i guess this is particularly true for international travel...for US domestic flights, i think booking through an agent vs booking directly with the airline doesn't make a big price difference (if any)...

but for international trips, the agents usually get deep discounts from the airlines...for example, for a ticket that i bought earlier this year, from BOS-HKG roundtrip, the price on the ticket is $1400 something, while i only had to pay the agent a little bit more than $600...i guess if you're buying the same ticket from the airline directly, you'll have to pay the price stated on the ticket to get the same fare basis...

so, sometimes i do not find the international e-fares too appealing (especially the pacific ones)...there are usually some better deals from the travel agents...even within a few days' notice...any comments ??