Best Travel Agents & Booking Services
Luxury Escapes 🏆 2026
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Luke G was excellent today in assisting with our Family Booking for Hawaii. Patient and precise - just what you need when making a large family booking. Definately recommend LE and Luke G. Show details
Mann Travel

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Always we get our tickets through Maan travel. They are very professional patient and skilled. Shubam helped us to book our ticketed showing over and above professionalism. Show details
Ticket Merchant 🏆 2026
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The ticket process was very easy to manage through for old bloke like me, Country Bank Stadium is a fantastic place to watch football, not a bad seat in the house. Plenty of food and beverage vendors also Show details
Odynovo

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We had a short, busy and very good visit to Chengdu, Sichuan and were hosted by Abby Hu. She is great. Her English is excellent and she is very… Read more
knowledgeable of the city and its history, and also familiar with the Shenshuping Panda Base. Like all of our guides contracted with Odynovo, she was also excellent with my 10 year old daughter, who got a lot out of this trip. I would recommend her as a guide in a heartbeat.
My Holiday AU 🏆 2026
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Chanel Woodal was outstanding in her service and assistance. She was patient with out enquiries! Highly recommend Show details
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 rang today and was answered by Katelyn. I had some concerns and Katelyn was very helpful and reassuring that my disabled husband would be well… Read more
looked after. She was able to recommend some options that were very helpful. I can now look forward to a great holiday. Thank you Katelyn
China Highlights 🏆 2026
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We just wrapped up an incredible trip to Chengdu, and our experience was made entirely unforgettable thanks to our amazing guide! From the moment we… Read more
met, their warmth, deep local knowledge, and impeccable organization set the tone for our entire stay. They handled every detail seamlessly, but a few highlights truly stood out. Getting to participate in the Panda volunteer/caretaker class was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and our guide ensured we had the best possible access and context while learning about conservation efforts. Later in the week, taking us to the Sichuan opera was an absolute thrill—they explained the history, secured fantastic seats, and made sure we didn't miss a single beat of the incredible face-changing performances. Beyond the major sights, their insider tips on the local food scene and effortless navigation of the city made traveling with family an absolute breeze. If you are heading to Chengdu, do yourself a favor and book them—you won't find a more thoughtful, professional, or engaging guide anywhere!
AmazingCo
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This was our third adventure with AmazingCo. We loved this location. We were in Big Bear California and visited some local places to pick up our… Read more
items for our picnic. Myself, my husband, and our dog had an amazing time. We even had enough food left over for dinner that night. Can't wait to go on our next adventure with amazing company
Clean Cruising
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Service is important to me. Clean Cruising provided quality service. The consultant I mostly dealt with, Samantha, was outstanding. Show details
Cheers Travel 🏆 2026
Very disappointing experience. I found a cheaper flight through Cheers Travel on Skyscanner, but my booking was declined within seconds. Shortly… Read more
after, someone called claiming to be from Cheers Travel and said there were only two seats left. The price then suddenly increased significantly.
The whole process felt misleading and like customers were being pressured into paying more. I booked the same flight through another website without any issue and at a better price. I would be very cautious using this service.
TripADeal
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If I could give zero I would. We had a family emergency and needed to cancel our Srilanka trip. We were told we would get a partial refund but are… Read more
still waiting for it 4 months later. Customer service does not follow up or call back when they say they will. We would have transferred to another trip, at anytime in the future but there was no options for it. I would never book with them again as ‘life’ can happen unexpectedly and they can’t accommodate for it, make it more stressful.
TravelOnline
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I have used them for a few overseas trips. Two in the pipeline and they will only take a credit card, current fee $44.00 Am prepared to pay the full… Read more
amount, Asia plus a Christmas cruise by direct bank transfer but now all cancelled as I object to these credit card charges. I am a cash person only after being charged $88.00 to upgrade from peasant class to business class on a recent flight.
