your side who’s prepared to miss their kids’ nativity play because you’ve decided that booking a trip five years out suddenly can’t wait. That kind of dedication matters.

Connections

And then there are the connections.  Spending time with the lunatics who run the hotels you stay in is just part of the job—attending travel shows, meeting up during our stays, and generally lurking in their vicinity long enough for them to tolerate me.  Some of them even manage to fake liking me convincingly, which comes in handy when I need a direct line to someone who can actually fix things.

Time-Saving

Then there’s the reality that trip planning isn’t a quick or straightforward process.  What might seem like a simple itinerary can easily turn into hours of digging through mediocre reviews and outdated blog posts (I feel like I’ve set myself up for a comment on this).  Why not have someone cut through all the nonsense, distilling it into a short list of options tailored to your preferences?  Instead of losing an entire weekend, we get the information you actually need—and you make the decision from there.