When I was a kid, my family would take an annual vacation. Dad would tell mom when his vacation days were and mom would go to the local travel agent office and make the hotel arrangements.
Mom had to rely on the agent’s info and a handful of brochures. Once in a while we would get a hotel based on a friend’s recommendation. But most of my hotel visits were sight unseen. Dad also relied on AAA auto club to get the most current maps which had some hotel and restaurant recommendations.
As I got older, I traveled while in the Army. Most of those flights were military aircraft or the on-base travel agent booked everything. We had little or no say in the matter. Once we arrived, we were either placed in on-post billeting or housed in an approved hotel.
Now, when I plan a business trip or a vacation, I do it all myself and never talk to anyone. It is all done online, safely and securely.
I can compare airfares with the airline, a travel company or my local travel agent’s web site. I can look at different prices based on different arrival and departure times. I can see the layovers, how long I will be stuck at the connecting...