Airlines hope flashier content for travel agents will boost sales

People still use travel agents? I don't know anybody that does.

@Luddite: I do for most of my travel. The guy is really good and the service is perfect. All stress free without having to look at ridiculous ads and nonsense on line. He is conveniently in Tokyo as well.

I'd rather look myself and save money, and not be steered towards something from which the agent will get a larger commission, rather than what's best for me.

Last time I used a travel agent I insisted on flying to Hong Kong from Fukuoka rather than taking the train. Yes, the agent thought there was a train to Hong Kong from Fukuoka. Another wanted me to have a 12-hour layer over on my way home; a flight would be 10 hours; plus the layover for 12 = 22 hours. Great agent, no?

There are plenty of great travel agents out there. If you are too lazy to do the work yourself, then by all means pay the service fee to have someone book your flight, hotel and whatever else for you. But it will always be cheaper to do it yourself, and even the busiest people I know tend to book their own (or have an assistant do it).

Travel agents are still popular in Japan, partly because many Japanese people don't have credit cards and thus cannot shop online.

The type of person who doesn't have or want a credit card is gonna be the same type who doesn't shop online.

I know a fair number of older folks who cannot get a credit card due to limited fixed income, but do order online for smaller purchases via other payment methods (invoicing, bank transfer, etc.).

People still use travel agents? I don't know anybody that does.

I do. My agent can access better (wholesale) prices that are not offered on line. She also offers 24/7 assistance and navigates all manner of little issues that I might miss out on for me. I don't have to sit online. She does. Then she sends the boarding passes and hotel QR codes to me smoothing out all my check in transactions.

Why would I want to do that for myself? Service is much nicer than self-service.

Others who have had need of them also have found her services invaluable when unforeseen glitches occur in transit.