It is quite common for airlines to have “promotions” that only travel agents know about. Fares can often be as little as half, and it is not unknown to get a flight for one dollar between points in Europe, especially Russia. Sometimes the agent books a bolck of tickets, doesnt sell them all for a package tour, and will close out his remainders for almost nothing.
Last time I used a travel agent, I told him to let me know if he had a neat deal. He phoned a few weeks later with a $99 fare from Detroit to Cancun and back for a week, with one night in a Detroit hotel and three days free parking at the airport. Leaving day after tomorrow.
My wife walked into a travel agent in Florida, and got a $50 American Airlines ticket rouhnd trip to anywhere in the 48 states on Memorial Day Sunday. She flew Miami to Detroit and had the plane almost all to herself.
Travel a lot for business and use the travel agent down the street.
When I have a trip I call and tell him where and when . He sends me 3 options and I pick the one that is god. Next thing I know the tickets are issued and in my email. He charges a fee for that on top of the airline fare. I gladly pay. It is not worth my time, and more important the aggravation, to do that myself online.
Likewise if you have any sort of travel rules or are dealing with a client (like the feds) with their own rules, an agent can help enforce those for employees.
My Wife booked a surprise vacation for us (as a gift to me) to Germany a few years ago. She knew I had always wanted to visit Europe.
She really wasn’t sure where to start and did use a Travel agent.
The agent did great with us spending a few nights each in 9(?) of the cutest nicest small hotels in Bavaria. We took trains from town to town. It was wonderful. We had a great time.
Yes, this could be done over the net, but would have taken a huge effort of finding the places that we like.
Other than that trip, we have never used a travel agent.
[sidenote]We really learned how to pack, and pack light from that trip and use the same methods today. And we had already been light travelers[/sn]