Interesting Survey about TA's .....

[sail7seas]

I received my copy of TravelTrade today and though I haven't read the whole thing yet, a front page article caught my attention.

A sister company of Orbitz found the public prefers travel agents better than using the Web.

Apparently they polled 1,006 (a small sampling, for sure, but nevertheless) almost 7 out of 10 adults want to use a TA....68%. Good news (at least for now) for Travel Agents.

[RuthC]

I'd be interested in knowing how they came up with the sample. Was it random? Or haphazard? Was it people attending a travel fair run by a travel agency?

70% seems like a too high percentage.

How the sample was drawn could easily skew the results.

But if it was a well-drawn sample the results are encouraging.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am also curious as to how they randomly picked selected people from the survey.

Of course we use a TA but so many cc'ers seem to use web sites - got this from reading various boards - not just this one.

[mushroom]

This does not surprise me. Many posters on this board consider their contact on an internet site as a TA. I, personally, consider a travel agent to be someone I can talk to face to face, in person. Does this survey mean "brick and morter" agents or does it include online agents?

[General Max]

Considering the number of computer illiterate people in this country, I can understand why so many want to deal face to face with a travel agent.

 

Cheers

 

General Max

[GottaLuvCruising]

At a recent seminar with one cruise line, they told us that 95% of their bookings come through travel agents. That's why cruise lines strive to maintain good relations ships with professional travel agents.

 

Many guests book with travel agents simply because they want the expertise and advice, which comes at no cost to the client. Some guests book with travel agents so we do the work for them, researching the best options available. Some guests book with travel agents to have an advocate who looks out for their best interest; until you need someone on your side in dealing with a cruise line, you can't begin to appreciate the value of advocacy.

[trubey]

Reading this board, we begin to think that most people are using internet ta's. But everyone who comes here is an internet user. I don't really know the percentages, but if 50 % of the population uses the internet and 50% of those use internet ta's, then actually 75% are still going down to the local travel agent. s.

[HeatherInFlorida]

This seems way off to me, but I agree with others that we can't use this venue to really know for sure since we are heavy internet users.

I'm not sure I understand the use of the word "travel agent". Just because the TA is on the internet doesn't make them any less a TA. They might take excepton to that!;) Can't say I would blame them.

[sail7seas]

I'm an example of a 'heavy internet user' who never uses an internet provider to book our cruises. I use brick and mortar AFTER I go to the various sites and compare pricing and get availability etc.

I don't think I'm the only one like that.

[bepsf]

I'm an example of a 'heavy internet user' who never uses an internet provider to book our cruises. I use brick and mortar AFTER I go to the various sites and compare pricing and get availability etc.

I don't think I'm the only one like that.

 

 

 

You aren't - I do exactly the same thing.

If I could choose and book my exact stateroom as easily via the internet as I can book specific airline seats - I'd never use a TA...

[Randyk47]

Bepsf - Interesting comment in that I've chosen my specific cabins, by cabin number, for my last 3 cruises over the Internet. :)

 

Back to the original posting. I don't find the number the least bit surprising. Seems to me there are quite a few variables working here. I would suspect that the number of computer savy cruisers is a very small portion of the cruising population. Added to that is even computer savy cruising prefer, as many here do, to use a "brick and mortar" TA. Personally my choice is to go with whoever can get me the best deal and right now it just happens that the Internet based TA's have been able to deliver that for me. Nothing against "brick and mortar" TA's, have one and love her to pieces but it's business, not personal.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I'm an example of a 'heavy internet user' who never uses an internet provider to book our cruises. I use brick and mortar AFTER I go to the various sites and compare pricing and get availability etc.

I don't think I'm the only one like that.

 

 

 

Absolutely, Sail, that was my point exactly. I said I could be getting a skewed view based on what I've read here. If you take all the internet users who use B&M TA's and add in all the people who don't use the internet, you could reach the 70% you mentioned in your OP.

 

What perhaps I didn't explain well was that if you only pay attention to what you read here on the boards, it would seem that more lean toward internet TA's, but it's not a balanced view because it doesn't include the non-internet users.

BTW, Brian, you absolutely can choose your exact cabin, etc., via an internet TA just like with an airline.

