Question 1

How much does it cost to work with a travel advisor?

Accepted Answer

A frequent question we get asked is what does it cost to obtain our services?  We provide an initial complimentary consultation call where we obtain information from you about your wish list requests, your 'must do's and we share our role in your trip planning.  After our discussion, if you decide you'd like to proceed, we will share with you what the planning fee will be based on your trip requests and expectations.  While we do get paid in commission from the hotels, excursion suppliers and other vendors we work with, our direct travel experience, knowledge and expertise of the destinations offer our clients the value in having a single point of reference to help support your travel planning from initial stages, through the duration of your trip until you return home.  See our 'How We Work Guide' for more details on our travel agency services.

Question 2

What can a travel advisor offer that an Online Travel Agency cannot?

Accepted Answer

While Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) such as Expedia, Kayak, Travelocity etc. or packages from 'big box' stores can offer bulk deals, they are simply booking you a trip not helping you coordinate all the special details of your travel plans that make it special and unique to what you are looking to experience.  These places will have you end up working with multiple different reps from a call center who don't know much about your trip and likely haven't traveled to the destination you're going to.  Are you comfortable calling an 800# when an urgent matter arises?  Or willing to sit on hold for long periods of time to get a call center rep to pick-up your phone call?

We're firm believers that our clients are investing hard earned money in their trip and with often limited vacation time too, it's critical for your trip to go as seamless and stress-free as possible.  Can we guarantee every step will be perfect-no, but no one can.  Travel is an adventure, even when things don't go quite as planned.  You are provided with both during travel off hours phone numbers and depending on trip, will provide you with our personal off-hours urgent phone numbers so we can assist should anything urgent happen outside of our standard office hours.

Question 3

How do I choose an advisor?

Accepted Answer

To quote Susan Sontag, “I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list.” Besides direct travel experience, research and education plays a large role in what makes for a valuable travel advisor.  We have direct access to the representatives for the vendors we book through to provide us most up-to-date information, as well as, direct access to assist with troubleshooting and help with special accommodations. We have opportunities for countless seminars, trainings, and webinars to keep us abreast of what’s new in the industry.  And we’re also a team! Team effort allows us to bounce ideas off each other and share in our expertise and knowledge.   This knowledge and experience is based on the feedback we obtain from our clients and also as regular consumers of travel ourselves.

Question 4

How much advanced notice is needed to get the best rates?

Accepted Answer

In short, the sooner the better!  It is rare to be able to obtain last minute airfare for cheap.  Airlines typically release flights 9-11 months ahead of schedule.  Best rates tend to be at least 6-9 months prior to your departure.  And if you wait and get a "deal" on one trip component, there's a good chance you will be paying more for the other components or your selections will be limited as they will be sold out.  In order to provide the best quality service, we cannot take on last minute trip requests under 45 days from departure date.

Question 5

How do I get my special accommodations needs’ met?

Accepted Answer

As travel advisors, we have local contacts for all of our vendors to help ensure your needs will be met during your travel to/from and throughout your trip.  Whether it be needing assistance with differing mobility accommodations or other ADA needs, traveling with an individual with a developmental or intellectual disability or other health needs such as, allergies or dietary restrictions, we will assist.

Question 6

What destinations are safest to travel to?

Accepted Answer

Answers to these questions are not inclusive.  Travel is an adventure and with any adventure there may come unexpected surprises.  When you come to a travel agency for help in planning your trip, your partnership with your travel advisor will provide you the best experience to be as prepared as possible to offer ease of mind during your travels.  The U.S. Department of State provides both an option to enroll in a notification program to receive alerts to ensure you can be located in the event of a local emergency.  Additionally, we follow the travel advisory guidelines provided by the department.  We will share with you resources for how best to prepare for unexpected situations.

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