What is agent-assisted booking?
Agent-assisted booking is when a person, not the traveler, makes the reservation. This cheat sheet covers how to think about it and what to check before you sign a travel contract. The detail is further down.
How to think about it
- It usually costs more. Under the federal travel contract the Justice Department used in 2013, an online booking cost $6.49 and an agent-assisted booking $31.49, a $25 difference.
- Some trips need it. The Justice Department used agents for emergency travel and for travelers without government travel cards, such as new employees, invitees and witnesses.
- Changes can cost again. Homeland Security travelers could pay an additional offline fee each time they called the travel management center to change an existing reservation.
- Policy decides who pays. Two Justice Department components reimbursed only the online fee unless the employee could justify needing an agent.
Before you sign
- Get the fee schedule. Ask for an itemized proposal that covers transaction fees, implementation costs, account management and any fees for agent-assisted transactions.
- Tell travelers the price. The Justice Department had callers hear a recorded message that booking with an agent costs $25 more than booking online.
- Write down who pays the difference. The department's Inspector General recommended making travelers responsible for unnecessary agent-assisted booking fees.
Online vs. agent-assisted booking
| Online booking | Agent-assisted booking | |
|---|---|---|
| How it's made | The traveler books in an online booking engine | A travel agent books it, by phone or in person |
| Fee under the 2013 federal contract the Justice Department used | $6.49 | $31.49 |
| Where the Justice Department used it | 60% of bookings in the first nine months of fiscal 2013 | Emergency travel and travelers without government travel cards |
How it works on Engine
Engine's pricing page lists no contracts, no agent-assist fees and no minimum spends. Engine's Member Support team is available 24/7, including weekends and holidays, by chat, phone or email, and can help with booking and modifying reservations, billing questions and problems that come up during travel.
Questions
What is the difference between online and agent-assisted booking?
With online booking, the traveler books through a booking tool. With agent-assisted booking, a travel agent makes the reservation, by phone or in person.
How much does agent-assisted booking cost?
It depends on the contract. Under the federal contract the Justice Department used in 2013, an agent-assisted booking cost $31.49 and an online booking $6.49. Homeland Security's fiscal 2014 domestic offline fees ran $30 to $37, against $7 to $10 online.
When does agent-assisted booking make sense?
When a trip can't be booked online. The Justice Department used agents for emergency travel and for travelers without government travel cards, and estimated about 25% of its travel fell in those groups.
Does Engine charge agent-assist fees?
No. Engine's pricing page lists no contracts, no agent-assist fees and no minimum spends, and Member Support is available 24/7 by chat, phone or email.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Review of Department of Justice Airfares and Booking Fees, October 2012 through June 2013 (Report 13-39), accessed November 2, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, DHS Should Do More to Reduce Travel Reservation Costs (OIG-15-80), accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Amex GBT Review 2026: Pricing, Service Model, and Who It's Actually Built For, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, See why people love booking with Engine, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Make every trip easier with support like never before, accessed November 2, 2026.