It’s been a common topic of conversation between seasoned travellers, and is especially prevalent in these complicated times… But what is the real advantage of working with a First Class Travel specialist as opposed to booking your own travel arrangements online?

This is a valid question of course, so read on and discover why using our travel agency has real, tangible advantages over booking online.
Here are Six Important Reasons why you should use FirstClass.com.au to book your travel arrangements.

Time

How much is YOUR time worth? As we all know, time preservation is everybody’s most vital commodity in this busy world. Your time is precious, it can be an arduous task trawling through the internet for deals, comparing prices, comparing comparison sites…browser after browser.

Recent studies show that the average traveler can spend up to 30 hours researching their holiday, while visiting up to 38 websites before actually making a reservation. Not to mention since the Covid-19 pandemic, researching each country’s border restrictions and entry requirements and the airline procedures for each flight is something you can’t afford to get wrong.

“I waited 2 hours to speak to someone from the airline. When I finally got through to someone, the line dropped. Then I had to call back and waited another 2 hours. It took 4 hours and 20 minutes in total to speak to someone about my flight being cancelled." – Ashley C.

“I’ve called 5 times.. I have been on hold 2-4 hours each time. I’ve spoken to Angelo, Tanya, Sofia, Jon and Carl. They said they will call me back, but they didn’t. This is a complete waste of time!" – Max T.

“I had to cancel a duplicated booking with Qantas, which I did not have the option to do online. I called at midnight but no one picked up even after 2am, I fell asleep. I managed to reach them the next morning, and the lady in Fiji told me she’ll get it sorted and call me back to confirm. She never did. The day before my departure, two bookings were still under my name. I had to call again, this time I waited on line for an hour." – Tina. T.

Being on hold for two hours nowadays is a norm, and it’s NO fun! Let our team take all the hard work and worry out of your travel planning so that you can spend your time on the things that matter. With our extensive industry knowledge and expertise, we will tailor your perfect holiday experience working to your requirements, specifications and budget. We do the research for you, presenting you with some options based on what you’re looking for and what is most important to you. We go through all the fine print of the trip that you book, saving you time and possibly hassle later on.

Post-Covid Scenarios

Nowadays, 50% or more of the bookings will have scheduled changes. At most times, it does not affect the trips, but occasionally it can be a big problem for people who are not flexible, as airlines do NOT have to find any alternatives.

We had a client who recently had their Qatar flight moved to the next day. We looked at all sorts of connections trying to make it work with their original plan, unfortunately we couldn’t and had to purchase a new ticket. This is not just with Qatar Airways; this is with every airline. You will find that Airline services are not up to scratch post-Covid. They don’t care as it is more about their revenues.

Recently, Qantas cancelled a group booking of ours with a contract in place, as well as a deposit. They demanded an extra $2,000 pp, downgrading one sector from business to economy class. It was a joke!

If people are happy to book their flights themselves and risk their time and money, then book online.

Expertise and Industry Knowledge In Luxury Travel

Our passionate, hand-selected team here at First Class Travel are experts in the field of luxury travel, and customer service is paramount to their selection.

The team have each been specifically trained to handle discerning travellers with high-end leisure itineraries to worldwide destinations. They have also travelled extensively and understand the most intricate parts of the travel and tourism industry.

It takes a unique and highly trained professional to ‘trouble-shoot’ tricky flight connections with multiple stops.


First Class Specialist’s JOB is to find the best solution for your travel, to meet your requirements. And that’s what we do EVERY DAY! Our team know the best transportation options to reach your destination, the most unique and well-located luxury hotels, the MUST DO sightseeing excursions and all other important logistics required including visas, taxes and service charges, exchange rates and more recently Covid-19 regulations.

Last minute booking usually cost you! The best way to book your travel at the lowest cost, is to present your travel plans way in advance to our travel specialists. We will design your itinerary, we will monitor the deals for you, we will incorporate utilising your points to save you $$.. 

Why book flights with FirstClass.com.au? Well, the best flight consultants must understand air miles or points; especially for first and business class flights, it is essential! Only when cash or points options are compared, can your agent make a wiser decision. If you do it the wrong way, redeeming your points when airlines are demanding a ridiculous amount, or use some retail travel services to convert your points to dollars towards your airfares, you are wasting thousands of your points/$$.

We have a special team who are the points advisors, and mastered the science of using your points to the maximum value.

