Hi Thomas

>>My travel agent is no longer in business – another causality of the Internet

I hope my travel agent stays in business. When he hears I am travelling, he checks out destinations and offers me fares from the likes of Lufthansa that I would never find myself. If I need to fly to Minneapolis then hop to Milwaukee, then Syracuse, then back to Minneapolis, then on to London: he finds the most appropriate carriers and gives options based on air points Vs cost Vs convenience Vs flexibility. E.g. I paid a grand total of $100 for all the above hops because he ferreted out a United partner fare that costs a little more but permitted all those stops. Despite the fact that he charges a little more for "standard" routes than I can find on the Internet, I save $$$ and heaps of agro by using his experience and imagination.

My advice: find a creative Travel Agent and pay them $ to stay in business.

Regards

JR