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When Agents Attack
Cheap Charlie · September 1, 1999

Last week I wrote about how travel agents can help travelers get the best deal. Unfortunately, some travel agents were not happy, because I said they worked for the airlines, cruise lines and car rental companies.

OK. OK. OK. Stop the complaining already.

Let me make it simple:

Even though travel agents get paid by the airlines, travel agents sign contracts with the airlines, travel agents use airline-owned reservation systems, and travel agents operate at the airline's discretion, let's assume travel agents don't work for those who pay them, they really work for air travelers.

Let's also assume that if airline A will pay a travel agent 10 percent as a commission and airline B only pays 5 percent, good travel agents will ignore putting food on the table for their family in favor of getting their customer a great deal. That's the "Agents in Wonderland" story I have been deluged with for the past week.

They all really believe they work for travelers. They have sent me a steady stream of vitriolic missives claiming that they don't work for the airlines.

I'm willing to take them at their word as long as they manage to get the best rates for us. And they certainly can. The only time it's better to book directly through the airline is when you know what the lowest fare is on the route you plan to fly, and you can book directly through the Internet site and get additional discounts travel agents can't give you.

In last week's column I said, "the traveler is in control, not the airline." I mean that travelers can explore more options, compare more prices, more easily, on more airlines, at more flight times with travel agents than when calling the airline 800 number or searching the airline Web sites.

Travelers also have the option of consolidator discounts when dealing with many travel agents that would never be explored by an airline representative.

Travel agents can help. Travel agents can search for the lowest fares between cities on many airlines instead of only one airline. Airlines only search for the fares travelers request on their airline. Travel agents can check for availability of low fares on all flights on the day of departure rather than being limited to only one departure time. Shifting your flight by only an hour may make a big difference in price.

Airline Web sites make this process cumbersome and time consuming. Travel agents can check consolidator ticketing options when travelers have missed the advanced-purchase deadlines. Many times, a good agent can get last-minute travelers 14-day advanced purchase fares. Airlines will never do this.

Airline Web sites can not do this.

Travel agents can do the research for your flight while you do something else. Airlines need to talk with you and may keep you on hold for lengthy periods. Airline Web sites take up a lot of time and still have a lot of bugs and can't process many of the basic discounts such as senior discounts and military discounts.

Certain travel agents have more "pull" with certain airlines than others. When you find out which agents have the most clout with the airlines you fly, stick with them. They can often get the airlines to release more advance-purchase seats, they can get upgrades, they can slip you a pass for the airline club, they have free drink coupons … you get the idea.

Airlines never offer any additional amenities -- you pay for them. I'm sure I can think of more ways agents can help, but I have a headache. If you have more to add, send them my way. I'll put up another list of ways agents can help travelers in a few weeks.

OK? Cheap Charlie says, "Travel Agents can be good for a bargain hunter. Make sure you find a good one and make sure you ask the right questions and let them know what you want."

Charlie Leocha is the Boston-based author of Travel Rights: Know the Rules of the Road and the Air Before You Go. Cheap Charlie appears every Monday on this site. E-mail him at cheapch@aol.com or access his Web site.