On Thursday I began a series answering questions as to the benefit of using a travel agent to assure everyone that we’re still in business and will continue to be.

Yesterday’s question was “Why should I use your services when I can book directly?”

Alan Whitt

Now we move on to Question No. 2.

Why should I book now? What happens if the price goes down later?

It’s Spring break in Nashville, and I’m already working on getting people excited about their vacation and getaway plans for 2013. Even when I was just a vacationer and not a travel specialist, I always mapped out my plans well in advance.

I made sure I submitted my vacation dates in plenty of time to insure that I could get the time off that I needed. Once you know you have the time , you can better prepare for your vacation months ahead of time.

Now let’s make this clear. You will always get the lowest price available at the time when booking with Allure Quest Travel Experience.

Part of our responsibility is to monitor pricing so that if there is a reduction we can get it adjusted for you.

If you book it yourself, then you’re responsible for frequently checking pricing, and then contacting the vendor yourself, and then navigating through the appropriate paperwork to fill out and get the reduction. Do you have time to do that? Is it worth your time?

Booking early is always the best way to go. That way you get the cabin, the tour and the dates that you want. Wait and you’re likely picking over what’s left.

Tour operators and cruise lines operate like any other business. They need to fill as close to capacity as possible, the sooner the better so that they have better control over their bottom line. That means they usually reward those who book early, and penalize those who book late. Last thing a cruise line wants to do is cut pricing for someone who has already booked and paid, so they start out at the lowest rate possible.

Rarely will you see a price cut on the best ships or itineraries. If you choose to sit back in anticipation of price slashing you’ll usually end up paying more for less desirable accommodations.

In April 2011 I reserved group space on Allure of the Seas for a May 27, 2012 sailing. At the time I secured balcony cabins for $1,245 per person. Book that same cabin today and it runs $2,035 – a difference of $787 per person.

You can still get on Allure of the Seas for that sailing for $1,245, but that would be for an inside cabin. You do the math: A balcony for $1,245 … or a windowless inside cabin for the same price.

And last, we have a reputation to uphold. That’s why we only use reputable vendors and not the bargain suppliers who pop up on the Internet with fluctuating prices seemingly by the week. With Allure Quest Travel Experience, our suppliers also want you to get the lowest price possible, which allows us to guarantee price protection.