What else is open for an easy February trip besides Coz?

[aquabluegreg]

Travel agent takes commission, so if you are as good as any TA, as you claim, a TA won't save you any money. A TA can only save you some time.

Travel agencies, like Travelocity, on the other hand, can save you money because they often get discounts from airlines, hotel chains and car rental companies. They also can back you up in some tricky situations, so sometimes it makes sense to book tickets and hotels through them, not directly by yourself.

Hi tarponchik, I won't comment on your second note but the first is not accurate, at least for me.

Full disclosure here...it is true I operate on a commission and that varies fron resort to resort and liveaboard to liveaboard. Some agents also cash in on group deals where a free of charge (FOC) space is offered on a group of say 6-8 divers. I usually sell FOC spaces and spread the savings across the entire group rather than putting the cash in my pocket. Commissions are often times higher with a group but again I usually pass this on to the group. If you really think an agent won't save you any money, that is probably true in most cases. Ask me for a quote next time you want to travel, no obligation. I guarantee I will save you money. I have a group on the Rocio del Mar Feb 28-Mar 12, 2021. I am offering then an $800 discount, plus free nitrox, plus I am paying for the new Mexican Park fee which is $675. So for a $5199 trip they are paying $3724. If you think a travel agent will only save you time, then I urge you to keep booking your own travel. Oh yeah, in some, not all cases, I am personally backing up travel packages due to CV-19 issues.

Cheers, Greg
Liquid Diving Adventures

 

[Snoweman]

Gosh, you are so special. Bless your heart.

Put up or shut up.

 

[tarponchik]

Hi tarponchik, I won't comment on your second note but the first is not accurate, at least for me.

Full disclosure here...it is true I operate on a commission and that varies fron resort to resort and liveaboard to liveaboard. Some agents also cash in on group deals where a free of charge (FOC) space is offered on a group of say 6-8 divers. I usually sell FOC spaces and spread the savings across the entire group rather than putting the cash in my pocket. Commissions are often times higher with a group but again I usually pass this on to the group. If you really think an agent won't save you any money, that is probably true in most cases. Ask me for a quote next time you want to travel, no obligation. I guarantee I will save you money. I have a group on the Rocio del Mar Feb 28-Mar 12, 2021. I am offering then an $800 discount, plus free nitrox, plus I am paying for the new Mexican Park fee which is $675. So for a $5199 trip they are paying $3724. If you think a travel agent will only save you time, then I urge you to keep booking your own travel. Oh yeah, in some, not all cases, I am personally backing up travel packages due to CV-19 issues.

Cheers, Greg
Liquid Diving Adventures

I am not familiar with group deals, but if you say that you can work as a mini-Travelocity, why not? However, such a group deal is only good for resort X, dates Y to Z etc, so if a hypothetical Mr. Brown wants something a bit different, there are no savings for Mr. Brown. Correct?

 

[tursiops]

Put up yet shut up.

I don't even know what you mean, do you have the phrase wrong?

 

[Snoweman]

I don't even know what you mean, do you have the phrase wrong?

Should be "or", not "yet". I hate posting from my phone.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I am not familiar with group deals, but if you say that you can work as a mini-Travelocity, why not? However, such a group deal is only good for resort X, dates Y to Z etc, so if a hypothetical Mr. Brown wants something a bit different, there are no savings for Mr. Brown. Correct?

Greg has always left me satisfied with regard to my dive travel, regardless, when, where or with whom.

Those that I've recommended him to report the same level of satisfaction.

I found Greg here on Scubaboard a number of years back.

Beyond the savings, he's lovely to work with too.

 

[chillyinCanada]

If you happen to be looking for an agent, give me a shout. We are normally available 7 days a week and 8am to say 8pm eastern time zone. We normally discount all trips on top of any advertised rates. We have group deals to Indonesia in 2021 and liveaboard trips on the Belle Amie, Damai, Bilikiki, Rocio del Mar.

Cheers, Greg

Woo-hoo!

 

[chillyinCanada]

the only possible advantage i can see using a TA these days is if something goes wrong. and it often does. at least you then have a representative that will go to bet for you and "should" be able to sort it out for the best outcome. just as an example.....years ago when i travelled to coz, the charter airline went bankrupt while we were n the island. i had no one to contact to work out how i was getting home. i literally just showed up at the airport on departure day with absolutely no idea if / how i was getting home. it worked out, but it would have been nice to have someone making arrangements.

also.....anyone ever had any luck sorting out a problem with expedia ? haha good luck. most of the time it is like talking to a rock.

Other than using Greg with Liquid Diving Adventures for my diving trips, I have another agent that I generally use for flights. She's really helped me a few times, both with getting me there and getting me around such things as airline strikes etc., and also, I've often wanted changes on my return flights when already at my destination. She's a doll and obviously, I've been quite pleased with her services which cost me nothing extra.

A number of years back, I had booked a European trip with my BFF and I went on to Jordan after my BFF returned home. Everything had been perfect until the hotel in Jordan. I reached out to my booking agent and first thing the following morning, I was picked up and delivered to a significantly better place and the balance of the trip was delightful. That would have been a helluva mess for me to try to sort out on my own.

I still get the creeps thinking about that hotel and one of the staff there.

No, my home agent had not booked me into the first place himself, it was part of a package but he fixed it for me.

 

[aquabluegreg]

Hi chillyinCanada,

Thanks for the kind words...! Much appreciated. We need to get you on a dive trip. I think your gills may be dry...hahahah

For tarponchik, I'm not sure what you are asking or what a mini-Travelocity might be. To describe it in simpler terms, for independent travelers I offer discount packages and for groups the discounts are often a bit better because we can factor in the value of free spaces. I don't get into the "best price guarantee" where an agent will discount a package just to offer a better rate than some other agent. I offer the best deal I can and if PADI Travel or some other agent wants to get into a bidding war, so be it. What I don't offer very often is air travel because many if not all of my divers often use miles for air tickets. Plus the airlines pay an agent $5 (yes five bucks) commission and there is huge risk to the agent.

For your Mr Brown, no you are not correct. Regardless if you are a free independent traveler (FIT in agent lingo) or part of a group, I always discount travel packages. Typically I try to save my divers at least 10%.

 

[tursiops]

Should be "or", not "yet". I hate posting from my phone.

OK, your post is MUCH clearer that way!
So, he says TAs suck, I say they can save you a lot of money, he asks who so he can try them out. I say no, I'll provide no names, he'll have to do his own homework and develop his own good relationships over several years of working together with a TA. So he asks for cost comparisons; I do not give any cost comparisons because what I make on a group trip in my business, not his. he gets all pissy, and describes himself as a cheap a$$....I'm just guessing he is not going to develop many good relationships with TAs.
So I think your post ought to be directed to him, at least the second half of it.