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| * USA Electronic System for Travel Authorization | * Are travel agents really necessary? |
 | USA Electronic System for Travel Authorization Web Site International travelers who are seeking to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program are now subject to enhanced security requirements. All eligible travelers who wish to travel under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorization. Click HERE to go to the Official U.S. Government ESTA Web Site. Click HERE to visit the ESTA Help Web page that will answer your questions about the ESTA Travel Authorization and the application process. | ||
| * Conditions apply. Prices subject to currency fluctuations. | |||
| Please contact Ann at Timeout Travel 03 9842 1222. Quote Reference:- TN-64 | |||
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 | Are travel agents really necessary? Notes from a traveller - Remember when booking flights online first took off and everyone predicted it would be the end of travel agents? Just type 'cheap travel' into Google and up comes a plethora of flights for you to pick out the like the yummy strawberry chocolate in a box of Chocolates. If you book your holidays anything like I do, you surf around online for cheap flights, book them with the click of your mouse on your credit card then start trawling through all the places to stay. But if you're not staying at your friends' place, this might not be the cheapest way after all. I was talking to a travel Product and Marketing Manager last week and she was telling me that a lot of people who book their own flights online to grab cheap seats miss out on the accommodation options that are often thrown in for next to nothing. For example, a travel agent has a package of return flights from Auckland and 2 nights in Sydney starting at AU$296. I decided to check it out for myself so went online and searched for individual flights (about AU$256 was the cheapest I found) then I went onto the hotel website that this starting price is being calculated on and rooms start from AU$76 per night. Therefore, the total to book this myself online = AU$401. But savings by booking this air/land package through the travel agent = AU$104. I tried the same on flights and accommodation in Fiji. The travel Agent had a deal on that includes return flights from Auckland plus 4 nights at the Fiji Beach Resort and Spa starting at AU$953 pp. I Googled flights - randomly in the travel period - and could fly return for AU$577. Then I tried booking 4 nights in a beachfront studio (the starting price in the package) directly on the hotel website and would pay AU$750. So the total price to book this Fiji holiday myself: AU$1323. But the saving made by booking the travel agent air/land package = nearly AU$400. I'm gobsmacked. I had no idea! So there you go. Before you let your fingers do your own walking discuss it with your travel agent. | ||
| * Conditions apply. Prices subject to currency fluctuations. | |||
| Please contact Ann at Timeout Travel 03 9842 1222. Quote Reference:- TN-65 | |||
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