Best Travel Agents & Booking Services
Luxury Escapes 🏆 2026
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Warning about the luxury escapes insurance which appears to be a white label insurance product. They never pay out x, I think it's what it's called.… Read more
Create intentional fiction to avoid paying out. I had a genuine medical emergency which was documented by doctors and they kept asking for more and more and more and more and refuse to pay out and it's despicable and they should be ashamed of themselves
Ticket Merchant 🏆 2026


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I always have a good experience purchasing my tickets with ticket merchant. Real deals, good stuff. Show details
Mann Travel

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It’s been a great experience with maan travel and a big shout out to Reena, she helped a lot find a good ticket price to India. Also provided me discount comparing online market prices. Thank you again. Show details
Odynovo
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BORNEO and SOUTH AFRICA TRAVELS Two Amazing Holidays with Odynovo Travel – Highly Recommended! We have recently enjoyed two amazing holidays… Read more
organised through Ander at Odynovo Travel, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. Both trips were exceptional from start to finish, and we would highly recommend Ander and the Odynovo team to anyone considering a customised travel experience.
Everything was so well organised, from the top-quality guides and accommodation to the transport, activities and unforgettable adventures. The attention to detail was outstanding, and everything ran so smoothly that we could simply relax, enjoy ourselves and make the most of every moment, without the stress and worry of organising all the details ourselves.
One of the things that impressed us most was the personal service and peace of mind. Despite being in a different country, it was always easy to contact someone if we had a question or needed assistance. Knowing that support was readily available made such a difference and allowed us to travel with complete confidence.
The quality of the guides, the wonderful experiences, the seamless transfers and the care taken with every detail made both holidays truly memorable. It was clear that a great deal of thought and effort had gone into creating such enjoyable and hassle-free trips.
A huge thank you to Ander and everyone at Odynovo for making both holidays so special. We have wonderful memories to look back on, and we wouldn’t hesitate to use Odynovo again for future travels.
If you want an exceptionally well-organised holiday with excellent service, knowledgeable guides and the peace of mind that comes from knowing everything is taken care of, we can wholeheartedly recommend Odynovo Travel!
My Holiday AU 🏆 2026
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Lynda was fantastic in organizing my Hawaiian holiday. The accommodation was outstanding in both Maui and Honolulu, rent a car in Maui she took care… Read more
of along with flights and transfers from airport to hotel and back to airport on the day of departure. Cannot speak high enough of her knowledge when it comes to holidays and her helpfulness. Highly recommend and would certainly use her again.
flybuys travel
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If I could do zero I would. I found the agent pushy ringing multiple times a day. I ended up having to block the number. It has turned me off using flybuys travel
Imagine Cruising 🏆 2026
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I was very happy with Harrison's service. He was most helpful and friendly. Show details
China Highlights 🏆 2026
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We had a very enjoyable tour in Chengdu with Wells and our driver Su. The pandas were a highlight, we enjoyed the monastery and also a game of… Read more
mahjong in the People’s Park. Wells looked after us very well and explained everything with excellent English and the driver was always ready to pick us up when we finished. Thanks for a great few days in Chengdu
AmazingCo
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What a fantastic day out for our group of 4 mystery picnic in Scenic Rim. Everything ran smoothly with the weather perfect for a picnic - not sure if… Read more
that was an add on ;) There were lots of groups undertaking the same or similar journey, so it has to be a good thing, right? Explored places we have never been before with clear clues and directions to get us to the next place.
Cheers Travel 🏆 2026

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Best people and best service, complimentary services were provided unexpectedly. Highly recommended
Clean Cruising
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We had a great experience booking with Kerrie at Clean Cruising. She found a cruise that met all our requirements and supported us through the entire… Read more
booking process, making everything feel easy and stress-free. Her communication was always prompt, and she explained everything clearly so we knew what to expect. We really appreciated her patience and help with all our questions. Would definitely recommend Kerrie and book through her again!
TravelOnline
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We recently booked our holiday through TravelOnline and the entire experience was amazing from start to finish. The package offered exceptional… Read more
value, with so many inclusions that made the trip stress-free and enjoyable.
The inclusions were outstanding, covering accommodation, transfers, flights and additional extras that we may not have considered booking ourselves. Everything was well organised, and it was reassuring to know all the details had been taken care of before we arrived.
