Is it time for the travel agent to make a comeback?

Don - you should be banned from forums like this for refering that site to anyone.

As for online- vs agent - I travel a lot and have used both - really, I don't find differences in pricing eitherway. It is a matter of choice for me - if I am going somewhere frequently, then I choose to book through an agent just for the sake of expediance. I frequently check online for pricess or promotions and book if I see something good, however, I would probably book more through an agent than online - little more personal and a lot more helpful if I get stuck somewhere due to cancellations etc.... agents can usually work to get you out of where you are at.

I use a travel agent but this person is also a friend so I can trust her. I find the book it your self sights to be somewhat misleading especially when looking at options for Vegas. You click on one and it takes you to the next page and all of a sudden the price has gone up.

I always used a travel agent in the past. The trouble with most of the travel agents I've come accross is that they don't want to bother to really look into alternaive flights and routings and will just quote you a price. They don't want to be bothered more than they have to. I then last year decided to do my own booking on line and it is a very time consuming job specially if you are concerned with connecting flights to 2nd and 3rd destinations. After countless hours I finally managed to complete my bookings.
This year by some sheer coincidence I called a travel agent for a price plus prices for connencting flights and this woman was so incredibly teriffic that not only did she find exactly what I wanted but at a better price and with better connections that I could find online. And all this was settled in 1 hour. whereas I had already spent several hours trying to do the same thing without much success.
So as long as this lady stays in the travel business i will go back to the travel agent.

Having worked as both in an online and traditional agency, a travel agent is accountable for reviewing entry requirements, giving feedback of personal experience and reviewing all rules and regulations. Customers who want to save by booking online seldom take the time to ensure they understand the rules, or verify what they have booked, hit I agree and purchase. When they run into issues they blame everyone else. In my eyes the traditional travel agent provides reassurance if there is a bumpy on your trip they are there to assist.

Of recent years, I've found it more convenient to book online. Travel agents have a tendency to push the products (airlines, hotels etc. ) which offer them better incentives. I use expedia, travelocity etc. to do my research for flights, hotels and cars. I then go directly to the specific airlines/hotel/cars site. Usually end up with a good deal and options that way. Of course, one must allow oneself the time to browse the web and look at the various options available. It's also fun. Sorry, but my experience with travel agents hasn't been very good. Maybe I just got the bad apple!

I find that booking online is much of the fun & excitement of the trip - I follow links all over the place, dig into blogs, research the local tourist info centres, festivals, sights, and events. It's a lot of fun and I learn a lot. Two years ago a group of four of us booked online to New Zealand. Calgary to San Francisco to Auckland, commuter flight to Christchurch, where we'd booked on the airport shuttle to the downtown car rental place, so we could drive to our rental cottage ("Bach" as they refer to it), about 45 minutes away. We'd booked other accommodations (there was a long weekend to worry about) for the middle of the trip, a ferry passage between the two islands, a hotel in Auckland for the last night, Auckland to Los Angeles (worst airport in THE WORLD!) to Calgary - and absolutely ZERO difficulties/problems/hassles (except at LAX, but that was an airport facility problem, and no agent on the planet could have prevented that), and all that from 24,000 km and 3 months away! We've found terrific B&B s, small hotels/pensions, and rental apartments, not to mention airfares, rental cars, and attraction entries throughout Europe and North America - all on the internet. (Here's a tip: try booking accommodations (during the summer) at local universities and colleges residences. They're cheap like Borscht (we've paid as little as $40.00/night for 4 of us, in a 4-bedroom suite with bathroom and kitchen [incl. dishes etc], and bedding). They're usually either right at or near downtown, or at least near to transit routes, close to restaurants, pubs, shopping, bookstores, museums, parks, etc. Most have, or have available gyms, pools, etc. Best deal going! Did I mention they're cheap?) Ever heard of a travel agent offering that? That being said, I check about a dozen websites (Expedia, Travelocity, etc etc) to get a feel of what flights are going, either direct or to various hubs, and then tweak it - Leave from Calgary or Edmonton? Fly Direct, or connect in Toronto? Or Montreal? Or Chicago or Salt Lake City? I find that by working backwards, it saves a lot of trouble. By this I mean: say I want to land in Madrid in the morning. There's only a few international flights that stop there in the AM. There's only a few valid transfer points - Paris, Zurich, Toronto, Chicago, New York. (Flights from Rome or Moscow are pointless). Which flights have easy connections from here (ie no overnight layovers) that I can catch at a reasonable time (on the day i want to leave, at a time that's convenient)? Now my choice is maybe 3 or 4 routes - not 16. Then a-shoppin' I go!

Try booking on this web site. It is governed by a reputable company, contact argoadventures@gmail.com if you have any questions. I have taken the TICO exam and will strive to do all that a brick and morter company can do by leading you thru my web site.
Don't knock it until you try it.