Getawayz NSW
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We stayed in the Bondi property - Artscape - for 3 nights and I wouldn’t recommend the experience. The good - when we discovered two televisions… Read more
weren’t working properly the staff were responsive. The bad - the property is in desperate need of maintenance. The walls in the main living room were stained, with chipped/cracked and peeling plaster. The blinds have paint stains on them as did the cushions on the couch - how hard is it to wash or replace cushions. In a particularly cold winter week (6 degree morning) there is no proper heating source in either living room, just portable heaters. The cupboards in second bathroom are rusty around the trims. The mattress in the main bedroom is ancient - springs gone - to the extent that some sections sink low when you sit on the edge of the bed while others are hard. My back is still recovering several days later. I would not recommend anyone stay in this property and, as a result, I wouldn’t trust the state of their other properties as the company is clearly not doing their due diligence before leasing these holiday properties. Certainly not good enough for $620 a night. An unpleasant stay for a break in Sydney. Avoid! Spend a bit extra and stay in the Adina or QT around the corner.
Cruise Guru
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great rates compared to booking directly with cruise line plus we have received $150usd OBC to use. Show details
Global Work & Travel
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Be very cautious dealing with Global Work & Travel. What stood out wasn’t just one issue, but how GWT's process is structured - all the risk sits… Read more
with the customer.
Things can move very quickly from an initial enquiry to paying a deposit, even while important points are still not fully clear, such as eligibility, conditions that need to be met, and exactly what you’re committing to. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and momentum, but at that point you’re being asked to pay before you really know if the service can go ahead.
The reality is that once you’ve paid a deposit, you don’t know how your circumstances might change. Visa outcomes, health issues, or life events can all affect whether you can proceed.
When that happens, this is where GWT’s approach causes the most stress. You can find yourself stuck with credits that aren’t actually usable in your situation, and no realistic way to get your money back. In practice, you end up out of pocket and carrying the financial risk.
Trying to resolve things afterwards is also difficult. It often turns into long back-and-forth communication with no clear outcome. Where there’s disagreement about what was said or agreed, there isn’t clear access to the underlying information needed to properly verify it, which makes it very hard to challenge their position.
Looking at other reviews, this doesn’t appear to be a one-off. A similar pattern comes up repeatedly. Once payment has been made, the incentive shifts and the risk sits with the customer, not the company. That naturally affects things like how suitable or well-aligned placements are.
The key takeaway is this:
- Don’t pay anything until you are completely clear on what exactly you’re getting and whether you can actually proceed. - Confirm eligibility and any conditions upfront - Get key details in writing, don’t rely on verbal conversations - Understand exactly how refunds, cancellations and credits work in practice - Question anything that isn’t clear - Most importantly, slow the process down
These programs are designed to feel exciting and time-sensitive, which makes it easy to commit quickly.
Take a step back and make sure everything is clear before any money changes hand, because once you’ve paid, you are the one carrying the risk.
Hi, Thank you for taking the time to share… Read more (+1 reply)
HolidayMax
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There's a reason HolidayMax are cheaper than other Tour Companies...you get what you pay for !! You have to pay the FULL Amount upfront and there the… Read more
customer Service ends. We waited until only 3 days before leaving to get our travel documents and 1 staff member was quite aggressive and rude. Don't believe the Youtube videos. We were so excited but this was quickly taken from us when we started the journey. This trip was by far the worst travel experience I have had in my 30 years of overseas travel. Hotels in London at beginning and end of tour were a nice 3 star but all the rest were below that. Certainly not what they portray. 1 Hotel should not even have been rated. Homeless people were living in, beside and behind it and the Foyer stunk of Urine. 1 of the group was assaulted in the lift by a drunk and homeless man and staff were seldom around to seek help. Chairs had been removed from the breakfast room and paper bags were left to encourage everyone to grab something and leave. At another hotel, 1 of the group had their money stolen by a staff member. I've stayed in Hostels far better than the accommodation provided. The tour bus was dirty and old and very uncomfortable. No WiFi , some seats had charging ports and some not. A lot didn't work anyway. Some seats had a pocket in back for drink etc whilst others didn't or they were ripped so your things fell thru. Bus was never cleaned the whole 15 day trip. Tour guide extremely lacking with general knowledge so not much content whilst touring.....It was 15 days of hell Meals that were provided were very poor and only a choice of vegetarian or not , so bad luck if you cannot eat the Protein provided. So basically this was a bad bus taking you from one city to another and you find your own info if interested.