[jhannah]

Interesting comment in that I've chosen my specific cabins, by cabin number, for my last 3 cruises over the Internet.

Certainly. But it's not the same. You are shown only a certain number of available cabins from which to choose. I think 12 is the maximum. With airline seating, you see the entire inventory.

[KFH]

I've only booked one cruise and it was through a brick and mortar because it was my first and HAL wouldn't let me book direct. When I book hotels,cars and airline flights I will book directly with them rather then go though an agency. This way I get what I want and check out all the options. My TA for my cruise booked a rental for me in Seattle to drop off in Vancouver. She said that I could drop it off at the pier. There is a drop off at the Canada Place but she booked my do be dropped off about .7 miles away. The cost was to great for me to change now. Needless to say, I'm not using her again. I'll stick to making all of my own car reservations.

[Randyk47]

Jim - Actually the on line TA I use only recently went to the software where you pick the specific room on line. Before that I simply told him which cabin I wanted and he was able to get it. For my upcoming cruise there were indeed a number of cabins in the category showing, maybe the 12 or so you mentioned, and I picked from one of those. Again, just happened that the specific cabin I wanted was showing so it wasn't a problem. I don't consider that a big drawback and if the specific cabin I wanted wasn't showing I'd simply email the TA and ask them to check if it was available. I've yet to book an airline on line where 100% of the seats were available so I don't feel it's a big difference for a ship though I understand your point.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Certainly. But it's not the same. You are shown only a certain number of available cabins from which to choose. I think 12 is the maximum. With airline seating, you see the entire inventory.

 

Jim, same situation for me as Randy. I always simply looked at the available cabins on the cruiseline website, told my online TA the one I wanted and I got it.

 

My TA also went to a new system recently so I don't know how it is now, but I've found when I look at the various TA websites, their open cabins pretty much line up with what the cruiseline shows.

 

I have never had any problem getting the cabin I wanted. Fact is, you can book through HAL and switch over to your own TA at the lower rate, so I think in that regard it's all pretty much the same.

[gizmo]

Certainly. But it's not the same. You are shown only a certain number of available cabins from which to choose. I think 12 is the maximum. With airline seating, you see the entire inventory.

 

You have a good point, but there are many variations of On Line Booking.

 

All the sites I have seen that show available cabins, show about 12 cabins when you go through the booking routine. If your cabin is not listed then you cannot book it on line.

I have never seen a site where more than 12 are listed.

 

Some sites only give you the great price if you book on line. On these sites, calling the TA is going to cost you more. They even list the "talk to the TA" price next to the book on line price.

 

There are others that don't even show the cabins. You have to email the TA.

In this case you can request a cabin.

 

There are still some sites that list only one price, so you can call and request your cabin.

 

Some sites will still give you the book on line price even if you call.

[Opinions]

Many guests book with travel agents simply because they want the expertise and advice, which comes at no cost to the client.

 

Of course there is a cost to the client...Travel agents don't work for nothing...The client pays for the advice in the price of the cruise which includes a commission paid to the agent.

 

If one feels they do not need all the expertise and and advice there are even agents who will rebate part of the commission...It certainly is not for everyone but it is a option.

[wander]

I do think that we on CC get into our own world and think many are like us. My husband and I primarily go on longer cruises (at least one month in length). Considering the number of people on the ship, the relative few that use the internet room is interesting. Except for the one CC meeting I went to, I have found no one that knows of CC and most of the folks only use the internet for e-mails, even at home. So, I do not think we represent even the typical HAL cruiser.

 

Now where I live, it is a different story and many make reservations through the internet. I would suspect that the younger the person the more likely they are to use the internet for reservations, but that is only conjecture on my part.

 

In terms of "free" versus "paid for" advice, yes the TA does make money through the commission. However, we cruise a lot and go on mainly long cruises (30+days) and I have yet to pay more for a cabin category than I found through any internet based TA that I have located. (I love to price shop, although to date it is just for entertainment as I can not do any better leaving my agent.) So, if it costs the same for me - I really do not care what the TA gets and what HAL gets. Besides, she is so helpful, friendly and always looking out for my financial and perks welfare.