The resort exceeded our expectations, and the added benefits included in the package made the holiday feel even more special. TravelOnline provided clear communication throughout the booking process, and the itinerary was easy to follow.
I would highly recommend TravelOnline to anyone looking for a seamless holiday experience with fantastic inclusions and excellent value for money. We had an unforgettable trip and will definitely be booking with them again in the future.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars – Amazing value, fantastic inclusions, and a truly memorable holiday experience.
TripADeal
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In August 2026 we went on Trip A Deal tour Spirit of the Kimberley, costing $9,000 per person. The actual tour provider for most of this trip was… Read more
Adventure Tours. In nearly 50 years of travelling this is the worst trip we have ever encountered. In short, the bus carrying 20 passengers was very questionable as to its roadworthiness. Fuel gauge didn’t work, black our curtains were too few, seatbelts had issues, suspension was non existent, no safety equipment was carried, no safety procedures in place, medical kit was largely out of date, no PA system for tour leader to communicate with passengers in bus, and sole tour leader/driver was inexperienced and provided minimal comment or information. More specifically, the bus broke down twice, resulting in missing several tours on itinerary, and meant we just hung around for half days waiting for some repairs in mid 30 heat. Then the issue of bus aircon failing for a 3 hour trip, which was extremely uncomfortable and serious to our health. Under Heavy Vehicle National Law there are specific daily checks required, but these were obviously not performed, and in fact original bus had check done 3 weeks before our trip, and replacement bus had not had a safety check for 15 weeks ! Then we had the guide suffer a medical episode that meant we were unaccompanied on a grade 4 walk, and again spent a half day waiting for information and a replacement driver. During this walk one passenger actually got lost, but luckily was found by another guide from another tour. And another passenger cut his leg badly, but had to limp back to bus to get medical attention from rangers station. Having just one person as tour leader/driver also meant there was a heavy reliance of passengers to assist with setting up tables, chairs, eskys, food preparation and clean up, loading luggage, setting up and dismantling tents, etc… Then at Derby airport to catch flight to Horizontal Falls (driver had to visit local information centre to determine who was conducting flight and how to get to airport) we were dropped at 10:30am for 11am flight, and tour leader/driver took off for Broome to transport luggage. When no one from airline arrived by 11:15 we contacted the airline ourselves and learnt the flight had been shifted to 2:30pm and they had advised Trip A Deal back in July. No food provided, good 15 minute walk in mid 30 heat to any shops, and no contact from Trip A Deal or Adventure Tours. Ate breakfast at 7am that day, and didn’t get fed again until 6pm dinner. Disgraceful. Lack of communication or assistance from Trip A Deal and Adventure Tours was a worrying and stressful position. Trip A Deal were useless in trying to provide any updates, and Adventure Tours simply failed to return calls/texts and were totally useless. Our tour leader constantly gave us inaccurate and false information concerning the inspection and/or repair of bus. So we missed China Wall walk, Echidna Chasm walk, and Chamberland Gorge Cruise. Spent nearly 4 days just sitting around with no planned activities. So we contacted Trip A Deal when we returned, seeking compensation for this “not cheap” trip. Despite outlining all the issues in comprehensive detail, we received a token compensation offer that was really inadequate, and again we detailed the major issues but Trip A Deal refused to answer these concerns and stood by their offer. Unless we went to mediation or court we had to consider this offer just to close the chapter on this episode. And there were earlier reviews mentioning the same trip, and encountering same issues, yet Trip A Deal failed to acknowledge and rectify these issues, and were negligent and reckless in doing so. Would rate this trip as 1 star out of 5, and would never use Trip A Deal again, and would hope that somewhere Adventure Tours especially would be bought to account for providing such an unsafe trip. The advertised holiday was materially compromised by repeated failures in the fundamental transport service on which the tour depended.
Getawayz NSW
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Beautiful properties. I stayed in The Postcard, McMahon’s Point, Sydney for a month - stunning view. James has been a prompt communicator and… Read more
pleasant to deal with. The property was really clean and well equipped. I look forward to choosing another property to stay in from their selection.
Experience Oz

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Great site for tourist style activities. Often cheaper than direct and they often have specials. Show details
Cruise Guru
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My cruise was handled by Jackson and I had the pleasure of being looked after by him on 2 separate occasions. Wow, what amazing customer service!… Read more
While the savings made were minor, the customer service and knowledge that you were in great hands made the transactions feels easy and I will use Cruise Guru now for all future bookings.
