It used to be the case that cheap travel agents were a sort of oxymoron. People paid a premium to get their vacations and business trips booked by someone else with little or no hassle. Since the advent of the internet, all that has changed.
Travel agents have had to lower their prices and fees to compete with the internet. Most people who can afford vacations or go on business trips also have access to the internet. There are many sites on the internet that allow a person the ability to quickly and easily make all their own travel arrangements.
In addition, airlines and hotels have upped the prices they charge travel agents because the airlines and the hotel companies want people to book directly through their own sites. Because of these factors, travel agencies have had to lower their prices considerably in order to compete, resulting in cheap travel agents.
Just because there is a plethora of cheap travel agents doesn't mean that the quality is any less than it used to be. Indeed, many cheap travel agents, in addition to lower prices, offer many more services than they used to in order to attract and keep more business.
For example, cheap travel agents may book activities for you. If you are going on a tropical vacation, they can book scuba lessons. If you are going skiing, they can arrange a deal on your lift tickets.
Furthermore, cheap travel agents still have access to all sorts of valuable information that you may not have on the internet. For example, cheap travel agents still know which companies are reputable and which have had problems.
They are also sources of invaluable information such as local customs, if you are traveling abroad, weather, and information on food and water quality. They can offer personal insight into the area you are traveling to which you might not be able to find in an online search.
Cheap travel agents not only offer these services, they also do all the legwork for you. Basically, you decide what you want and the travel agent makes it happen. If you want the best price on an airline or hotel, you may have to go to many different sites to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Even cheap travel agents have the best prices and the best deals right at their fingertips. This could save you a lot of time and some money in addition to trying to keep track of which websites had the best deals and the constantly fluctuating prices that seem to accompany hotel and airplane ticket prices.
If you don't have the time or the inclination to peruse various websites looking for airfare or hotel deals, consider using the services of a reputable and inexpensive travel agent.