Use Travel Agent? Book It Myself?

This issue came up in another thread and I thought it would be more appropriate to ask the follow-up in a new topic. What's the best way to plan a relatively involved trip? Since it's easier to discuss specifics, here's my situation: I'm doing a lot of looking around right now for a honeymoon trip that would include Hawaii and the Cook Islands (Rarotonga & Aitutaki) for up to three weeks (we have a while -- this won't be 'til June 2004). I'm coming from Pittsburgh. I'm pretty savvy with the various bigname online travel sites. Should I try to book my flight/accomodations with one of them? Should I contact the various accomodations on my own for a better rate? Or should I go with a travel agent? And if so, from where -- Pittsburgh, Hawaii or Rarotonga? What's the best route to go to get a good balance of price/quality? What about potential gaffes made when dealing with a travel agent through e-mail/phone rather than in person? Further complicating things is that I'll probably be using two Delta airline buddy passes to get to Hawaii. Lot's of questions, I know, but feel free to address as few as you'd like...

Forget Hawaii
Change your plans completely to bypass Hawaii altogether.
There is no comparison between the real S.Pacific and the sad remnants struggling to survive under concrete in Hawaii.
Do it yourself-book with a CC and you're laffin'!

Canadians are the nicest people!

I know I will get hate mail, but
I would do it yourself and forget a travel agent. Most agents I have ever tried to use have never been to any of the places I like to go, and have no useful advice. I much prefer to have control over everything, and therefore, a better idea of the options to change things. I have also found they make mistakes in booking things that don't seem to exist when your arrive.
I don't think what you are trying to do sounds very complicated. I would suggest you find a few key places to stay, then wing the rest,with the help of a book or two. It is a horrible thing to check into a supposedly wonderful hotel and then find it doesn't suit you. Its better to have the option to move on and find something spontaneous and magical. I would spend only enough time in Hawaii to get over some jetlag. The rest of the Pacific is far better and you will end up regretting the time you could have had in other places. It sounds like its going to be a wonderful trip.

cook
Pacific For Less is based in Honolulu and does the south pacific. I've used them for airfares and they got a much lower price than Air New Zealand would give me..

www.pacific-for-less.com<br><br>

Well........
If you're going to use a travel agent, use one in Pittsburgh. I've found that most travel agents have rather limited options when it comes to accomodations as they are locked into "packages" that they have to pre-buy. You could use them just for the airfare and then book your accomodations on your own.

If you're comfortable doing it, I believe doing it yourself is by far the best route to go. Booking accomodations directly with the owner/resort/hotel in the Cook Islands is very safe and you will definitely get the best deal that way.

The last choice would be using one of the big names like Expedia on the net, they are WAY overpriced.

I think you've made great choices for a Honeymoon. I know you'll have a great time. Happy to answer any other questions.

my two cents...
A good place to start on your own for the Cooks, anyway, is discoverwholesale.com - they have full packages, or you can just buy airfare and book accomodations yourself. Search through this board for recommendations about accomodations - here's another site where you can check out places to stay:
http://cookpages.com/<br>Both places are great, and I'm not sure I would see the point in going to both - Cooks is best in my book because of the lack of commercialism. BUT, if you can get to Hawaii for free, you can then take the new Aloha flight to Raro. Don't know about the fares. Do some research and see which place offers the most of the things you like. Both are tropical paradise, but have very different offerings. Hawaii is more 5 star, full service entertainment, lots of people everywhere....Cooks is more of an escape from all that. Read around here - you'll get a feel for it. If you go to the Cooks, DEFINITELY go to an outer island. If you need a travel agent for the Cooks portion, or HNL-RAR, get in touch with Island Hopper -they're on the web...
Good luck!

"they are locked into "packages" that they...buy"
Wrong!
TA's sell packages but they don't buy them.


This place is rife with rumour, hearsay and little else...

Travel agents
I think if you find the right agent in your area you can really use their knowledge and in most case we (I am an agent) get better rates because of certain contracts we have. I think you will find it very easy to book things on your own but is it really nice to have at least a few nights booked before you depart and agents can arrange for a transfer to the hotels and little extras while you are there. I know there are helpful and knowledgeable agents out there as 60 agents including me just returned from a 8 day tour of Rarotonga and Aitutaki. So in the end I think it will really be worth finding an agent who can give some tips on where to stay and where not to stay. One thing I learned on my trip is that the photos you see of the accomidations in the Cooks can be very misleading but you can find great cheap places to stay you just have to know what your looking for. Have a super time!

travel help offered
TRACY'S TRAVEL - patuiki@webtv.net.
customized travel consultant specializing in south pacific. been going to the cooks since '83. comes with excellent references.

TJK

Q
If you are going from Hawaii to here in the Cooks, you'll have to use the new Aloha flights. Air NZ doesn't fly between HNL and RAR any longer, except via Fiji or NZ, which is v. expensive.

Raro
http://www.shangri-la.co.ck</A>

Aloha Airlines has an introductory special right now for US$599 rt from Orange County, California (about 35 minutes from LAX) or Burbank, California (about 25 mins drive from LAX) to Rarotonga with a FREE stopover in either Maui or Honolulu. This is only valid until May 18 (?) of 2003 though. But look at their prices in the future. Also, do check wholesales. Discover Wholesale Travel does have good package prices, but there are other south-pacific specialists as well. Good luck.

The Aloha Airlines price is great, but be aware you have to stay overnight in Honolulu both coming and going. Unless you REALLY want to spend two nights there, the cost of the hotel, meals, and cab pretty much blow the savings.

#11---
Aloha just changed their flight schedules to the Cooks as of this week. Just once a week now. The plane that leaves Vancouver is the same that continues to here. I think the flights from Calif connect up with it in HNL, but not sure. Same goes in reverse, so I don't think it's overnight in both directions, maybe not even in either direction. It does leave here at 4am Wed for HNL, so the only reason I can think of that weird time is so travelers do not have to overnight in HNL. But potential Aloha users should check it out with Aloha to be sure.

Not all of Hawaii is under concrete but it is certainly changing - like everywhere. Can't wait for my trip to Rarotonga. Except for the 4am flight home. :]

The aloha flights are a lot more reasonable now time wise. I checked leaving OAK to RAR and it leaves OAK in the morning (2 flights) connecting to an afternoon flight from HNL with only a 2 hour layover. Arrival into RAR in the evening.

The return is at the horrible hour of 4:00 am and a 2 hour wait at HNL to OAK. Price is even still reasonable.

I just can't bring myself to fly that little 737 across all that water. (maybe with xanax in hand :)