Booking with a travel agent can sometimes be cheaper than booking directly with airlines or hotels. Travel agents often have access to special deals, packages, and discounts that may not be available to the general public.

How much does a travel agent cost? Travel agents may charge service fees, flat-rate trip fees or consultation fees. For example, you might pay a flat rate of between $100 and $500 for a travel agent.

By booking through a travel agent, you can often get a better deal than if you book directly with the airline. Furthermore, agents are able to bundle hotel and other airline fares together to get a better deal, so it's worth shopping around for the best price.

It is impossible to give an actual numerical difference because the prices are changing day by day, but generally it is more cost effective to book a package from a travel agent, because the package rates are negotiated and everything is bundled together at a package rate vs separately.