If you are looking for the best travel agencies in Bloemfontein, look no further. Travel agents are people who can help you plan and book your trip. The internet is a great way to find travel deals but using a travel agent can be more convenient and offer peace of mind.
If you’re based in Bloemfontein or the larger Free State you won’t have to look very far to travel to thousands of destinations around the globe. We’ve compiled a list of 8 travel agencies and broken them down for easy comparison. Save yourself the hassle when planning your next holiday by using one of the following Bloemfontein-based travel agencies.
Our list of Travel Agencies in Bloemfontein
AKI Travel Plug
If you are looking for a boutique travel agency that places an emphasis on customer service, AKI Travelplug is one of the best you will find.
They are the perfect example of quantity over quality and is one of only two companies on the list that are South African-owned.
AKI Travelplug have been working as an ITC (Independent Travel Company) ran by an experience travel agent named, Amanda Gquku, who first worked under Club Travel, one of the biggest in South Africa for more than 10 years, serving both corporate and leisure clients.
AKI Travelplug boasts a small specialized team with extensive travel experience, which allows them to cater to clients more attentively than bigger agencies. Most of their work is for international clients visiting South Africa from abroad.
They are located in Bloem but serve clients from everywhere.
Sure Etnique Travel
With over 50 years of combined experience in the travel industry across the team, Sure Etnique Travel offers professional expertise and guidance.
Products and services offered include accommodation, activities, car-hire, flights, tours, transfers, and travel insurance. Sure Etnique has a decent social media presence with 45 posts on Instagram and an average of 11 posts a month on Facebook. Their following on Facebook is currently sitting at 1.2K people on Facebook and 445 people on Instagram.
With 4.8 stars out of 17 reviews on Google, you can rest assured that Sure Etnique offers quality service to its customers. The only concern with Sure Etnique is that they don’t confirm an IATA or ASATA certification – although this doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t have the certifications.
Website: https://www.etniquetravel.co.za/
Google Reviews (out of 5): 4.8
Number of Reviews: 17
Best Compliment: “Excellent service from Roan and his team. Helped us with plane tickets, Itinerary, and all necessary travel arrangements and tips for our Spain/France trip.” – Willem Raubenheimer (5/5 stars)
Worst Complaint: ” Absolutely worst experience, had a so-called confirmed booking for the Emerial Hotel in JHB, after hitting a pothole and having roadside issues, we arrived at 12 midnight only to find the Hotel has no knowledge of us, tried to contact Etnique travel with no success, first their phone rang then they must have turned their phone of and well…. we were stranded with no accommodation. Paid for our accommodation ourselves and will follow this up with drastic measures upon our return to Bloemfontein.” – Andre Strydom (1/5 stars)
Certification: Unavailable.
Afrikan Native Travel
Afrikan Native Travel has a beautiful website that advertises a variety of products and services such as accommodation, car rental, corporate travel management, cruises, and flights.
In terms of social media presence, they post infrequently and have a relatively small following. On Instagram, you can find 58 posts with an average of 2 posts a month on Facebook, and an average of 8 tweets a month on Twitter. Their following is limited to 568 followers on Facebook, 105 on Instagram, and 155 on Twitter.
With only 4 reviews on Google, it would be worthwhile to check out what their following on social media has to say.
Website: http://afrikantravel.co.za/
Google Reviews (out of 5): 4.5
Number of Reviews: 4
Certification: IATA & ASATA certified.
SWT Travel
With only 3 reviews on Google, it’s advised that you take their 5 stars with a pinch of salt. That being said, SWT Travel has a large Facebook following of 3.9K followers, and a good consistency of around 7 posts a month.
Their products and services include accommodation, car rental, flights, and travel insurance. SWT Travel’s website is seamless, easy to use and well-put together.
Not sure about the quality of their services? We recommend you check out their Facebook profile and see what their followers have to say.
Website: https://www.swt.travel/
Google Reviews (out of 5): 5
Number of Reviews: 3
Best Compliment: “Its a Nice place to Get Cheap Fly Ticket Around the World” – Syed Shakhawath Hossain (5/5 stars)
Certification: IATA & ASATA certified.
Flight Centre
Flight Centre is a well-known brand in South Africa, and its Bloemfontein branch is no exception. Offering products and services such as accommodation, corporate travel management, cruises, and tours.
