With you here. I only fly delta and end up just booking on their site. I'd rather be eligible for an upgrade than being in a fare code that doesn't qualify.
Not sure why the author thinks travel agents are useless. You don't (or shouldn't be) paying them so it's not like only the rich benefit. I used an agent recently when I was meeting someone in Orlando and needed our flights to arrive around the same time and have transportation waiting. A lot less stressful than trying to compare between carriers. My agent was able to track our flights and had to move the driver back an hour due to a delay - something I couldn't have done easily from the air.
> Not sure why the author thinks travel agents are useless. You don't (or shouldn't be) paying them so it's not like only the rich benefit.
My employer pays for ours. They've never found a cheaper fare than I've found, and we pay them per person per flight booked. This is the first year that they haven't proposed a flight/hotel stay combo that wasn't anything like what I specified.
As far as I can tell, they're just a way to make sure that higher-level sales folks don't book a $3k 2-hour flight that includes a masseuse.
When I used to work in corporate, the company travel agent sorted out serious crap every time it mattered. Once showed up at the airport, Friday evening, everyone on the way home. Surprise snowfall closed the airport and all flights cancelled. Called the booking people and they sorted out a taxi, hotel and other flight in 5 minutes while everyone else was struggling to find a cab. When I got to the hotel, there was a massive queue at reception which I just sailed past. I love a good travel desk.
I know someone with a golf vacation business and a good chunk of their business is via travel agents from Germany. Not sure if it's just bigger over there or if it's more prevalent for group bookings that they cater to for golf.
Your point about keeping corporate bookings honest makes sense. I've found executive assistants to be very good at research and bookings though. But I suppose they could be more easily influenced than an outsourced agent.
Not sure why the author thinks travel agents are useless. You don't (or shouldn't be) paying them so it's not like only the rich benefit. I used an agent recently when I was meeting someone in Orlando and needed our flights to arrive around the same time and have transportation waiting. A lot less stressful than trying to compare between carriers. My agent was able to track our flights and had to move the driver back an hour due to a delay - something I couldn't have done easily from the air.