Experience Oz
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Great well organised tour. The tour out to the Great Barrier Reef is a must do when in FNQ. Show details
Classic Holidays

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We had a fantastic stay at the Beach House at Coolangatta. Staff were friendly and helpful and our unit was well equipped with everything we needed. Plus the location is perfect.
My Fiji
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Tried to book a package with flights and accommodation. Their website enquiry form is so basic and does not give you an option to include any… Read more
relevant information so I called to give more details and discuss some options. We have 2 adults, 2 young kids and a baby (baby does not need a bed) with requirement to be in the same room/not in 2 separate rooms. The lady I spoke to on the phone was unhelpful and disinterested. Instead of offering some resorts or options besides the one option that the enquiry form would let me put (which apparently couldn't accomodate us in the same room) it was a straight up no, not possible. She was short and rude in my opinion. Following this I called a company called travel online and they were so helpful and have contacted the resort directly and had our booking arranged which apparently was "not possible". Recommend some sales and customer support training for phone bookings staff because one email or can do attittude would have had the sale come your way instead of elsewhere
Hi Roseanna, Thank you for taking the time to… Read more
Australian Escapes

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Everything went smoothly, Darwin was great, the scenic flight over Kimblerys was breathtaking Alvin was very helpful and friendly bookings our holiday and any questions I had. Thankyou great holiday. Show details
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.
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
Aunt Betty
We recently booked a family trip through AuntBetty.com and encountered a small hiccup when one of our selected seats wasn’t confirmed. Unfortunately,… Read more
we only discovered the issue after payment had already been processed. This could have been avoided if the website provided a final booking review page before taking payment, allowing customers to verify all their selections first.
That said, Clara from the online chat support was incredibly helpful. She quickly understood the situation and went above and beyond to find an additional seat so our family could still sit together. Her prompt assistance and excellent customer service turned what could have been a stressful experience into a positive one. Thank you, Clara!
Wendy Wu Tours
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We normally do wildlife and bird watching tours to out of the way places but decided we wanted to see some of the popular places in China and after a… Read more
relative recommended Wendy Wu we looked at the Wendy Wu (Australia) site then contacted our travel agent (Jonkers Travel in Morayfield). We gave Jonkers Travel and the staff at Wendy Wu Tours very short notice (March) to book a trip for us to travel in May. Never having been to China before we gave both parties lots of questions regarding many aspects of the tour (particularly my slow walking) and they were both very prompt with their replies and liaising between each other on our behalf. It was a mammoth task for Wendy Wu Tours getting it all organised for us in such a short time. Instead of doing a usual group tour, Wendy Wu recommended we choose to do a private tour because I was concerned about the possibility that I would not be able to keep up with a group. I cannot thank them enough for suggesting the private tour as it made the whole trip so much easier for me. The service was excellent throughout with great hotels, private vehicles, a total of 7 fabulous lady guides who catered to both our needs (my walking and our dietary requirements) first class train travel, VIP treatment (so we did not hang around in queues). There was just a couple of things that I will suggest Wendy Wu investigate that would have added to the trip but overall, we can thoroughly recommend Wendy Wu Tours for your trip to China. Thank you to the Wendy Wu Tours staff in Australia and China for their professionalism in their jobs and making our first trip to China enjoyable and memorable. Please thank all the guides – Nancy in Beijing, Louisa in Xian, Joy in Chengdu, Lilly in Chongqing, Shirley from 3 Gorges Dam to Zhangjiajie, Mia in Zhangjiajie and Dawn in Shanghai. All of them were thoughtful, helpful and excellent. Tour: Gems of China Private Tour with Wendy Wu Tours 16 – 31 May 2026.
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.
ALDI Holidays
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Shayla and Temira made the booking process so easy. Prompt and super informative customer service!
iFly
Just so wonderful the level of service- after 6 years they managed to get a refund from the airline from a Covid flight cancellation without me having asked. Just incredible . Show details
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 Gavin, Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry… Read more