--- title: "Agent-assisted booking" description: "Agent-assisted booking means a travel agent makes the reservation by phone or in person. What it costs compared with online booking and when it makes sense." canonical: https://engine.com/glossary/agent-assisted-booking updated: 2026-11-02 author: "Engine Editorial" --- # Agent-assisted booking Agent-assisted booking is a travel reservation made with a human travel agent, by phone or in person, instead of online by the traveler. Also called: offline booking Not to be confused with: online booking tool Updated November 2, 2026 by Engine Editorial ## 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](https://engine.com/pricing) lists no contracts, no agent-assist fees and no minimum spends. Engine's [Member Support](https://engine.com/24-7-live-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. ## Book online, call when you need to Engine has no agent-assist fees, and its Member Support team helps with booking and modifying reservations 24/7. Free to use. [Get started](https://engine.com/sign-up) ## 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. ## Go deeper - [Travel agent](https://engine.com/glossary/travel-agent) - [Engine vs. traditional TMCs](https://engine.com/compare/travel-management-companies) - [Engine 24/7 live support](https://engine.com/24-7-live-support) - [Engine pricing](https://engine.com/pricing) ## Sources 1. 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)," https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/documents/reports/2017-12/a1339.pdf, accessed November 2, 2026. 2. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, "DHS Should Do More to Reduce Travel Reservation Costs (OIG-15-80)," https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/OIG_15-80_Apr15.pdf, accessed November 2, 2026. 3. Engine, "Amex GBT Review 2026: Pricing, Service Model, and Who It's Actually Built For," https://engine.com/blog/amex-gbt-review, accessed November 2, 2026. 4. Engine, "See why people love booking with Engine," https://engine.com/pricing, accessed November 2, 2026. 5. Engine, "Make every trip easier with support like never before," https://engine.com/24-7-live-support, accessed November 2, 2026.