Why book your holiday with an independent travel agent?

Booking a holiday has never been easier. Within a few minutes, you can have dozens of browser tabs open comparing flights, hotels, cruise lines, packages and prices.

But having more choice doesn't necessarily make choosing any easier.

At Port & Place, we believe planning a holiday should be part of the excitement, not something that leaves you wondering whether you've chosen the right hotel, the right cabin, the right flight or even the right destination.

That's where an independent travel agent can help.

It isn't about taking away your choice. It's about having someone help you make sense of it.

Travel, personally planned

No two travellers are exactly alike, so why should their holidays be?

When you make an enquiry with Port & Place, we want to understand more than simply where you want to go.

We'll consider who's travelling, what you enjoy, your budget, preferred departure airports, accommodation preferences and what matters most to you.

Perhaps you want an adults-only escape where peace and quiet really does mean peace and quiet. Maybe you're planning your first cruise and don't know where to begin. Or perhaps you've already found something online and want to know whether there's a better option.

That's the difference between simply searching for a holiday and having one personally planned.

It's also why our approach is summed up in three words:

TRAVEL, PERSONALLY PLANNED

Less searching, more looking forward to it

There is an extraordinary amount of travel information online.

That's useful, until you find yourself comparing the 14th hotel of the evening and can't remember what was wrong with the first 13.

Using an independent travel agent gives you someone who can help narrow down those choices.

We'll research suitable options based on what you've told us and bring together the ones we believe are genuinely worth considering.

That doesn't mean we'll make the decision for you. You remain in control of your holiday and your budget.

We simply help make the decision easier.

It's about finding the right holiday, not just a holiday

Price matters. Of course it does.

But value isn't always the same thing as finding the lowest number on a comparison website.

Two holidays that look remarkably similar at first glance can be very different once you start looking at what's actually included.

Flights, luggage allowances, transfers, board basis, cabin location, room type, resort location and cancellation terms can all make a difference.

An independent travel agent can look at the trip as a whole.

Sometimes spending a little more in one area can dramatically improve the overall experience. Equally, there may be things you simply don't need to pay extra for.

Our job is to help you understand those choices so you can decide what's right for you.

You have someone to ask

This is one of the simplest benefits, but arguably one of the most important.

You can ask us.

Is that cruise cabin in a good location?

Is seven nights enough for this destination?

Would Glasgow or Edinburgh give us better flight options?

Is that hotel genuinely suitable for an adults-only break?

Would it be better to stay a night before the cruise?

Can we add transfers?

What happens if we want to change something?

Rather than opening another browser tab and trying to work it out yourself, you have someone who can investigate it for you.

We might not always have the answer immediately, but we'll know where to look.

Independent means more choice

We're not tied to selling you one particular hotel, cruise line or type of holiday.

Port & Place has access to a wide range of established travel suppliers covering everything from package holidays and city breaks to cruises, touring holidays and more specialist trips.

That means we can consider different options according to what you're actually looking for.

If one cruise line isn't right for you, we can look at another.

If the hotel you originally had in mind doesn't quite work, we can explore alternatives. And if you don't know where you want to go at all, that's fine too.

Sometimes the most useful conversation starts with:

"We need a holiday. What would you suggest?"

A real person when plans change

This is where the difference between a transaction and a service becomes particularly noticeable.

Travel occasionally throws up the unexpected.

Flights can change. Hotels can change. Plans can change. And sometimes you simply need to change something.

JLT highlights this as one of the major distinctions between an agent relationship and a purely online transaction. Instead of the relationship ending once you've pressed "book", an agent remains involved in the booking.

If you book through Port & Place and have a question before travelling, we're only a message away.

While you're away, the appropriate assistance will depend on the supplier or tour operator you've booked with, and you'll have the relevant support information within your travel documentation.

The important difference is that you're not starting from scratch every time you have a question.

Your booking doesn't disappear after you've paid

Once your trip is confirmed, you'll have access to your Port & Place booking portal. It's designed to keep the practical side of your holiday straightforward.

You can:

• View your travel documentation
• Make payments towards your booking
• Submit change requests
• Download and print your documents

So while your holiday has been personally planned, you still have the convenience you'd expect from modern online travel services.

Personal service when you want it. Digital convenience when you need it.

What about financial protection?

This is an important consideration whenever you book travel, whether online or through an agent.

Port & Place operates as an independent travel agent as part of The JLT Group, PTS member 6090.

The JLT Group uses a PTS Trust Account as part of the financial protection arrangements for customer booking funds, alongside other applicable protections depending upon the type of travel arrangement booked. JLT also operates within the Package Travel Regulations and provides ATOL protection where applicable.

The exact protection applicable to your holiday will depend upon what you book, and we'll provide the relevant information and documentation for your arrangements.

That's an important distinction. Rather than simply seeing a protection logo, you should understand what protection actually applies to your particular booking.

Does using a travel agent mean paying more?

Not necessarily.

One misconception about independent travel agents is that booking online must automatically be cheaper. JLT similarly identifies this as a common myth around agent bookings.

Travel pricing is much more complicated than that.

Different suppliers may have different availability, offers, packages and commercial arrangements. Sometimes we'll find the same holiday you've already seen. Sometimes we'll find an alternative we think offers better value.

But we'd rather focus on getting the right holiday at the right value than promise that we'll always be the cheapest.

Because saving £50 isn't particularly good value if you end up in the wrong hotel for a fortnight.

And if you've already found something online that you like, send us the details. It can be a useful starting point for understanding exactly what you're looking for.

You don't need to know exactly what you want

This might be our favourite part.

You don't need to arrive with a destination, hotel and flight number.

Your enquiry might be:

• "We want some winter sun in February."
• "We've never cruised before but fancy trying it."
• "We want somewhere special for an anniversary."

Or even:

• "We've got £3,000. Where could we go?"

That's enough to start a conversation.

We'll ask some questions, learn a little more about what you're looking for and start exploring the possibilities.

So, travel agent or book online?

There isn't anything inherently wrong with booking travel yourself online. For a straightforward trip where you know exactly what you want, you may be perfectly happy doing just that.

But if you'd value someone helping with the research, comparing the options, bringing the different elements together and remaining available once you've booked, an independent travel agent offers something rather different.

With Port & Place, technology still plays an important role. You'll receive digital quotes, access your booking online and have your travel documents at your fingertips.

We simply add the bit technology can't replicate quite so easily.

Someone who knows your trip.

So whether you have the whole holiday mapped out already or you're starting with little more than an idea, tell us what you're thinking.

We'll take it from there.

TRAVEL, PERSONALLY PLANNED.