That's why I use a travel agent. If I have a problem, I call them and
they take care of it. They have more resources and contacts than I do.
They have also taught me quite a few tricks to use at the point of
contact to get things done quickly and to my satisfaction.

Colin W Kingsbury wrote:
To me this is a lot like the airlines' transition towards passenger
self-service. You go up to the ticket counter, swipe your credit card, and
print your own ticket. Because twenty check-in kiosks cost less than five
people, they can put up a dozen kiosks and suddenly the lines move much
faster. OK, it stinks when you have a problem and need to talk to somebody,
but that's not how it usually works. I take probably 20-30 trips a year and
maybe a half-dozen of those I need something the computer can't give me. But
I spend a lot less time waiting on line on every flight, saving me dozens of
hours per year. Would I like to be able to walk up to a counter right away
and get help from a knowledgeable and friendly agent? Yes, but then I
wouldn't be flying from Boston to LA for $400 roundtrip. Overall this is an
improvement.