I can’t remember ever using a travel-agent. That’s probably because I find organized trips too much pressure — I feel trapped. There is nothing wrong with getting a travel-agent to book your flights and make your itinerary; they are good with suggestions and often get the best rates if you want to cover multiple things-to-see-places-to-visit. My reluctance to use them has resulted in me paying a lot more for things than I should have, but given me freedom and only myself to blame if I’ve had problems.

Whether you choose to use an agent or make bookings yourself, there are some things you can keep in mind to minimize potential problems when you travel. So here I post these four key points to keep in mind as given by travel agent and columnist John Frenaye in a recent article on MSNBC. They may seem obvious but when it comes to putting the money down, I always get asked the same questions all the time, all revolving around doubts on reliability; these points should help remove doubts when you make booking decisions.