Booking a long flight. Should I use a travel agent?

Reported.

Don't apply for visas through these companies as they charge a fee for visas which are free if applied for through official channels.

As a tourist, you will need an Electronic Travel Authority for New Zealand or Australia but they are free.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

A lot of good advice here. Enjoy your trip to lovely New Zealand !

Yes . TRAILFINDERS are our choice for any long haul every time. Interesting to find out that booking just one night hotel stay makes it a “package” and so gives more protection

I too am a fan of Trailfinders they help with visas etc , recently booked with them for trip to Australia with stopovers very helpful

I too would highly recommend assisted journey. My late mother travelled for 10 years or more with this, being blind and in her 90s without any problems whatsoever. They never let her out of their sight until they handed her over to me this end or to our family the other end. Excellent service.

If you’re not sure or confident then use a travel agent. We always book things ourselves because it’s cheaper. I’d recommend that you try a few agents though to make sure you get a good deal. Hope it goes well!

I agree with all the good advice above, and would just remind you that if you take any medication, it is important to have your prescription with you. There can be some medications which are not acceptable in other countries but with your prescription with you , you are covered and also have the correct dosage written if you need to get further medicines whilst you are away. (I also tend to have a small notebook, which I write all sorts of stuff, passport number, sons long phone number that I dont remember by heart , and a copy of the medicine info from the prescription. Just my belt and braces way of doing things) Hope all goes well for you and you will definitely feel less stressed if you have assistance . Dont give up doing things, I do understand how hard it is going on your own, as am a widow myself but whilst I can get very uptight thinking why have I organised this? once I get going I have never been sorry about any trip. Best wishes

Another recommendation for Dial a Flight (Noah). We unfortunately needed to leave New Zealand prematurely in February this year due to cyclone Gabrielle. They arranged everything for us, rebooking flights and cancelling accommodation and car hire, then checking we got home safely. Also pre flight, unlike booking direct with airlines, you don’t need to pay the full amount until 6 weeks before you fly and they even called us the day before to wish us a good holiday. Good luck Grammaretto and hope you have a lovely trip.

My elderly in laws used a service that used to collect there luggage the evening before there flight so they didn’t need to bother with any of that at the airport it was all booked in for them.

Thanks again for such super advice!
DH used to love all the travel planning and had an infectious enthusiasm.

We loved planning our holidays together either by train or ferries and occasionally planes, but it is different alone.
I wasn't going to go again but two things made me change my mind.
One was being invited by my gorgeous DGS who was a baby last time we went out and has just turned 11. The second is the imminent arrival of my cousins who are older than me, have various health issues but are coming here to see their DS and DGC.

There are plenty of small travel agents around, my daughter operates one, Dial a flight is very good, I often use them, they take the stress out of any problems. Also I concur book assistance if you need help at the airport, they can be very confusing these days as they expect you to do self service check ins which can be very confusing.
Enjoy ! Travel should be fun, not a worry.

My mother and I used a travel counsellor who comes to the house to deliver the boarding cards etc. and talk about the trip.
www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/
I recon the service costs about £30 as I don't get the cheapest ticket possible but I know that if anything goes wrong like the ash cloud again, a cancelled flight he will make the phone calls for me and put it right.

Another vote for Dialaflight. Excellent help

Another one here for Trailfinders. Without doubt the best service all round that we've experienced. One of their brochures dropped through the letterbox only this morning - DH is suitably engrossed

Interested to read this. My late DH enjoyed booking all our flights and hotels himself so we got exactly what we wanted when we wanted. Hadn't used used a travel agent for probably 40 yrs but am now in a similar position to Grammaretto in that not sure I could do that myself. Don't know that I'm ready to travel on my own quite yet but have been thinking about it lately. Have also been looking for women only, singles holidays which are escorted and all the arrangements made by the company.

I am in my eighties now and currently in Australia, having travelled here in March from the UK. Definitely book assistance, it really does make a world of difference, even if you have to suffer the indignity of being put into a wheelchair, you are whisked through all the formalities at the speed of light and have the luxury of being guided by an expert. I always book direct with the airline, which works fine for me, I have no experience of travel agents, but if you have a friendly local one I am sure they would be helpful. This is my second trip here this year, and whilst here I have also booked a flight to the other side of Australia and back! Go for it, you won’t regret it and I hope you have a fabulous time xxxx

We booked assistance on a trip last year with my daughter and grandsons I have difficulty walking and use a frame.
The airline was amazing at both ends and it put my street gred up a level with my grandsons they were very impressed to be taken out of the queue. So go for it and enjoy your holiday I traveled to Australia on my own and so enjoyed it.

Just back from down under. Travel agent booked it all, premier economy was worth the extra cost. All went seamlessly .

I would definitely use Trailfinders for that sort of journey.

If you have a look on You Tube you can see what the procedure is at various airports. I like Gatwick, where the area is in the middle of shops and restaurants, and they give you a pager, so you can go and eat until they’re ready for you.

I never booked assistance before, as I thought it was only for wheelchair users, then one time a Jet2 assistant told me to book it next time, and I’ve done it ever since.

Yes, if booking online baffles you, which I can certainly understand, use a travel agency and discuss whether you need assistance with luggage or simply getting to the right gate in the immensely long "fingers" international airports have.

Ask the travel agent to go through the modern procedure for checking in baggage, as the airport you are using may want you to do so online the day before you travel, and make sure you know precisely what you may have in your hand baggage (liquids of any kind are generally forbidden, as is anything which by any possible stretch of the imagination could be used as a weapon (scissors, knitting needles, nail files etc.)

Hope you enjoy visiting the family.

Grammaretto

Yes and no.
My in laws booked assistance when they really needed it. He couldn't walk far. They would arrive in very good time and be left until the last minute when a strong young person would whisk him in a wheelchair with his 90yr old DW running along beside him trying to keep up!
I am glad it was helpful for your df corner

I booked assistance once as we had a short hop between terminals and I was getting over a broken ankle.

We thought it would be a golf buggy so that DH could have a lift too, along with our cases.
A crew member told me a wheelchair awaited me but I said I hadn't ordered a wheelchair, someone else could use it. There was a large golf buggy at the top of the ramp so we got on that instead.

Another recommendation for Trailfinders .They are brilliant on prices and service .We booked a ‘ round the world ‘ trip with them ….14 flights plus transfers and hotels …it took 6 weeks and went without a hitch .We have been using them since we retired 25 years ago .When the pandemic struck and our trip to Canada with flights , hotels and a cruise was cancelled we had all our money back within weeks , they contacted me straight away , I didn’t have to contact them .

Definitely use an agent, much easier if you have any queries, problems after ticket booked. I've just done your trip in reverse, it was easy. I took my walking pole and was offered assistance! Good luck.