see: http://www.asta.org/News/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1985#14

And, agencies have competitive pricing. Their fares were equal or lower 91.6% of the time :

http://www.etopaz.com/pdf/Internet%20vs%20Agency%202008%20-%20May%2009.pdf

In the end — score one for the savvy consumer!”

Obviously, Jason has as big an issue with travel agents as his understanding of the industry is limited.

This issue potentially goes far beyond the issues raised in the space allotted to this column.

However, I will state that, as a travel professional, I’ve frequently obtained better fares than were available via the airline’s website and almost always arrange better schedules than presented by the airline as well. Remember, the airline’s going to show you what they want to sell, not what’s best for the traveler. Anyone who fails to take this into consideration in their travel planning is playing the game wearing a blindfold.