In addition to adding more resources to your travel landscape, there are also some very practical reasons to plan a trip online. In a time of rampant busy-ness, many people are working longer hours, have packed schedules and live a lifestyle that is just not conducive to normal business hours. This makes finding a travel agent pretty tough for some people.
Then again, it's also possible that you don't know any. Quick, run down your favorite brick-and-mortar travel agency? Do you know any? It's much easier to remember a handful of online agencies like Orbitz, Priceline or Travelocity and Bob McQueeny's Travel Emporium. Using an online tool can be a lot faster than finding a trustworthy agency in your town. Planning a trip on the Internet can save you loads of time and all you need is a stable line to the world wide web. (Here's a tip, even if you don't have one, head to the library to use their WI-FI and computer.)
Online you can find tracking services, discount fare newsletters and easy comparison shopping between airlines plus it's free just to search. All you need to do is sit back and watch the travel information pour in. Use the stuff you want and discard the rest. This alone may cost you $40-$50 when visiting a travel agent.
Also, you don't have to wait on the phone and listen to bad music when you call someone to check flight availability anymore plus you don't have to make travel plans during business hours since online travel agencies never close. If the travel bug hit you at, let's say 11 PM, you can just walk over to your computer in your PJs and see how much it would cost to travel to Tahiti. If you live far from a metropolitan area, like I do, there may not be a ton of travel agencies to use whereas the Internet can provide a wide array of travel choices not otherwise available.
With a few clicks of ye olde mouse, you can compare fares dozens of the online agencies and you can be as informed as the most polished city slickers night or day.
For better or for worse, planning a trip online is something that anyone can do. No more excuses or listening to your friends say "I didn't know any travel agency which specializes in Mexico." You and your travel partners can easily scout out a specialist, regardless of where you are at or where you are going. Want to travel to Moscow? Sweet, there are tons of Russian travel specialists. Want to see where Lord of the Rings was filmed? Even better, visit all the Lord of the Ring-specific travel agencies for New Zealand. (Yes. They exist.)
If you're planning a group family vacation, the web offers instant collaborative planning. Call your son over to the computer to check out a photo of a rental property or your annoying niece to see the birthplace of Justin Bieber. (You guessed it. It's a hot travel destination.) Your family will appreciate being included on plans and you'll be a hero. It's now easy to get a really good grasp of the going rates for flight routes, the prices of any hotel prices in Egypt, those fancy Bed and Breakfasts in Maine and even that golf trip to Scotland just online travel planning resources.