Global Work & Travel
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Global Work & Travel has been nothing other than inept from the moment I needed them to actually do something. They make promises, fail to follow… Read more
through, and then leave you trying to get answers from an email-only “support team”. I couldn’t get through to anyone with the authority or apparent ability to fix the problem I had, which was very minor. What kind of company takes your business and then makes it this hard to get basic help? A scamming one.
Their customer service has been a complete shambles: poor communication, worthless assurances, no accountability, and no clear path to a resolution. After six weeks of just blatant lies so you will leave them alone, I’ve had to do all the chasing while they’ve failed to achieve even the most modest of tasks such as returning a single phone calls or email. It’s an embarrassing way to treat anybody, let alone a customer you’ve rorted.
Based on my experience, once Global Work & Travel has your money, you’re on your own. Dealing with them has been like dealing with scammers. I wouldn’t trust them to organise a piss-up in a brewery, let alone something as important as travel. Do yourself a favour and avoid them. I reported them to the necessary agencies who will follow this up for me from now on.
HolidayMax
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Surprised by my partner to go with him on a river cruise. Simply amazing travelling down the Moselle river over the original Rhine due to low water… Read more
levels from their droughts recently. They navigated & coordinated it as best they could. Some trips had to be done by coach but overall the tour guides worked hard to make sure we saw lots of places & had a gr8 time.
The only thing I would suggest that maybe they adjust & make people aware prior to trip. that some places of interest require pre-booking tickets for these 6 months prior. For example we were disappointed in not able to see Anne Franks house & The Van Gogh museum. Maybe a list of possible options of interest, to place as a tick the box could be selected & if they could then pre-book or have the clients pre-book to prevent disappointments when arriving.
Other than that they did an amazing job the guides, Mario, Sem & Gustavo. You were all champions & really under pressure. Worked hard during the tours & behind the scenes of a night to make sure it all happened. Thanks to all the other staff also. A great memorable experience to treasure forever. Saddened since seeing parts of Europe that are now experiencing violence, looting etc.. I hope everyone stays safe. Thankyou for helping make our trip enjoyable. Julie & Russell
Classic Holidays

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This was a great location, good facilities and comfortable beds.
My Fiji
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I have been dealing with Morgan at My Fiji to book our first trip ever to Fiji, and at short notice. Morgan has bent over backwards to accommodate… Read more
our needs and has managed to secure the perfect place holiday package for us with the best bonuses!! Cant wait to experience Fiji!! Thank you Morgan, you have been amazing and I super appreciate all your help ❤️
Australian Escapes
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Everything for our cruise was organised for us perfectly. We had a fabulous holiday without any problems
Bookme.com.au
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I booked an expensive tour but realised it was for the wrong date and had to cancel. I emailed straight away but their terms and conditions state… Read more
there is a 10% cancellation fee. Greg in the customer support team helped me with this promptly so I have gone from a disgruntled customer to a returning customer.
Aunt Betty
Thank you Kai for your excellent knowledge, patience and service. Helen
Ecruising Travel
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Please don't fall into the same trap as us. Our July 2025 booking and deposit (cruise, flights, accommodation for an October 2026 trip) led to an… Read more
invoice that clearly, boldly stated that payment of balance not required until June 2026. In January, the story changed. We were now required to pay a further deposit of $12000 immediately to secure our trip and, by the way, our flight costs had increased by a total of $4800 despite initial assurances that the quote definitely covered our requested flights. We cancelled in January (9 months ahead of planned trip) and were informed that a $1000 penalty would apply, and that the balance of our deposit would take up to 12 weeks to refund. This despite assurances from the actual cruise line, the airlines and the accommodation venue that any cancellation that far ahead would not, from them at least, require a penalty. We regard ecruising's approach to be classic bait-and-switch misleading advertising and have lodged a submission with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission accordingly.
Hi David Thank you for taking the time to share… Read more
Wendy Wu Tours
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All seemed fine to begine with then l checked reviews on trip advisor plus here a lot of complaints regarding Japan tours @the one l️ was going to do… Read more
to India no air on tour buses or won't switch on food quality not good poor planing bus maintaince thing broken when you pay thousands of $for these tours you expect a certain standard l got my money for deposit back check thoughly before booking any overseas travel ok hope this helps some people deside
ALDI Holidays
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Laetisha Baldan made my choice of holiday so easy. She understood me needs and worked around those to offer me the best possible value for money on… Read more
my selected cruise. Laetisha was courteous, friendly, and competent with her dealings with me and I am glad she answered my initial and ongoing communications phone enquiries as her personality "sold" me on the chosen Cruise. Thank You Laetisha.
