What is a travel agent?
A travel agent is someone who plans and books a trip for you, paid mostly through sales commissions and sometimes fees for extra services. This cheat sheet covers how to think about agents and what to check before you hire one. The detail is further down.
How to think about it
- They plan and sell trips. An agent works out the destination, dates, budget and lodging a customer needs, then books the transportation and hotel.
- Commissions pay the bills. Travel agencies and TMCs make most of their money from sales commissions. Some also charge for extras like budget management or changing a reservation.
- Agency or TMC. Travel agencies mostly serve individual travelers. Travel management companies add services for companies, like writing a travel policy and managing travel expenses.
- Support is the main draw. When a flight is missed or the room isn't what was promised, a good agent fixes it for you.
Before you hire one
- Ask for an itemized bill. Markups can hide in the price, since an agent may buy a service at a negotiated price and resell it higher.
- Check the paperwork. Most agents won't use your company's expense or booking systems, so someone has to forward invoices, receipts and itineraries to finance by hand.
- Ask about after-hours help. Support at a regular agency often depends on business hours. Ask what happens when a flight cancels after 5 PM.
- Match it to the trip. For simple, routine work trips, booking direct or on a booking platform can be quicker than going through an agent.
Travel agency vs. travel management company
| Travel agency | Travel management company (TMC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Main customer | Individual travelers | Companies with repeat work travel |
| What they handle | Flights, hotels, rental cars and packages that can include day trips and meals | The same bookings, plus policy creation and travel expense management |
| How they make money | Mostly sales commissions, plus fees for some added services | Mostly sales commissions, plus fees for some added services |
| When trips break | Support often runs on business hours | Often 24/7 coverage |
How it works on Engine
On Engine, travelers and authorized bookers book hotels, flights and rental cars online, and company travel policies can apply cost, cabin and approval rules. An office manager or coordinator can book for coworkers. Independent advisors who book business travel can also apply to book their clients on Engine and earn on the travel they book.
Questions
What does a travel agent do?
A travel agent plans and sells transportation and accommodations. They work out the destination, travel dates, costs and lodging a customer needs, book the reservations, and may arrange itineraries, sell tour packages and help resolve travel problems.
How do travel agents get paid?
Mostly through sales commissions. Some agencies also charge for added services like budget management and reservation changes, and some resell services at a markup over the price they negotiated.
Is a travel agent the same as a travel advisor?
Yes, the terms are used for the same job. Travel consultant and travel counselor are other common job titles for it.
What's the difference between a travel agent and a TMC?
A regular travel agency usually focuses on planning and booking an individual trip. A travel management company, sometimes called a corporate travel agency, is built around repeat work travel, with traveler profiles, company payment methods, policy guardrails and standardized documentation.
Do I need a travel agent for business travel?
Not for every trip. A regular agency is often enough when travel is occasional and simple. A corporate agency tends to fit better when trips change after hours, finance needs standardized records, or you want centralized payment.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, 41-3041.00 - Travel Agents, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, 9 pros and cons of using a travel agent, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Corporate Travel Agencies vs Regular Travel Agencies: What Executive Assistants Need to Know, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Your clients, booked on Engine., accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Business Hotel Booking With Engine, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Business Flight Booking With Engine, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Booking Travel for Coworkers, accessed November 2, 2026.