Travel agent vs. making your own booking

Making an airline booking online has become so easy these days that anyone can do it. So why would you want to use a travel agent? To get more insight into this I asked a friend of mine who works at a travel agency.
Her response was as follows:
"It is not the plan, but sometimes it happens that you have to change your travel arrangements and the hassles to do that without an agent to do it for you is just too much. (My brother had to change his flight once and couldn't do it through us because he booked directly with the airline and the airline wouldn't allow him). So it's just easier to do it through an agency from the beginning.
It is the same with land arrangements. The chances are that the agency has an agreement with the supplier which makes it easier.
We have had clients phoning when they are on their way to the airport wanting a ticket leaving within an hour. Then it is easier to just let the agent book the ticket because then all you need is the reference number or your form of ID and you can check in.
The internet does not have all the seats available to the public. It is only about 30% of the world's availability. Travel Agencies use a system where they see ALL the seats and availability ALL the airlines have. And then there is also a price difference."

I am a frequent traveler and as such I usually make my bookings online on the airline's website. But sometimes I do use a travel agent, especially for those last minute tickets or when the route is complicated and I need to travel on different airlines.
When you book on different airlines without an agent you might end up having to collect your luggage and check in again for the connecting flight, a stress I prefer to avoid.
Making use of a travel agent does give you piece of mind, there is someone you can phone when things go wrong. Imagine being stuck at the airport during an industrial airline strike, or you missed your flight.
All of these things you can handle yourself but it's just so much nicer to have someone else worry about that.
Travel agents are not always cheaper but they might have a great package to your destination.
Another service I often use is websites that compare prices from different airlines, but be careful of hidden costs, and only use a trusted company.
If you are not sure which airlines fly to your destination, check the airports website for information
As always, make informed choices