But travel sites also face a squeeze.
Plane tickets are big-ticket items that travelers are delighted to research online.
Web sites just haven't been able to supplant the advice and handholding that agents can supply. What travel sites share with agents is the incredible shrinking commission, down from a traditional 10 percent to as little as half that rate. Airlines can exploit this, to the detriment of separate online travel outfits. But airlines often squander their advantage by catering online to their frequent fliers and neglecting leisure wanderers, says Scott Radcliffe, a spokesman at Preview Travel. Online retailing is starting to look more like the mall and Main Street, with food, furniture, cars and clothing being pushed big time.