Anyone who is planning to go for Hajj which is one of the most spiritual and holy journeys in a Muslims life and wants to choose Hajj operator, they must be very careful while making this choice. It is an essential decision as a trustworthy and trained operator can make your journey safe, smooth and you can perform your worship calmly without any kind of worry. Every year many pilgrims face difficulties because of hiring fake and wrong hajj operators. If you want your journey to be peaceful you should avoid some red flags and look for some must have credentials which are mentioned here:
RED FLAGS:
- Lack of official authorisation: Before choosing the hajj operator confirm if he is government authorised Hajj agent. The hajj operator should have a license of the Muslim and religious affairs of the country and must also be registered with the Saudi Ministry of hajj and umrah.
- Extra Low Prices: If the prices are too low as compared to normal ones, they are suspicious because they may be cutting corners, travel and even visa legitimacy.
- No Physical Office or Website: The operator who usually does not have an office, a proper platform, website or does not work with a trustworthy Hajj agency is usually suspicious. They try to contact people on WhatsApp or social media platforms.
- Unclear packages: The packages offered by these operators will not be clear. They will have unclear hotel names and flights dates.
- No Agreement: The real hajj operator will always provide a written agreement about the details of the package.
MUST HAVE CREDENTIALS:
- Ministry authorisation: They should be registered with the religious ministry of the country and should also be known to Saudi Ministry of hajj and umrah.
- Hajj agency registration: A reliable and trusted agency is one that is authorized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj of Umrah to provide Hajj and Umrah services.
- Hajj agency licence: Check that the operator has the licence of the known organization of the country. For instance, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in Pakistan.
- Airline partnership: They should have official partnership with any airline for the packages that include flights.
- Experienced guides and scholars: The best Hajj operatorshould also have a group of experienced scholars who can help the people about the rituals throughout the journey.
- Emergency support: They good operators provide support in case of medical or travel emergency.
- Clear contract: They have a contract in which all the services, exclusions and inclusions are mentioned with no hidden prices.
- Authorised visa handling: He should be an approved Hajj operatorand should have the permission process visas through official Saudi channels.
- Customer Reviews: You should also check the reviews and feedbacks if past pilgrims. The reviews make it clear whether this operator is reliable or not. Positive reviews show that the operator is trustworthy.
- Time of experience: An operator who has a good track of organising hajj groups for several years is the best. The more experienced the operator is the more he can handle everything properly.
- E- Hajj registration: Among the must have credentials, the travel agency should be registered with the E -Hajj portal which connects them directly to the Saudi Hajj Systems. The companies registered on Nusuk Hajj platform are reliable and you can get their company details and experience on that platform.
Therefore, when looking for a reliable Hajj and Umrah travel agency in Pakistan you must look for a legitimate travel company that are licensed by required authorities so that the pilgrims can get government approved Hajj services.