Deals

It gives us great satisfaction to book your travel the way you want, at the least cost. The ‘best deals’ are not always online, this is a common misconception. The First Class Travel Team can direct you towards the best offers in the market, we do this by negotiating with suppliers and taking advantage of our strong business relationships to offer you unbeatable rates including some fantastic ‘value add’ components. This is simply not possible to do online, as you are just a number not a valued client.

For example, one First Class Team member recently negotiated a holiday at a 5-star resort in Dubai for a 20-night stay, saving the client $15,000 including an upgrade from the ‘breakfast only’ room rate to the ‘half board’ room rate.

Our creative ‘super savvy’ and supportive team can negotiate rates for you in an efficient manner, human brains are a lot more creative than robots. We try hard to find you the best deals.

With the airfares nowadays skyrocketed post covid, the ONLY way to manage your costings wisely is to Plan Early! We can hold seats for you during planning stage, and waitlist on lower fares, which are simply impossible when you book online. These benefits alone can save you thousands when booking first or business class fares.

Soon we will implement a hotel booking engine which offers the best rates for thousands of hotels around the world, often better than what’s available on big hotel booking sites. We are also developing a cruise website, to bring your best 6 star cruise deals.

Customer Service

At First Class Travel, good old fashioned customer service is still alive and well here; you wouldn’t have to waste time and wait two-hours on the phone. In our fast-paced world of advanced technology and screen time – isn’t it nice to just talk to someone either on the phone or by email, or in person?

When planning your ‘bucket list’ trip of a lifetime, around the world travel, your honeymoon, anniversary getaway or your well-deserved break, it’s a great comfort to know an experienced professional is attending to every little detail. Our First Class Travel Team offer personalised service to cater to every component of your holiday, we will do everything within our power to ensure your trip is seamless from start to end.

There is more than a 50% chance of issued tickets to have schedule changes post-Covid, although most time your trip is not affected. But occasionally, it could affect your entire plan.. We will always be there to try to minimise the impact.

We’ve got your back if you get stranded due to Covid-19, miss your flight, lose your wallet or have your passport stolen – wherever you are in the world. Mother Nature often has a mind of her own so having the support from a First Class Travel Team member is like having your very own personal travel insurance policy.

Remember, without a Travel Agent you are on your own!

Convenience

When scrolling through the internet looking for the best deals, you have to navigate numerous separate websites – one for flights, another for accommodation, another for a rental car, every airline site for using your points and so-forth. Sure, there are sites that offer you discounted rates if you book all of your holiday components with the one company, however, this is offered so they can honour the partnerships they already have with various other companies – not because the product perfectly suits your needs.

Keep in mind that when booking online, you have to buy the tickets instantly. The advantages of working with one of our travel agents is that while you are still planning, we compare offers in the market. We can HOLD SEATS for you which you cannot do online. This alone, can save you thousands, as fares could change in days, minutes, or even hours. It is paramount to hold the seats while you are still planning. But don’t wait for too long! As we are returning to normal after covid-19, airlines cancel seats before ticketing deadlines all the time. Fares and taxes have also gone up a lot more frequent than pre-covid.

First Class Travel is a one-stop Travel Shop, our team are specialists in all components for your holiday. Booking with the First Class Travel Team is like having your own private travel PA. We arrange every aspect of your travel from the basics, to the elegant touches & upgrades like limousine transfers, special dietary requests, a birthday cake for that special day or champagne on arrival to your hotel room. The First Class Travel Team is the fundamental difference between a good holiday or an unforgettable holiday.

Perks

We reward you for your loyalty and your referral business. Your Firstclass.com.au membership includes on-going annual travel planning, priority access to promotional offers, invitations to exclusive travel and tourism events and guidance towards redeeming frequent flyer points – membership is currently free so be quick to take advantage of this amazing offer.

The most common misconception is that Travel Agents charge a commission for their services and as a result may have a bias towards particular products. The reality is, Travel Agents receive their commission from the supplier to enable you to take advantage of the best prices, inclusions and benefits in the market.

The only service fee to become inevitable from 1st July 2022 is for booking flights, as airlines cut agent commissions down to 0-1%. However, the savings and values a great consultant can offer is well worth the service fee. 98 percent of our work is done on the front-end of a trip.

Our service fee act as a layer of protection for our travel specialists to assure that they’re paid for the vast amount of effort that is put in and the knowledge that is dispersed. This is the knowledge that has taken years of education, training and money, in order to help travellers around the world enjoy a travel experience that they’ll cherish forever.

Call us on 1300 308 081 to speak to one of our Travel Specialists, Send Us An Enquiry by filling out our general enquiry form, or Book An Appointment at our office in Barangaroo or Parramatta.