I usually use the websites to ensure that my travel agent gets me the best deal possible. So far they have always at least matched, if not bettered what the websites have to offer.
The difference for me is that travel agents are insured, websites are not. Should something go wrong I know how to reach my travel agent and who to speak to there. I can just imagine what would happen if I tried to talk to expedia or travelocity!!
I know that everyone has to make a living and that includes travel agents, so if it costs a few dollars extra, so be it!

The most scary thing at the moment is more: When will we control our skies?
I will NOT take a plane at the moment.
Some people know why, some are laughing.
The one not laughing are the one that are not anymore and being accused of bad piloting.
And just to protect the liars...incredible.
Human life is worth about 2 cents a piece...not much more.

Is this article for real?? What travel agent paid for them to write this non-sense!
Unlike many young adults in their mid 20's, I was skeptical of using the web to book my vacation, so the first trip I took to Mexico was booked through an agent. What a mistake that was. The room we got was mediocre at best, my wife didn't get anything to eat on the flight because the agent failed to inform the airline she was a vegetarian, and most importantly I paid a PREMIUM for this service.
Needless to say, the next trip I booked (my honeymoon of all trips) I booked myself, with multiple destinations (Jamaica and L.A.). I checked reviews on tripadvisor.com (great site for honest reviews), then booked a non-packaged vacation on expedia.ca. They asked what kind of meals we wanted on the flights, we got to request a quiet location in our resort, and it was wayyyy cheaper than booking through an agent.
Overall, if you have the time and enjoy some researching and planning, being your own travel agent is far better than paying for one. I did have to contact expedia for flight time changes, but all in all it was a good experience and I would recommend booking your vacations online anyday, if you like saving A LOT of money!

Ah travel agents. So what role should they play if any. Well, I have booked trips by both means. I have booked online and I have book with travel agents and did the travel agents offer value and service not found online. Absolutely NOT!
I booked my regular trips with an online website and I have never had a problem. Somebody else referred to their "experience". Okay sure, but more reliable are websites such as Tripadvisor.com if you want the scoop from REAL people who've been there. Agents get special "deals/kickbacks" for pushing some resorts and destinations and even if you have an honest agent, what are they really doing for you that beats an online website? Well let's see shall we. We used a travel agent, we'd known for years in Oshawa (King and Townline area)> He promised that when we booked our wedding party and our honeymoon in Mexico, that he would take care of us. He went as far as to say that he would gift us for free providing our entire party booked with him. Did he do that? Nope. Was his price better? Nope in fact another agent who never met us before quoted us a lower price and we never mentioned the family's agent's price. We had to utilize the web to get the best price from him. When we got there, the hotel didn't know we were on our honeymoon and without that info sent from our agent, they didn;t give us any of the honeymoon perks we were entitled to. We even called back home and spoke to the agent to get him to take care of it. Did he? Nope. Were we stranded at a hotel when our shuttle to the airport was not scheduled? Yup! Did we have our luggage lotted because we could check our bags properly due to the late arrival at the airport? Yup.
So exactly what good is a travel agent? They are a complete waste of money. You are better off getting better servcie from iTravel2000.com or selloffvacations.com.
He almost ruined our honeymoon and did he do anything about it? nope. Apparently he has now taken a job at a bank in order to keep is travel agency in business. Hopefully Durham Travel will learn from this lesson in humility.

My travel agent - used him since I first went off to boarding school almost 30 years ago - gives me the wholesale cost and tacks on $10.00 (yes, only $10.00). I ALWAYS get the flights I want, as long as it's 2 weeks advance -- last minute is always a crapshoot. I always check the flight prices online and tell him the quotes, and he gets me a better price, and often a free upgrade. Just to one destination in Africa alone, I do at least 4 return trips per year.

I am dreading the day James retires - as he IS getting up in years.

Agent vs. online from the other side. As the guy who has driven the busses, dispatched the drivers, processed the reservations online and over the phone; I can tell you that Travel Agents frustrate me to no end. I would even go so far as to say that I hate some of them. I will however, give them credit for doing what they do. At least they have the sense to contact my company (online or by phone). No one can be an expert at every destination and type of vacation in the world. Travel agents have consistently asked me the dumbest questions, but at least they have asked, and are doing what they are supposed to do. Learn about the destination. Once I have painfully explained the simple geography of Canada (to Canadians), they are quite willing to share the information that I need to make my portion of their client’s vacation a success. Passengers who book directly with me seem to encounter more problems. Online bookings often have the wrong pick-up locations, or impossible connections. I try to do the best that I can to “counsel” all passengers and make sure they will not have problems; but I am not a travel agent, and do not have the time or ability to see how your arrangements in Vancouver are affected by changes to your arrangements in Toronto. Most important for me is to make sure you know how to change your bookings when you have to (most people booking direct seem to book transportation before they know where they are going; ie. which hotel they are staying at).
In my opinion, unless you are willing to put in the same research time, you should probably use a travel agent. True, most of them will have less knowledge than you, but if you find a good one, and don’t expect “the world” just their specialty and their time to research the rest, you will be better off. Understanding your travel agent’s specialization is the most important thing. Even online travel sites are limited in the types of vacations and destinations that they are familiar with. In case you are wondering; I use all combinations of online and travel agent assistance, but always make sure that I get all the information that I need.

