Why use or hire a travel agent? Does it cost more than just booking it all yourself? How does this work, for fees, etc? The short answer is no - it does NOT cost you any more to book through us than it would if you did it all yourself. There are a few exceptions, of course, and we're happy to discuss those with you, openly and honestly. Most hotels, vacation packages, tour companies and cruise lin
es INCLUDE travel agent commissions in their published prices. If you do all the work yourself online, they “pocket” the difference. It really is that simple. By working with us, you get professional, customized travel planning and the customer service you deserve. You won’t be frustrated spending hours on the internet, hanging on phone hold for eternity or wasting any precious time wondering and worrying. We'll be with you every step of your journey, at the ready to help and answer questions. Do we ever charge fees for our services? Nobody likes to work for free, and we value our time as much as we value yours. Airlines, some apartment / vacation home rental companies and a few other travel suppliers do not offer any travel agent commissions. In those cases, we'll charge a non-refundable booking and management fee. Fees for booking flights range from $50/ticket (for simple one-way domestic flights to $150 ticket (for multi-connection, international fares). We'll be there to service your booking and answer all of your questions, regardless of how many you have :) If you've ever tried to get through to an airline, you'll probably ask us why we charge so little ;)
There are also situations when we work with families or groups that require or request very complicated itineraries that involve a great deal of research time. In these situations, we may will charge a research fee for the time we spend working on your behalf. These fees can range from $100-$250.000 Those fees can be applied toward your balance once you book. If you choose not too book, or to book yourself or with another agent, those fees become non-refundable. We will ALWAYS let you know up front if these fees apply so that you can decide if you want our help or not.
