Any travel agents here? Multi destination advice

[patent10021]

I'm traveling all over SE Asia and Sri Lanka India etc via YVR -> NRT or KIX. I'll be staying in Japan for a couple of months then to China for a couple of months then from there all over the place in SE Asia for a couple of months then to Sri Lanka area then back to China and Japan for a few months then back to YVR.

I was thinking of just getting a return ticket YVR -> CMB with a few months stop-over in Japan or China. And during those few months travel all over SE Asia. Since Tokyo or Osaka or Shanghai can be a hub for me.

I don't see any options for extended stop-overs on online booking sites. This kind of thing would have to be done via phone call?

I live in Japan and usually buy when I'm there but I came home for a bit this summer so I'll be leaving from YVR.

Would you recommend buying all the tickets at once or buying everything when I'm in China or Japan?

 

[D.T.]

Holy smokes! Is this personal, professional (or a mix of the two)?

 

[patent10021]

Holy smokes! Is this personal, professional (or a mix of the two)?

Well I live between Tokyo and Shenzhen. Been there for years. But this summer I came home for a visit and when I go back next week I'll be leaving from Vancouver and touring SE Asia and coming back to Vancouver in the spring for another home visit. I can work from my MacBook and my base is in Asia so that's why it's easy for me to go. I have friends basically everywhere so I don't need hotels. I just have to pay for my airfares. However I'd like to know how to save as much as possible on those airfares when traveling from north America because I've never travelled from north America to other parts except to Japan or China. I always leave from Asia.

 

[Kim Barnett]

Before anything I will definitely suggest you not to do booking online, it’s double the cost, so that’s why avoiding that is the best. Now I am no agent, so I can’t help you too much on that, but my suggestion would be buying everything at once, it will keep you relax.

travel holiday

 

[patent10021]

Thanks. Yeah I've already bought my main tickets for places we are using as hubs i.e. Malaysia. Will buy more tickets when we are arrive to smaller countries because they're all like $60 and easy to purchase. So for example when we fly Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh it only costs $60.00. We can book the same ticket from home online but we prefer the flexibility so we will purchase there.

Travel agents are expensive and take more commission. They often try to get you to purchase ALL your tickets with them so they can make more $$. kayak.ca etc are much much cheaper. I compared with multiple travel agents.

For example:
Buy your main return ticket i.e. Vancouver to Hong kong via aircanada.com because then you can cancel or change the flight anytime for $100. And also buy the HK -> Vietnam return ticket separately $180.00. Then buy the other tickets when you're there because you have flexibility to fly when you want to the rest of South East Asia.

So except for the main destinations book all open-jaw.

Basically you waste your time and money if you do not make the arrangements yourself. If you like tour groups and less freedom then you should use an agent.