If you will indulge me with an anecdote from a couple of years ago. I had dispatched the morning bus to the airport with a short list of passengers to be picked up at various hotels. At the first hotel, the driver radioed that he could not locate four of his passengers. To keep things on time, I approved his moving to the next hotel, and began trying locating the missing passengers. First step is to call the hotel, and see if they have checked out. All four are still in house, so I asked to be connected to their rooms. There was no answer at either room, but I left messages. Going through the hotel’s hoops to make sure I am not a stalker, and we are talking about the same Mr & Mrs takes a surprising amount of time. The driver is now on the radio with all the remaining passengers and is headed to the ticket office because he has collected a few walk up passengers who need to buy tickets. Second step is to use whatever contact information we have in the reservations. One couple booked online, and one couple booked through a travel agent. Although not required, the online booking has a contact phone number so I give it a try. There is no answer, but I leave a message and offer to send someone to pick them up if they can call me on my toll free number within the next 15 minutes. The travel agent booking only has the travel agent’s number, so I give it a try. There is someone in the agency office (fairly early in the morning), and they are able to look through the file. It turns out the travel agent booked them on the morning bus, but gave them the option to go on the afternoon bus, as long as they called the night before to make the change. The agent was quite apologetic, and we agreed that it was safe to assume the passengers had decided to take the later bus. The agent also assured me there was no conflict with flight connections etc. The driver had just finished at the ticket office, and came by my office to get his updated passenger list, now with only two missing passengers. To cover ourselves, I made sure that he had made himself known at the hotel (often one bus looks like another and not all are going to the airport). He confirmed that he had even had the bellman check for their luggage and the bellman had confirmed that they had not checked out. I asked the driver if anyone on the bus had tight connections, and he felt that a ten minute wait would be no problem. So we waited, and the driver went to reassure the rest of the passengers that it would not be a long delay. I tried to contact the two still missing passengers at the hotel and by the contact number again. Still not checked out and no answers. Holding the bus as long as the driver was comfortable, we finally had to mark down the two passengers as no show, and send the bus. Thankfully no one had really tight flight connections and the driver was able to make up a little bit of time on the highway (the airport is a two hour drive). Later in the morning (probably about the time the bus was arriving at the airport) the bellman from the hotel calls, and asks if four guests can change their reservations. When he gives me the names, we realize we have now found our missing passengers. I apologized to the bellman, and told him that one booking had been changed by the travel agent, while the other booking had been marked as no show. I apologized to the bellman, because he was now in the awkward position of explaining why one couple gets to go on the later bus, and one couple has to buy a new ticket. Needless to say, there was a bit of a ruckus. The bellman eventually asked to remove himself (probably in tears), and have me sort out why two couples had such different outcomes for essentially the same mistake. They all admitted that they were aware of the requirement to make changes the night before, but had neglected to make the changes for various reasons (the hotel’s bell desk is staffed 24 hours, and they were using it now to make changes, so sometime earlier would have been just as easy). I explained that the couple who had booked through a travel agent had been taken care of by the travel agent. In fact, the travel agent had authorized a change in the reservation, admittedly not the night before, but before a bus load of passengers had to wait for no one to show up. The travel agent had also apologized and offered to accept a reduction in commission if it could minimize the penalty. The couple who booked online, did not apologize, nor did they express any concern for the passengers who waited for them. Eventually everyone was accommodated on the later bus without a penalty (the hotel actually asked for a favor to get the passengers out of the lobby). A supervisor removed the no show, and we changed drivers so that the morning driver didn’t have to “try again” to take those passengers to the airport. In case anyone ever wonders what the no show, cancellation or change fee (penalty) covers; it is the inconvenience to other passengers. We are a small bus company, and were fortunate to be able to call up another driver to take the afternoon run to the airport. We also had to find another piece of work for the morning driver to get his full day. None of the delayed passengers made any complaints, and the travel agent got her full $12 commission.

Seems that you pay less going to a travel agent, its very true they have deals which are not online,

Online is good to book a simple plane ticket perhaps, but then if you mess up the dates, mess up the names you are responsilble, I find it scary typing in all the info, let the agent do it...

I remember a recent case where a lady typed her surname twice in the forename and surname and could not change the name. What a mess, she lost out big time and ended up paying again for the ticket, with an agent they will check and recheck..

ONline is great for research and comments but actually booking is far better using an agent...

You have peace of mind. Mind you the agent could scam /fraud you taking funds and disappearing...thats also happened in Montreal.