Look for agencies catering to businesses
Vacation-oriented travel agencies may not be as well equipped to dealing with the more urgent demands of corporate travelers.

Ask about agencies' primary vendors
Agencies often want to book travel with their primary vendors to earn incentive rewards. In some cases, you will be able to share in these benefits by agreeing to use the same providers.

Know that agents aren't perfect
Although all travel agents have access to the same few computer reservation systems, not every travel agent will find the same fares. The skill of the agent, the time invested in the search, and the availability of low fare finders can all affect the rate they obtain.

Travel auditors can be hired to check how effective a travel agent is at finding the lowest available fares.