Peterpans Adventure Travel
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Booked Rainbow Beach and Kgari through Peterpans, epic trip highly recommend Show details
Travel China Guide Tours
Amy was very excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and professional. Very well spoken in English. Local knowledge and pride in the city. Overall excellent experience! Show details
HotelsCombined
Only inexperienced or naive travelers use these or Trivago. Both have been find millions for price fixing and dodgy practices. Booking.com is the only site I use because they are cheapest and most trustworthy.
Discover Australia Holidays
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We travelled with the company for Indian pacific train and a week in Perth. Some parts great but overshadowed drastically by the faults. First issue… Read more
no one meets you in Sydney at baggage as advertised, you have to decipher a video to find your transport… good luck!! Next on arrival to Perth accommodation x6 people at our “confirmed” booking, there was no booking for us? Email sent to discover Australia (as you can’t call there is no out of hours number), it bounced as undeliverable! Did end up getting a phone call and after multiple calls, with rude staff member, and lots of anxiety and waiting we finally got three rooms. Meant to be 2 twin and one king. Got 3 kings with offer of trundle beds for 78 year olds! Told to be “happy” we didn’t have to pay for trundle bed! Communication since has been beyond poor and very slow, request for some compensation denied. As they think what happened is ok! Also did upgrade for accommodation, supposed to be 5 star, I’d call it 4 star. If you have a disability, make sure you’re staying near your pickup point, as our group had issues with walking the distance and near impossible to get taxi for short trip. My advise, book elsewhere, with a company who cares about its clients and is open to feedback to improve the client experience! Discover Australia are only about the money in our opinion!
What does a travel agent do for you?
Travel agents plan and book trips for their clients, whether for business trips or holidays. They listen to your travel preferences and source anything from flights and accommodation to tours and restaurant bookings for you.
Ultimately, a travel agent’s job is to ensure you have the best possible experience. To do this, they also:
- Liaise with hotels and hotel agents, airlines, tour operators, and other travel companies to ensure you have a great experience without you needing to put in much effort.
- Assist you if you get into any sticky situations abroad.
Using an agent is generally thought to save you hours of research, which is why using a travel agent instead of booking online may be a good idea for time-pressed people. Of course, you will be paying extra for these little luxuries, but for many travellers, the trade-off is well worth it.
What is a booking service?
You can now act as your own travel agent and use airline, car rental, hotel, and other sites, such as Odynovo and Travel Online, to book your own trip. These websites let you compare different travel deals and purchase whichever ones strike your fancy.
Those who still want a little bit of guidance can still consult an online travel agent or travel consultant without enlisting them to plan their whole holiday for you.
Booking your own travel is generally more suited to spontaneous travellers who like to plan as they go, shoestring travellers who aren’t picky about where they’ll stay, and travellers who have an exact idea of what they want to do and aren’t necessarily seeking advice from an agent.
What are comparison-only services?
Comparison-only services, such as HotelsCombined and Skyscanner, only let you compare prices of different travel services, without letting you book these directly on the website. This means that clicking through on a deal will usually take you to a third-party website, such as the website of an airline or a hotel.
Consider what kind of travel you want to do
Those who like to travel with a daily itinerary and have their activities planned out may be more inclined to use travel agents, while those who prefer off-the-cuff, spontaneous travel with just a general idea of what they want to do rather than a specific plan may suffice with making their own bookings.
Many travel agents these days will also specialise in a certain area, such as cruises (like cruise agents at Clean Cruising) or honeymoons. If you’re after a particular type of getaway, then finding an agent who knows all the ins and outs of exactly what you want to do could be a good place to start.
You can think of it as dating of sorts - you’re in better hands with a travel agent who takes a genuine interest in you and your travel ideas. Whether you want to do a rail trip around Europe or backpack through South-East Asia, an agent whose eyes light up at the sound of your plans and adds their own personal touch is a good match.
What to look for in a travel agent
Accreditation
Travel agents in Australia aren’t required to be licensed, however they can still get voluntary accreditation with the ATAS, or the AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme. This is run by the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), the peak travel agent body in Australia, which vets agents to ensure that they meet industry standards and are adequately trained.
