Much has already been said about the benefits of booking flights online. But is this the best way to book your around the world tickets? Many travel experts will say that no—it isn’t.
Sure, it is easier and faster to use the internet; however, you will notice that the ticket prices are not always low. The real discounts and flash sales are far in between, and they are applicable only for specific travel dates. Even worse, complicated flight requests (such as multi-stop itineraries) are often not supported by these systems. This can make matters extremely frustrating for the enthusiastic globetrotters.
Limitations plague online booking tools for the simple reason that they are run by machines and not by humans and the factor of human touch is missing Your are not talking to a real person but to a robot who does not understand your feelings and emotions when it comes to planning long term travel. They run on predetermined algorithms and cannot process complex schedules. You might also notice that budget airlines don’t list their cheapest flights in online booking websites. Why? Because listing is expensive, and they are unwilling to pay that extra price.
Online booking sites are also inflexible. You are required to give specific dates and airports, and they will provide you with automated results based on your data. If the information you provide does not match their list of available cheap flights, then you may be forced to adjust. You might have to travel off-season or on weekdays, which can be problematic in certain situations.
Manual booking is still much better than doing it through online booking tools in many aspects. With the help of travel agents who are real humans, you can get the best prices on round the world tickets that suit your needs and preferences. You can travel your way and save money. The good news is that you do not have to personally go to a travel agency to talk to human travel agents. You only have to visit their website and put in your travel details, and they will contact you personally to give recommendations and to answer your questions. Imagine a scenario where you are stuck somewhere in the middle of your trip and need someone to bail you out, your travel assistant will come to your rescue and definitely not the robot of an online booking tool. With a personalized travel agency, you can get better flight arrangements, more information about your booking, cheaper RTW tickets and most importantly, someone to assist you throughout your trip.