You, like me, probably make many of your own airline and hotel bookings online. And handling the reservations yourself usually works out quite satisfactorily, with good rates for desired flights and accommodations — until there's a problem. As there was with my two most recent itineraries.

If I learned anything from those exasperating, exhausting travails, it was never, ever to buy air tickets and hotel rooms, or any kind of merchandise for that matter, from a Web site that does not prominently display a customer service telephone number. If you can't find one, then you may rightfully assume that these people don't want to help you when you need assistance. In fact, they are hoping that you cannot reach them at all except by e-mail, which can be ignored at will. If you're in distress, traveling without a laptop and have no ready access to the Internet, e-mailing is not a solution.

The second thing I learned, after the fact, is that a good travel agent is a prize beyond pearls. Considering how aggravating travel can be nowadays, I am reconsidering my independence.

Had a travel agent ticketed my trips, I wouldn't have lost my cool with the United counter agent, wouldn't have needed to make multiple fruitless cell calls to Air Canada, and wouldn't have been compelled to allow Delta to take another 100,000 miles from my SkyMiles account due to their error.

While I was gnashing my teeth in frustration at airports in Hawai'i and thousands of miles away, a competent travel agent could have wrought her magic to resolve my rebooking problems. Just knowing that I had an ally, a white knight looking out for me would have reduced the stress that nearly derailed my enjoyment of those two journeys.

If your plans are unexpectedly disrupted and you need to be rerouted or reticketed, a travel agent is your best source of help. When Murphy's Law — what can go wrong will go wrong — prevails, either before you depart or during a trip, you'll need a travel agent to make things right.

Rebooking flights, accommodations and other arrangements is what a clever agent can do better and faster than you and me. Period. Agent support is absolutely invaluable when you're confronted with a last-minute problem. Those are the times when it's almost impossible to reach an overloaded reservation phone line or to work your way through a long queue at an understaffed airport counter. A call to your agency will get someone focusing on your situation immediately.

Most competitive travel agencies nowadays recognize that bad things can happen to good people who travel. They may provide access to their own round-the-clock emergency staff or may have a cooperative arrangement with another agency to provide backup when a client is in trouble.

Problem-solving 24/7 is a significant factor when evaluating the agency to whom you will be paying fees for professional services.

Travel guru Ed Perkins suggests four more top reasons, in addition to assistance in a pinch, to use a qualified agent for all your travel needs.

Knowledge and counsel: The main reason so many leisure travelers use travel agents is to take advantage of their specialized knowledge of destinations, local deals, and such, plus their counsel and firsthand advice when trying to select a destination or activity.

Time saving: The main reason so many business travelers rely on agents to make their travel arrangements is to save time and hassle. If you've ever spent several hours online searching for a hotel deal or airfare and don't enjoy the process, you'll want a travel agent to take over.

Good deals: Savvy agents know what's available through the same Internet sites you might visit on your own. In addition, agents can search their computer reservation systems, not available to the public, for special deals that might not be published on the Internet.

Airline rules confusion: Online booking is simple for buying straightforward one-way, roundtrip, or even multistop air tickets. But some international air ticketing rules are less obvious, and a good travel agent knows cost-cutting tricks that you could likely never find online.

Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.