And with a massive online presence posting frequently on Facebook (averaging 2 posts a day), Instagram (with 1.5K posts), Twitter (averaging 2 tweets a day), and even Tik-Tok (with a respectable 232 posts). Their following on social media is also massive with 421K Followers on Facebook, 70K on Instagram, 21.6K on Twitter, and 9.8K on Tik-Tok.
Website: https://www.flightcentre.co.za
Google Reviews (out of 5): 4.7
Number of Reviews: 43
Best Compliment: ” A big thank you to all the ladies at Bloemfontein Flight Centre, especially Alexa and Cherise. They were great in finding me a route to Grand Cayman, avoiding transit visa delays through other countries. Great Service! From now on, my go-to travel agents in Bloemfontein. Thank you, ladies!” – Jeanine Burger (5/5 stars)
Worst Complaint: ” Extremely unhappy with the service, poor poor service, had to phone them multiple times to ask to please just send us the packages that was on special, which they never did and the specials ended and we missed the opportunity. Would not even recommend trying to do buisiness with them.” – Louise-Mari Janse van Rensburg (5/5 stars)
Certification: IATA & ASATA certified.
Hamba Nathi Travel
Hamba Nathi Travel offers a good variety of products and services such as accommodation, airport lounges and parking, car rental, conferences and events, cruises, flights, shuttle services and trains.
One concern is that they have no social media presence. Another concern is that their worst review on Google reflects really badly on the company.
That being said, a positive is that Hamba Nathi Travel is a member of South African Association for the Conference Industry, Club Travel Corporate, and Globalstar. We advise that you get proof of all transactions and booking confirmations before your holiday to get around the risk noted in the worst complaint below.
Website: https://www.hambanathi.co.za/
Google Reviews (out of 5): 3
Number of Reviews: 6
Best Compliment: ” The consultants offer personalised travel advise all 5 provinces excell in providing service to clients” – Palesa Mposelwa (5/5 stars)
Worst Complaint: “Be warned!!!! This travel agency is a scam. They take clients money. But when it comes to making payment for the bookings they have made with guesthouses, they do not pay. Please find a reliable travel agency.” – Thilita Meyer (1/5 stars)
Certification: IATA & ASATA certified.
Travel Counsellors
Not many companies can extract 4.8 stars on Google reviews from more than 20 reviewers. On top of this, Travel Counsellors reply to their reviewers and show a willingness to fix complaints such as the worst complaint below.
Travel Counsellors Bloemfontein has a large team and offers a long list of products and services some of which are unique on this list. These services include 24/7 support, accommodation, conferences and events, corporate travel management, flights, tours, trains, shuttles, and weddings and honeymoons.
Another positive for Travel Counsellors is that they post consistently on Facebook (averaging on 1 post a day), Instagram (1.1K posts), and Twitter (averaging on 2 tweets a day). Their social media following is very good with Facebook currently at 3.7K followers, Instagram at 2K and Twitter at 1.4K.
Lastly, Travel Counsellors is a member of the Business Travel Association.
Website: https://www.travelcounsellors.co.za/za/leisure
Facebook Reviews (out of 5): 4.8
Number of Reviews: 26
Best Compliment: ” Thank you so much for an unforgettably amazing honeymoon in Zanzibar Chantelle. You are the best. Thanks for the extra special treatment for Thinus’s birthday. We can definitely recommend her service to anyone” – Sarita du Toit
Worst Complaint: “We were so misinformed about our bag weight restrictions that ended up costing us thousands at the airport, we’ve written a complaint to Travel counsellors on their website and have had no response! We have all the proof stating our situation! Just can’t get hold of anyone to assist us further!” – Amy Pie Harris
Certification: IATA & ASATA certified.
XL Flight Specials
Flight Specials has only good reviews on Google. Although they offer fewer products and services than most of the companies on this list, they still offer everything you need to have the perfect holiday. This includes accommodation, activities, car hire, flights, and tours.
Their social media presence is a bit quiet with only an average of 2 posts a month on Facebook. However, Flight Specials has a good following on Facebook of 4.1K followers. Not convinced? Check out the best compliment below.
Website: https://www.flightspecials.co.za/
Google Reviews (out of 5): 4.9
Number of Reviews: 8
Best Compliment: “Thank you Anne for going the extra mile to get my son out of Vietnam. I have never worked with a better travel agency. The service that you get is something out of this world.” – Pieter Van Dyk (5/5 stars)
Certification: IATA & ASATA certified.
