Lodging a Complaint

Before we all get misty-eyed over the indispensability of travel agents (“Travel Agent Value,” Letters, July 18), consider this: After we’d spent a considerable sum with her booking plane tickets to Europe for our family, our travel agent refused to assist us in finding accommodations through a consolidator unless we would commit in advance to taking them--whatever they were, at whatever price.

Well, we turned to the Internet and found reasonably priced accommodations. Perhaps travel agents need to realize the future may not be in forcing clients to make an either-or choice but in working with those who get pleasure in planning their trips on the Internet.

LOUISE De CARL ADLER

San Diego