ent anymore?  Fewer of us do, apparently. Just eight years ago, there were 124,030 travel agents in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By WDA courses2006, that number had fallen by about 30 percent, to 87,600 agents.  The government’s outlook for the business is downright depressing. It projects “little or no growth” for travel professionals during the next eight years, as market share gains made by online giants like Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity are held in check by a small bump in demand for specialized travel advice.  In fact, many readers of this WDA coursescolumn believe that’s optimistic. They think travel agents are completely obsolete.  “They are an outdated remnant of past practices that add WDA coursesvirtually no value to any transaction today,” says Bill Clements, who works for an airline in Ypsilanti, Mich. He also took me to task for recommending WDA coursesagents in my columns, accusing me of being “the biggest lackey for them that I have ever experienced.”  I hear from readers like Clements constantly. Every week, I seem to be on the receiving end of an angry anti-agent missive that starts with, “How could you?”  So let me talk about how I could.  Why do I still like agents? A competent travel adviser can be your greatest asset when you’re planning WDA coursesa trip. The key word here is “competent.” And let me also define what I mean by agent: I’m not necessarily talking about an offshore call center worker reading from a script or a hobbyist who paid a few hundred bucks for bogus agency credentials.  I mean a bona fide, certified travel professional.  It’s not a popular WDA coursesposition to take. I know. There’s no shortage of horrific travel agent stories making the rounds these days. I have a stack of grievances that follow the same basic narrative. It goes something like this:  I booked a trip through online agency X. Something went wrong — my flight was rescheduled or there was a problem with the hotel reservation. When I phoned the company, I was transferred to half a dozen departments and ended up speaking with someone in Bangalore who I could barely understand. Five hours later, I’m no closer to fixing the problem. Help!  Let me take a moment to say I mean no disrespect to online travel agencies. Most of the airline seats, cruises and hotel rooms booked through these large sites are problem-free. It’s the way they address the inevitable problems that leaves something to be desired in the view of many readers.  Jeffrey Alter, an attorney from New Orleans, bought an airline ticket through an online agency recently. But when he received his final bill, he noticed a $50 transaction fee had been added to his credit card statement. No one had mentioned the fee to him when he booked the ticket. I asked him to check the terms and conditions on the Web site, and sure enough, there was a note about a $30 transaction fee.  So why did they bill him $20 more, and why didn’t they tell him up front? I suggested Alter contact the agency. He did. Its response? “Do you believe we provide airline tickets for zero renumeration [sic]? We wouldn’t be in business long if we did that.”  Now that’s what I call customer service.  The other side of this equation is do-it-yourselfers — people WDA courseswho have paid hundreds or thousands of dollars to become “inThis is why proper flight planning is such a necessity to any good pilot or airman. Luckily in today s world, flight planning software exists to help speed the process along while maintaining accuracy. By entering such variables as wind speed and direction, aircraft weight, course and temperature, flight planning software programs can calculate a host of important information such as wind correction angle, true airspeed, runway WDA coursescrosswinds, and magnetic variation. Great aviation websites like Student Flying Club even offer pilots a free online E6B flight computer!  For many new pilots, mastering the E6B flight calculator is one of the mer service associate you’re connected to when dealing with a large agency.  Interview the agent. Don’t pick the first agent you find. Talk to the travel pro. Find out how long he or she has been in business. Ask about fees (yes, they charge booking fees, but they’re worth it if you get into a pinch). I would recommend conducting the interview in person. Pay close attention not only to the way your prospective agent responds, but also at what’s going on in the office around you. Are the other agents taking the time to talk with customers, or do they only seem interested in pressuring their chttp://fmplc.com.sg/infos/wsqfunding