a good travel agent will definitely improve your whole travel experience....the travel agency i use is fantastic....they give me special treatment (i do book a lot with them)....i never have to ask them to get me the cheapest fare, they waitlist me on the cheapest ticket & almost always get it confirmed....they have great relations with all the airlines & often get me upgraded from business to first....thanks to these guys, i have almost always (except for one occasion) managed to use my vouchers to get upgrades on jet & kingfisher....
even if i have to pay a little extra (which is normally not the case), i still book with them because all the extra perks make it worth it....