Booking direct or with a travel agent

[Hussyband]

The cheapest way of booking must depend on the part of the country you live in? We have spent countless hours of research before booking trips to Negril for
10+ years. We drive and fly direct from Atlanta, but fly Chattanooga to Atlanta on the rare occasion that the price is right.

We get the best price booking room and airfare together through Expedia or sometimes Orbitz every time. I have called places where we have been repeat guests and still do not get the price offered on these sites. The usual routine is decide it's time, we gotta get away and relax on the beach. We will plan to go 2-3 months away and start watching prices. Use matrix search (thanks Cap't D I think it was) with the flexible date setting to find cheapest dates for airfare. Then use those dates to search the packages on Expedia and Oribtz, usually finding the best price 4-5 weeks out.

The good thing about the short window between booking and trip, it's there before you know it!! This has been the cheapest route for us with our average price for 7-8 days room and airfare being around $1600 for two.

I think I am going to have you do mine next year.... 10 days for me is just over $6000, and I have yet to book club mobay or Tim air for the puddle jumper to negril.

[MoFromMonroe]

Hussy-we fly out of JFK (NYC) stay for 16 days and it doesn't cost us anywhere near $6000. Yes that includes club mobay (but not Tim air)

[MoFromMonroe]

We do not use orbitz, travelocity, etc because you have to pay for the whole trip up front. We stay at Coco La Palm and wait for negrilonestop.com to have the coco mad sale and then book thru them. It may cost slightly more than orbitz, etc but we only pay 2 nights up front and the rest 30 days before the trip. Since we go twice a year it works better for us. In Nov we go for 26 days. Trip has been booked since we came home in April. I have them take $300 per month from our credit card. By the time we leave it is basically paid for. Airfare is booked directly. Seems to work great for us and you find find any better to deal with than Negril One Stop. Love them.

[Hussyband]

A huge part of my trip is really the hotel. We book way more room than we need, but it keeps the wife happy. We could save $2000 on hotel costs alone if I rented a room instead of a cottage made for a whole family. Then there is the fact that I'm a big guy. I tend to fly first as it is more comfortable. My wife would be happy in coach, me not so much. Between the two of us, and our personal preferences, the prices get a bit out of control.

[Navvet]

I think when you go in a group somewhere, or a very detailed trip, I would use a agent. But a trip to JA is so simple to work up thanks to Negril.com, and Onestop, etc. The Forum is very helpful as far as when to plan your trip, best places, time of year. But if I go to Europe, I'm planning with a travel agent. I've worked with agents in the past and they are a plus for areas of travel.