According to ATAS, the benefits of booking with an industry-accredited ATAS agent include:
- Expert guidance. Agents know how to wade through the abundance of travel information online and have access to high quality product suppliers.
- Extra value. ATAS agents have access to exclusive deals and can find the most well-suited products for you.
- Professional advice. They offer insightful, timely, and professional guidance to get you where you want to go.
- Consumer advocacy. If there are any problems while you travel, your agent will act as your advocate, providing support and assistance in the case of events like flight delays or cancellations, rescheduling, natural disasters, and personal accidents.
Know your rights
Even though travel agents don’t need a licence, they still must comply with relevant laws, such as Australian Consumer Law and any relevant state Fair Trading laws. This means that you’re entitled to appropriate remedy from a service if the product or service you’ve purchased doesn’t meet consumer guarantees.
Knowledge
No travel agent is going to have local knowledge of every single city and country on the planet. However, finding an agent who has been to, knows about, or is ready to go the extra mile and do research on your destination is usually a good sign.
Customer service
A high level of customer service is key to ensuring you get the most out of your holiday. Of course, a friendly travel agent will help you enjoy the process of booking your travel, not just the travel itself. On top of this, you should keep an eye out for transparency and timeliness when comparing agents.
Transparency
A good agent is transparent about their fees and charges, the terms and conditions of your trip, and why they think certain deals are better than others - some even show you their computer screen so you know they aren’t hiking up prices. If they wait before revealing hidden or extra costs, then that’s a red flag.
Timeliness
A travel agent who replies promptly is often a keeper. Not only does constant communication make booking your travel a whole lot quicker and easier, you’ll also be able to nab up the latest deals without a hitch. If things go wrong on your trip, an agent who helps you in a timely way when you’re in need can make or break your whole holiday.
Deals
Some travellers, such as students and pensioners, may have access to special travel deals, information, and discounted fares that they normally wouldn’t be able to find with a few queries on a search engine.
Don’t expect every travel agent to know about all these concessions. For example, students may want to look for a youth-oriented travel agency or agents situated in backpacker-heavy locations.
Cost
The price that travel agents charge for their services can vary greatly, and will also depend on the length, complexity, and nature of your trip. For a week-long holiday, you can generally expect to pay somewhere between $100 for more inexpensive solo trips to over $2000 for a luxury stay.
It’s normal for travel agencies and tour operators to charge reschedule and cancellation fees, so make sure you know these costs before you book.
What to look for in a travel booking service
Ease of use
A decent booking service should be clear and easy to navigate. Clicking on a link should get you where it tells you it will, rather than to an advertisement or some other pop-up. Complicated booking sites may be that way to obscure hidden fees or sway you into choosing a flight or hotel of their liking.
A website which lets you save information as you search, such as the dates you want to fly on and any hotels you’ve “favourited”, will make the whole process a lot quicker and easier.
Transparency
A booking site may advertise a certain price, but then show a different price once you click on the deal. This could mean that either the pricing just isn’t up to date, or that the website is intentionally showing you a cheaper price to get you to click through. Either way, these booking services are misleading and you may be better off avoiding them altogether.
Read the fine print
Make sure you’re well-acquainted with any terms and conditions of your booking so that you’re not slapped with a hefty fee once you’ve returned from your holiday. This is particularly important if a deal just sounds way too good to be true.
Rewards
Many travel booking sites will reward you for using them to plan your holidays, incentivising you to use the same service for any future trips.
Expedia, for example, lets you earn Expedia points with every trip you book through them, which you can then use to save on hotels, travel packages, and car rentals. Some services also offer you perks the more you travel, giving you things like discounted spa days and free Wi-Fi on your trip.
Prices
Just because using a booking service is generally cheaper than using a travel agent, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there won’t be fees associated with using them, so ensure you double check details to see whether you’re actually paying a good price.
Some booking services also offer price matching, offering the same or a better price than the lowest price you’ve found.
You can always use both
There are pros and cons to using a travel agent and a booking service, so don’t feel like using one means you can’t use the other.
Some people like to do their own research and compare prices they find to quotes from agents before deciding who to go with. Some also use travel agents for bigger purchases - such as flights and accommodation - but prefer to do car bookings, rail bookings, and organise day trips themselves.
At the end of the day, it’s your trip, and how you plan it is entirely up to you.
Hi Boris, Thank you for taking the time to share… Read more