I’m the same. I do have one very seasoned and reputable travel agent I work with in Thailand. Sometimes I’ll get a quote from the airline first, then double check the price with her. Occasionally she’s able to offer a better deal than the airline. One advantage of booking directly with the airline is that I can use one of my credit cards that gives me 2 percent cash back, which is a nice bonus. Most local travel agents prefer payment via bank transfer, and some even charge a fee for credit card payments. In my friend’s case, she believed she was contacting the airline directly too. I think she got the phone number from a deceptive link that appeared when she searched online. Older people like her are often less aware of the many deceptive tactics used on the internet to spoof people.
