the Cost of Travel Agents

$5,024 roundtrip ticket for New York City - Rome (business class outbound, coach inbound)

$226 travel agent fee

This was a rush trip for my boss and we had to match the itinerary of someone else originating from a different destination. I normally do the airline bookings myself but since I didn't have time for this one I called up the agent, explained the situation, faxed him a copy of the itinerary we were trying to match, and left it in his hands.

Within an hour, we got quotes for several airlines as well as possible hotel reservations. Even though the flight was leaving in two days time, the agent was willing to hold the reservation for two different airlines until I could get a hold of my boss who was out of town. I like this travel agent because he worked fast and offered us flexible options. I didn't have to provide my boss's credit card details to hold the reservation or even to pay for the ticket. The agent issued the e-ticket and just picked up the check payment from our office.

Make sure to ask how much a travel agent is charging on top of the ticket.

Always compare the price of ticket from the travel agent and from other sources. Do not be shy to ask the travel agent if he is willing to match the price offered by the airline or another competitor.