Travel With Us
Travel With Us offers accommodation, car hire, cruises, flights, train tickets and safaris.
With no social media presence and no reviews on Google, it is advised that you do some research before booking with Travel With Us. An easy workaround is to ensure that you get copies of all proof of payments and confirmations for bookings made. Who knows, you might leave their first review!
Their website is a bit clunky and outdated, but functionally it works well and gives you all the information you need. It might just require a bit of practice to familiarise yourself with the website navigation.
Website: http://www.travelwithus.co.za/Contact.aspx
Google Reviews (out of 5): N/A
Number of Reviews: N/A
Certification: IATA & ASATA certified.
What is the benefit of using a travel agency?
A travel agency is a business that sells travel-related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, cruise lines and hotels. Travel agencies can save you money and give you peace of mind by taking care of all the details, including booking flights or cruises, arranging car rentals, and providing advice about where to stay and what to do when you arrive.
Travel agents are also advocates for their customers. Some companies offer incentives for agents who book frequently with them—but not all companies do this. Agents can help negotiate lower rates for their clients or find special deals that aren’t available through online booking sites like Expedia or TripAdvisor.
Because they work with many different travel providers and have access to promotions and discounts, using the internet to buy travel products can be cheaper or more convenient.
How do travel agencies save you money?
- Travel agents have access to deals and promotions that you won’t find online, because they work with many different travel providers and have access to their systems.
- They can also help you secure discounts on flights, hotels, rail tickets and more.
- If you’re making an expensive trip and want some extra peace of mind about insurance coverage for your vacation, a travel agent can help get the right kind of policy suited to your needs at a better price than what’s available online.
Use a travel agent to get the best deal on your trip.
Travel agencies can offer you a few things that you don’t have access to on your own:
- Discounts and promotions. Travel agencies have access to special offers and discounts that aren’t available through online travel sites or airlines. These deals can be hard to find in Bloemfontein, but they can save you hundreds of Rand on your trip (especially if it’s an expensive one).
- Travel agents make their living booking flights and hotels, so they are experts at finding the best prices out there—and they’ll be glad to share what they know with you!
Avoid fees.
Avoid booking fees. Booking directly through an airline or hotel will often get you a better deal than using a travel agency. Travel agencies can sometimes tack on booking fees, but these are largely avoidable if you’re willing to do the legwork yourself.
Avoid cancellation fees. You might think that paying for insurance or some sort of “cancellation protection” is worth it, but in many cases, it isn’t—especially if your trip is relatively inexpensive and you could recoup most of your money by selling off what little time remains on a non-refundable ticket or hotel reservation. For example, say you booked two tickets to Paris for R7,500.00 each and paid extra for insurance because one person had to cancel at the last minute due to illness; upon cancelling both flights so he could stay home with his sick partner, he would probably only be able to recover about R5,500.00 per ticket (because airlines require passengers who cancel their flight after purchasing under certain circumstances). In this case it would have been cheaper simply not buying insurance!
You’ll enjoy an easier trip.
When you use a travel agent, you’ll be able to enjoy an easier trip. Travel agents can help you plan your trip, find the best deals, book your accommodations and transportation (including flights), and even purchase travel insurance. They’re also more likely to know about any potential problems in the destination country—and may be able to advise how best to handle them should they arise.
You’ll be in good hands if something goes wrong.
When something goes wrong with your travel plans, you’ll be glad to have an agent on your side. A good travel agency is able to access the best packages and deals when it comes to flights and hotels. They also have access to frequent-flyer programs and can help you get the most out of them by booking upgrades or making sure specific seats are available on your flight.
They can also help you find replacement flights if something goes wrong with yours, including cancellations or delays—and they’ll even deal with any issues related to lost luggage! If anything happens while you’re away from home (like an injury), they’ll work hard in trying to settle things quickly so that they don’t ruin what could otherwise be a fantastic trip.
Travel agents can save you money and give you peace of mind.
Travel agents can help you plan your trip and find the best deals on flights, hotels, and cruises. They can also book activities and tours for you.
That’s not all: travel agents can help you make travel arrangements for your family or friends by planning their itineraries based on where they want to go and what they like to do when they get there.
Conclusion
When you’re planning a trip, it can be overwhelming to research all the different options and compare prices. Travel agents can help with this process by providing expert advice and guidance on where to go, how long to stay and what activities are available. We hope that this article has given you a good starting place when looking for travel agencies in Bloemfontein and the Free State!
Comment (0)