Booking a long flight. Should I use a travel agent?

Yes and no.
My in laws booked assistance when they really needed it. He couldn't walk far. They would arrive in very good time and be left until the last minute when a strong young person would whisk him in a wheelchair with his 90yr old DW running along beside him trying to keep up!
I am glad it was helpful for your df corner

Grammaretto. Can I encourage you to book assistance? An elderly friend, well used to long distance air travel and fiercely independent, was uncertain about being speedy enough to make a connecting flight. She booked assistance to help relieve anxiety and said she’d never travel without it again. Everything was made so easy, she had no worries as cabin crew and ground staff supported her, leaving her to just sit back and relax.

MerylStreep

Grammaretto
My late mother in law did it on her own at 82.
I can still see her when we picked her up at the airport. As fresh as a Daisy.
She went blind not long after that but still made her way from Essex to wales and Newcastle by coach on her own.

An aunt came over from Australia on her own for the first time in about 50 years when she was 80.
She came again two years later.

Meryl Streep ☺️
Wonderful!

Grammaretto
My late mother in law did it on her own at 82.
I can still see her when we picked her up at the airport. As fresh as a Daisy.
She went blind not long after that but still made her way from Essex to wales and Newcastle by coach on her own.

I have taken your collective advice and given my details to a local independent travel agent who will come up with some ideas.
He has warned me that I'll be going at peak season. It can't be helped as it has to be their summer holidays if I want to see my family.

We're the same as PamelaJ1. We've travelled for years to see close family overseas. Nowadays we book our flights through Trailfinders & we include a hotel booking
to make it a "package" and thus more protected if things go wrong. (I think that just one hotel night can make it a "package".)
We'll be booking again soon; with Trailfinders.

Thanks again to all of you who have taken the trouble to hold my hand over this.

Despite doing this journey 3 times before, without problems, this will be a first trip alone, the first for 10 years and I'll be over 75 so insurance will be an issue also the dreaded RLS.

That's an excellent idea JackyB to keep a booklet and don't lose it

Co Op Travel agencies are still in operation in a nearby town to us.

I would use a travel agent for a long haul flight. I would feel happier having someone to contact if anything goes wrong.

Having said that, for our 3rd trip to the US, we could have done everything ourselves. On previous occasions, the travel agent had organised us a hire car and road trip but with far too much driving. We wanted to drive shorter distances and look at more sights on the way.

I worked out an itinerary and asked them to book hotels to fit. I had planned a sort of John Steinbeck tour, so I included Salinas and Monterey (California).

When I got the bumph back, I made myself a little booklet to cover the itinerary including overnight stays and discovered that she had booked us a hotel in Monterrey (Mexico) instead of Monterey in CA.

So even if you do use a travel agent, check everything twice. Check the date, in particular,including the year!

Dial a Flight was excellent for us. They put together a good package at the best price I could find. I understand your trepidation. It's a long way and expensive.

Grammaretto

Thanks everyone. I feel more confident already.
My df who is a retired travel agent is going to phone me tomorrow too so I will be well versed.

Good, I'm sure he/she will be able to help and reassure you.

We've used Trailfinders and Austravel in the past but booked our own flights online with the airline after we got more used to the systems.
I used to double and triple check to make sure I got it right so going through an agent is a good idea for peace of mind.
They're not always more expensive as they get good deals with the airlines.

Booking assistance is a good idea, especially as going through transit is not always a relaxing experience, although if you're going via Singapore, Changi is arguably the best airport in the world and it's easy to spend time there.

I used a travel agent to plan a trip to Australia in 2019. We wanted to do three cities and it seemed more daunting than our usual trips to the US so I felt I needed some help. They were brilliant, understood exactly what I was asking for and in the end it worked out cheaper than anything on offer in brochures or online.

I don’t think they exist now, went to the wall during the pandemic, but I’m sure any reputable agency would be fine. Have a great trip!

We use Trailfinders and always book some hotel accommodation with then because, I believe that you get more protection if you have a package.
We got stuck in Perth when Covid struck, we are locked in a hotel room. Our flight via HK flew without us because the HK government refused to let anyone transit.
Gabrielle at our fairly local branch was amazing and managed to get us a flight at a fraction of the price of any online offers at that time.

Grammretto
Do you have a friend/ family who can go through this with you.
Or, ask your family in NZ to book your ticket and assistance.

We used Travelbag last year. I’d recommend them, we had stop offs and went to Australia And back. They organised it all, flights, hotels, taxicabs the lot. Not cheap, no, but worth it. We also went business class all the way and back. The care and attention was wonderful. We flew Emirates who were fantastic.

The walks got longer though Hetty. The travelators are often out of order. I don't blame your mum!

Thanks everyone. I feel more confident already.
My df who is a retired travel agent is going to phone me tomorrow too so I will be well versed.

My mother always booked wheelchair assistance in her later years. She could walk very well and was perfectly fine - but disliked all the rigmarole of airports and travelling. Yes, she used a travel agent, they're still about.

Dial a Flight are superb, my daughter uses them for business and pleasure, they are all in the UK not a foreign call centre, staff is really well trained.

A travel agent can often get better prices if you want an overnight stop to break the journey, so it’s worth talking to one or two. You don’t have to use them if you aren’t happy with what they can offer.

Thanks Mizuna.
We used an agent back in the pre internet age and they were so helpful and knowledgeable. Nowadays unless you are booking a tour, you are expected to just book online

I was a travel agent. I loved 'hand-holding' the more worried clients and appreciated what a difference it made to their trips. How about popping into your nearest travel agency armed with online fares and see how far they can go to matching them? They should be able to arrange assistance for you.

Thanks Aggie. Can you book assistance online?

Book “ assistance “ if you are nervous of travelling alone .
I have had some lovely people shepherding me through various airports
It really makes a differeance