The pitch from major airlines to mom-and-pop cyber shops is this: The Net offers faster, more convenient access to elusive bargains that were once available only through a travel agent.

To test the claim, FP Money dispatched a rookie armchair traveller to scan the deals on popular Canadian travel Web sites.

Then we gave the itinerary to Katherine Twomey, the 27-year-old manager of Bay Street Flight Centre, a Toronto outlet of an Australian discount travel chain.

For our hypothetical, overnight flight March 27 from Toronto to Vancouver, the travel agent spent less than 10 minutes looking to find a flight that was as good, or better, than what we found over the course of an entire afternoon -- a Tango flight for $504.43.

Here's how some of the Web sites stacked up:

AIR CANADA -- $3,481.17

aircanada.ca: Type in the flight details on Air Canada's homepage and a screen pops up advising of four possible flights. But you aren't allowed to compare prices for all the options at once -- you have to choose a flight date for the price to appear. Another irritant: The month/date/time fields reset themselves, a design glitch Air Canada officials claim is being fixed.

TANGO -- $477.23

flytango.ca (or aircanada.ca): The site spits out a dozen or so one-way flights with prices for easy comparison and gives the total, including taxes and surcharges, promptly after you make your choice. Tango flies to most major Canadian cities, plus Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas, but not overseas.

If you are planning a multiple leg flight, expect to take some time. We couldn't add up what the entire journey would have cost. We went through the booking process several times, and every time an error message popped up near the end, which prevented us from getting to the final screen.

WESTJET -- $500.15

westjet.com: This is the only site to quote fares for the day before and after the chosen flight -- a handy option since prices fluctuate day-to-day, depending on availability. WestJet offers superb service to the West, including smaller airports in Abbotsford, as well as Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie, Alta.

EXPEDIA.CA -- $524.76

A front page loaded with links to deals allows you to search for airfares only, or throw in cheap hotel and car reservations, too. But you have to decide whether to fly in the morning, afternoon or evening; you can't call up an entire day's flights. A time-saving "Change your search" section lets you make date and time adjustments without having to flip between screens.

Not only can you book flights, and make hotel and car reservations, you can add on sightseeing tours, admissions to tourist attractions, and dining. You can also temporarily save a copy of the itinerary in case you want to browse longer before buying. You can build your own vacation, or choose from pre-packaged trips with Signature or Conquest -- these you need to book by phone, with agents who are available 24/7.

If you're not picky about dates, try the "Fare compare" link.

TRAVELOCITY.CA -- $505.50

Travelocity easily ties with WestJet for the most user-friendly site. It's packed with links to holiday package deals, and allows you to compare multiple flights and prices, hotel rooms and car rentals. The system gives you flight options over a six-hour range from your chosen time. Or, choose a wider time frame (an entire month, for example) for your search.

We completed the entire reservation process, including signing up for the site, before we were informed the first leg of our chosen flight was already booked to capacity. In general, watch for hidden charges on this site: As an example, it spells out and then adds taxes and fees (like insurance and refuelling) to its car rental quotes only after you hit "Book Now." The bright side: You have the option of holding reservations overnight, depending on the airline.

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The moral of this article is: by all means do your homework- check the internet, but then CALL a travel agent and just make sure you are getting the best value for your travel dollar!