10 Things to Ask Your Travel Agent When Booking a Trip to Tonga

Tips for Using a Travel Agent for Tonga

We get it, your holiday is about you taking it easy, so getting a travel agent to sort out the logistics for your Tonga getaway is damn appealing! But to get the holiday of your dreams, you’re going to need to show your travel agent that you are in control by asking the right questions. Don’t know what questions to ask your travel agent when booking a holiday to Tonga? Check out the examples in the list below!

1. Have You Been to Tonga Yourself?

Travel agents will always seem like they’re experts on a country, but that’s probably because they just know a bit more than you do… Ask whether they have been to Tonga themselves, so you know how much you can trust their advice or take it with a pinch of salt. If they have been to Tonga, ask them where they went, where they stayed and what activities they did. If they haven’t been to Tonga, then spend some more time browsing TongaPocketGuide.com, which will have more information than what a travel agent brochure can provide.

10 Questions to Ask Your Travel Agent When Booking Your Holiday in Tonga

2. What are the Best Times to Travel to Tonga?

The best time to travel to Tonga means more than just the season. Ask the travel agent to play around with your travel dates to get the best possible deal, usually travelling to/from Tonga between Monday to Thursday is cheaper than travelling on a weekend. We talk more about the best season to visit later in this list.

3. What Documentation Do I Need for My Trip?

To be fair, we have all this information in our guide, What Documents Do I Need to Travel to Tonga? but we like to use this question as a test of how thorough your travel agent is. You want a travel agent who can also help you with the logistics, not just sell you a trip and send you out of the door.

4. How Many Hours Will Be Spent in Transit?

If your trip involves at least a couple of flights with transits, make sure that transit times are clear. Sometimes, an agent will push an airline or a connection with a greater commission at the expense of the first and last day of your getaway, stranding you for several hours in transit. It should be either a short transit or enough time to make an excursion out of the airport.

5. What are the Best Activities for the Season of My Trip?

Tonga is home to a few seasonal activities, from whale swimming to kitesurfing. If you have something on your bucket list that you really want to do, make sure it’s available for the season you choose to go. Otherwise, you might want to make sure there are other activities available that will suit you or consider rescheduling.

6. Do I Really Need to Book Excursions?

Of course, any respectable travel agent will try to upsell excursions/activities on top of your flights and accommodation. But let’s be honest, activities are usually much cheaper and flexible to book over the counter, online or through your accommodations.

7. What are My Travel Insurance Options?

Things can go wrong when travelling, so ask about travel insurance options so you’re not left out of pocket if the worst should happen. Especially in Tonga, domestic flights are cancelled often, which can disrupt connecting flights out of Tonga. If you want some cover while in Tonga, be sure to ask to compare options with your travel agent.

8. What Contact Number Can I Call from Tonga?

Speaking of travel hiccups, you want to be able to contact your travel agent easily from Tonga should you need their services. If something goes wrong, you want your travel agent to find a solution for you in a timely manner. Otherwise, what are you paying them for? (Yes, you are paying them through the commission they make through the travel products you buy). Get their contact number before you leave the office.

9. What is the Perk of Booking with You?

Now’s the time to get an upgrade, a discount or any other perks that might come along with booking through a travel agent. Travel agents have a wealth of travel products to bundle together at their fingertips, so ask what other perks come with bundling it all. After all, in front of an agent, you are in control. You can tailor your own package.

10. What Do I Get for Paying in Full?

If you have been saving up for this trip of a lifetime and have the funds available, you could forgo the classic “pay a deposit now and the balance before travelling”. That way, you may be entitled to quite a discount! After all, it guarantees to the agent that you will not change your mind later, so it is definitely worth mentioning to save a few coconuts.

More About Planning a Holiday to Tonga

That’s it for our list of questions to ask your travel agent when booking your trip to Tonga. For more insightful articles, take a look at the following:

Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in The Complete Travel Guide to Tonga.

Author

Robin (Lopini) C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Tonga Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. Robin works and consults regularly with the Ministry of Tourism of Tonga. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

Contact Robin via our contact page