Expedia and such
 

Are there pro's and con's when buying tickets through travel agents instead of online companies such as Expedia and such? have always bought through an agent,seemed to have felt more secure to me.I have been very satisfied as far as service goes with my agent,but the price is not always as competitive as Expedia... I seem to get the same seats eveytime we travel(great seats!!),never a problem.Can I expect the same when buying online with Expedia,Travelocity? Thanks much (Great Forum!)

Why do you think dealing with your agent is more secure?

Service will certainly be much better with a travel agent you like. And Expedia will usually be cheaper. Your agent is unlikely to have any extra ability to get better seats than Expedia.

You have much more information and control with Expedia. A travel agent thrives by controlling the information he/she gives you; how do you know you are getting the best deal? If the agent is being "spiffed" by a certain airline, you are going to get that airline pushed to you. You can never be sure of the travel agent's agenda. You don't have that problem with Expedia, Orbitz, etc.

I thought seat quality was more about the class of ticket and status of the passenger.

And I've used Expedia half a dozen times in the past year and think that they're more than acceptable.

For hotels, I've found that travelocity and expedia tend to "push" you on their preferred providers more than Orbitz. That said, for domestic travel - the travel agent doesn't buy much for your $. It is like self-serve gasoline - take responsibility for yourself and save some money. It's not that hard.

Of course, I am el Cheapo.

If you find a deal on Travelocity, Expedia or Orbitz -- which are great research tools -- you can often match it or perhaps save a few dollars by purchasing directly with the airline or hotel. It also removes an intermediary from the process and that can be very handy in the case of an issue. On the carrier I use most frequently, there is a seat selection tool.

The only con I find with Expedia and the alike is their service fees… On Domestic Trips purchasing a ticket from the airline is less that online travel sites…. However when Traveling Internationally, a travel agent gets you better deal than what Internet Sites offer…

The only pro is, they tell you what the price is, and thus allowing you to book from the airline or find a better deal from an agent. :D