It pays to use a travel agent only if you know a *good* one. A good travel agent will know when a small change in your schedule can save you a lot of money. If you buy direct from the airline, you may not find out such information, since they will only quote you the rates for the times you ask. So if you're going to use a travel agent, make sure that you find one who is willing (and able) to search through the morass of fares and restrictions to find a good deal for you. A travel agent who just punches your data into the computer and tells you the prices is no better than the airline's 800 number. A good travel agent can probably save you about 10-15%. [Actually, if the airline goes bankrupt between ticket purchase and flight time, and you bought your ticket from a travel agent, you may be able to get a refund, especially from some of the larger agencies. If the airlines goes bankrupt within 10 days of the purchase of the ticket, the agency may not have paid the airline yet (they are allowed 10 days to do so), so you can ask them for a refund. Better yet, buy your airtickets with a credit card, and the federal credit protection act will allow you to get a refund from your credit card company.]

There are several major differences between using a travel agency and using the airport (airline) ticket agents:

1. A travel agent can look at all the airline fares, not just those of a single carrier. A good travel agent will check fares on at least three carriers. Airlines can only give you their own best fares. Then again, you can always call up three (or more) airlines yourself to discover the best fares on each.

2. A travel agent can check for special deals with consolidators. Airline ticket agents can't. Airlines sell heavily discounted tickets only through consolidators, not direct to the passenger.

Given the frequency of fare changes these days, a good travel agent can often find you some real bargains. A bad travel agent, on the other hand, may miss getting you the lowest possible fare. So it is best to find yourself a good travel agent.

If you don't care for consolidator tickets, the travel agents get the same pricing information as is available from most of the online reservation services and the airlines themselves. So you can do your own legwork if you wish by calling the airlines themselves. But why do it when a good travel agent can do it for you? After all, when you buy a ticket direct from the airline the airline still keeps the commission, so why not give the commission to a travel agent, who'll do a little work to make sure you get the cheapest fare?

One reason to do the legwork yourself, either through an online CRS or by calling the airlines directly, is to get full details on the fare rules governing special fares. Many travel agents do not know how to retrieve the rules from their CRS, or aren't willing to do so. If you read through the rules yourself, you may find a loophole or two to your benefit.

Note that some travel agencies try to funnel all their business to a specific airline, because the more tickets they sell to a single airline, the more money they get. Airlines have incentive programs to encourage this practice. The travel agent may also know how to look up fares on only one airline. This means that your travel agent may be checking the fares on a single airline, instead of hunting around for the best fare from several airlines. This is especially true for travel agencies near airports that are dominated by one carrier. Your best bet may be to call several airlines before you go to your travel agent, doing the research on your own, or to tell the travel agent to check fares on two or three specific airlines. (Don't tell them to check on all airlines -- nobody is going to do that much work just for a $20 commission.)

Also, airlines sometimes sell bulk tickets to large travel agencies at bargain basement prices if they think they cannot fill the seats. So depending on the travel agency, you might be able to get a really good deal. Travel agents sometimes get complimentary tickets (e.g., one free ticket for every 25 sold), which they can sell as they wish. (These are called "Promotional Tickets" and are for standby travel.)

But then again, travel agents get a commission on air tickets and hotels. The commission is a fixed percentage of the fare (if you order direct from the airline, the airline pockets the difference). So the agent can earn more money by selling you a more expensive ticket. So be cautious when using a travel agent. Look over the agent's shoulder and see if they're overlooking a really cheap flight. Most travel agents will try to find you the cheapest possible flight, because they want your repeat business. But that's the only incentive for them to try to hunt down an inexpensive fare, so they may not be as thorough on the cheaper routes. All computer reservation systems provide a method of displaying the applicable fares in order of price, from cheapest on up.

Since discount flights have restrictions on day of week and flight times, make sure that you let the travel agent know that you are flexible and will change a day either way if that will save you money. Also don't be shy of stating the obvious -- that you're looking for the cheapest possible fare -- since (most) travel agents aren't mind readers.

Airport ticket agents tend to be better informed than the people at the toll-free reservation number, since they often have to deal with special situations (missed connections, bumped people, etc.) that require really knowing the reservation system's ins and outs.

But beware. Airport ticket agents are not beyond lying or making mistakes. A frequent complaint of air travelers is being quoted one price over the phone, and finding that their credit card has been charged another. Sometimes this happens because the computer system has trouble completing the transaction and delays it until the following morning (whence the fare change). But other times it is due to human error (as if computer problems aren't due to human error either). When you get your tickets, be sure to verify that the price charged matches the price you were quoted. If they're different, be prepared for a fight -- airlines seem very reluctant to own up to this kind of error. Give as much detailed information as possible, such as the time you called, the name of the ticket agent, the price quoted, any unusual occurrences. Get the problem fixed *before* you use the ticket. They probably won't refund you the difference, as the price on the ticket is almost always the correct price, but they are required to (by law) allow you to cancel the ticket and get a full refund without penalty. If they give you any trouble, pursue it with your credit card company. It is worth repeating, however, that you can get the refund only if you don't use the ticket, and initiate any complaint promptly. [Note that this circumstance is different from when the airline prints an incorrect price in the newspaper. Not only is the error clearly documented, but the error occurs before the transaction is completed, not after.]

Even though most airlines are now matching their lowest discount fares, it still pays to have your travel agent check several airlines. For example, USAir has a virtual monopoly out of Pittsburgh, some sometimes they don't feel the need to reduce the fares. If you don't mind making a connection, you can sometimes save some money by taking another airline.

Most airlines have a "tickets by mail" service which lets you charge the tickets to your credit card over the phone, and have the tickets mailed to you at no extra charge. Allow 5 business days for the tickets to reach you.

When using the airline ticket agents (the ones you get when you call the airline's reservation number), if you find that you're having trouble with the ticket agent, try hanging up (politely) and calling again. Some of the agents are more knowledgeable and helpful than others, and by calling again you may reach one of the better agents. If you get very good service from an airline ticket agent, write to the airline commending his or her performance. Thank you letters do go into the employee's permanent file.

To find a good travel agent, ask the secretaries where you work and your friends for recommendations. Note that most people will recommend a particular agent -- don't assume that every agent who works at that agent's travel agency is as good. Don't be afraid to ask for the recommended agent by name. Most people tend to use the travel agent that is closest to where they work or live. If you don't like the service you're getting, try a different agent.

A good travel agent will become familiar with your travel preferences, and keep track of your frequent flyer numbers and any special requirements, such as special meals, seat selection (window/aisle), non-smoking, etc. They'll also let you know if changing your itinerary slightly will result in a lower fare. They'll also advise you of any changes made by the airline on your tickets, by calling you (or if they can't reach you, by mail).

When you get your tickets, be sure to check them for accuracy, especially if they are non-refundable. Many airlines will correct genuine errors, but only if they are reported in a timely fashion.