Travel agent Vs. Air line direct booking

[200bhp]

When I travel to China for work, we book through a travel agent who is able to get an Upper Class Virgin flight for significantly less than the same flight booked directly with Virgin - I'm talking about savings of thousands of pounds here!

We're looking to emigrate to Australia in 2013 and have been looking at the cost of flights - Its a long once-in-a-lifetime flight so I've been considering Emirates First class from Birmingham to Perth.

The online price is £7300.

Would a travel agent be able to save me anything on this??

I dont really want to ask the people we use at work, for obvious reasons

[sneijder]

Emirates will have a ticket desk at the airport, the travel agent doesn't.

I have at least one person / family a day not go anywhere because a travel agency have ballsed up, and they can't get it sorted in time or are just uncontactable.

Choose one with a 24 hr hotline if you do.

[FunkyGibbon]

Trailfinders do good deals on first class.
the private suites on emirates are fantastic.

[MaxMX5]

I doubt that a travel agent will be able to save money seeing as they are paid by the customer to find them a flight. I have always used expedia, ebookers, net flights or opodo to book flights. Best to book on credit card just so you are more protected should you get any problems. I booked myself a 25day trip to China last year which probably cost about £5000 for two of us. When you compare that to the £2000+ for a 10 day tour run by tour operators/travel agents, its pays to do it yourself.