Originally Posted by
AA_EXP09
Even for a visa free passport, for the Schengen area, they may need to verify that the trip will not allow you to exceed the 90 days per 180 days rule.
For the EU etc. they also must verify that the passport isn't expiring too soon. Neither step requires much time or specialized expertise by the agent, especially if escalating to a specialist is an option when there are potential questions.