Online travel agents have their uses. I mostly use them to get cheaper long-haul air fares than the airlines sell themselves for an identical journey. This is an odd facet of the aviation industry: passengers save by cutting in the middleman.
Carriers willingly participate – and pass on a modest commission to the “OTA” – because it allows them to compete for the hyper-price-sensitive end of the market, while keeping fares higher for those who choose to book direct.
