Benn Benn:
FOr the most part Travel agents use the internet to look up crap. I don't know why more travel agencies have not gone the way to the telegram in the digital age. I'm assuming too many older folks don't trust booking on the net.
In fairness, the web has come a long way in only a few years.
It wasn't too long ago that websites like Expedia or Travelocity would only spit out one set of flights or hotels based on your search parameters. Nowadays, they spit out flights for the day you searched, as well as a couple forward and backwards, but before they couldn't, travel agents were the best way to find this info.
Travel agents also offer insight websites don't.
You might see a great rate on Alibaba Airlines or at the Hotel International in South Central LA, but if you don't do your research, you could wind up booking something you didn't want. The best thing is to ask the agent if they've ever been to the place you're travelling to. They can steer you clear of dives and dumps and make sure you get a decent place. Conversely, you have to be careful that they don't steer you into a five star hotel for $400/night either.
Finally, most travel agents these days typically only do package deals (cruises, all-inclusives, etc) because that's about the only place to earn decent commission now. It can be pretty hard to find a travel agent to book you a flight and hotel for a trip to Moncton.
About the only place I know that still does that are the local chapters of AAA/CAA (AMA here in Alberta), and even they try and steer you into pre-paid packages they get commission off of.
I'm booking my summer vacation as we speak and I've used both - I called AMA to rent my vehicle (because their rental program is way better than I can get online), but booked my flight and hotel on my own (through the supplier's website in both cases, not Expedia or Travelocity).
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