The biggest advantage of using a travel agent is to eliminate the hassle of planning and researching your trip. Instead of calling individual companies, such as airlines, hotels and car rental places, you can make one call and do it all! Agents have literature, information stored in computers and other sources not available to you in order to assist you in planning your "dream" trip. Since we live in a fast-paced world, where time is a precious commodity, a travel agent can "do the research" while you attend to other important matters.
Some people have the misconception that travel agents charge for their services. Generally speaking, this is not true! The travel industry pays a travel agent for their services. Only under rare circumstances is a charge added to the product/package/ticket.
In other words...you do not pay extra for a travel package if you use a travel agent. If you were to book it yourself, you would not get it any cheaper...and no one would get a commission. If a travel agent books it for you, the Cruise Line/Airline/Tour Company/Hotel etc. pays the commission.
Why is a company willing to pay this commission? Because the travel industry, airlines, cruises, tours, etc., are dependent on the travel agents to promote their product. They are happy to give us a commission because we make them successful! The Travel Agent is their mainstream Sales force.
Why won't travel companies give you a break in price if you do not use a travel agent? Because travel agents would not be able to stay in business, which would mean no direct Sales force for the travel company which is good for their business. Example: If a client calls and asks a travel agent to research some information and then the client calls the travel company to get it at a price (less the travel agent's commission)...everyone would be doing it. The travel agent would be reduced to a "free information" service without compensation. No compensation...no travel agents...the travel industry suffers.
Many people, as per the example, do call and request information; then turn around and book it themselves directly with the travel company, for whatever their reasons. This is not fair to the travel agent and the traveler hasn't gotten it any cheaper after all! If every traveler would be required to research and book their own travel plans then very few of us would ever travel due to the immense time required to gain the knowledge to do it right. So, the role of the Travel Agent is beneficial to both the Travel Industry and the Travelers.