Contacting a Travel Agent

Sometimes you need help beyond what Scout can answer directly. Travel agents can assist with rebooking flights, handling cancellations, resolving hotel issues, and managing complex travel changes that require human assistance.

How to Connect with a Travel Agent

The easiest way to reach a travel agent is through Scout. Here’s how:

1. Open Scout Chat by clicking the “Get Help” button in your dashboard
2. Tell Scout you want to speak with a travel agent
3. Choose email or phone when Scout offers more than one available option
4. For a change to an upcoming trip, tell Scout what you need changed so the agent has the details. Scout skips these questions when your situation is urgent.

Example message: “I need to talk to a travel agent about my flight”

When phone is your only option, asking to be connected — for example, “just connect me” or “I want to speak to someone now” — starts the phone call right away. If your saved phone number is verified, Scout calls it without asking again. If it isn’t verified, Scout confirms the number with you first. When email is also available, Scout asks which option you prefer before doing anything.

Emailing Your Travel Agency

Depending on your request and your organization’s support setup, Scout may offer email, phone, or both. If you choose email, Scout drafts a message to your servicing travel agency for you to review. When the agency uses a different language, Scout may also show a translated copy so you can understand the message before approving it. Scout never sends a draft without your explicit approval.

If you want changes, ask Scout to revise the message or discard the current draft. Approval applies only to the current draft, so a discarded or replaced draft cannot be sent.

After Scout sends the email, it shows your case reference and copies you on the message. Replies from the agency arrive in your email inbox. If sending fails, Scout shows the failure and may let you try again.

Email availability depends on your organization’s and travel desk’s configuration and the time remaining before your trip. The desk’s response hours affect when you can expect a reply, but being outside those hours does not make email unavailable. Scout recommends phone support for explicitly urgent requests. If the travel desk’s cutoff has passed, email is unavailable and you must use phone support.

What Happens Next

Once Scout initiates the connection:

• Scout creates a support case with your trip details
• You’ll receive a reference code for your request
• If your phone is verified: You’ll receive a callback within about 30 seconds. If your phone doesn’t ring within 30 seconds or you get disconnected, call the support number Scout provides and enter your reference code.
• If your callback number is outside the United States: Scout will warn you that the international callback may not connect reliably. Use the provided support number and reference code if the callback doesn’t arrive.
• If your phone number isn’t verified: Scout confirms the number with you before the callback is placed.
• If you don’t have a phone number on file: Scout asks for one, or you can call the support number Scout provides with your reference code ready.

Your reference code remains active while the support case is open or waiting for follow-up. After the case is resolved, the code remains available for at least 120 days after your trip. If your expense submission deadline is later, the code remains available until 30 days after that deadline; it also remains available for 30 days after a later case resolution. Ask Scout to create a new support case if an older code has expired and you still need help.

Why Tell Scout First?

Going through Scout ensures the travel team has full context before you connect:

• They can see your itinerary and bookings
• They know your organization’s policies
• They understand your situation before the call begins

This means faster resolution since they’re already up to speed when you connect.

When to Contact a Travel Agent

Travel agents can help with:

• Missed flights that need rebooking
• Cancelled, delayed, or overbooked flights
• Hotel issues requiring a room change
• Complex travel changes that need human assistance
• Urgent situations that can’t wait