Q: Why use a travel agent?

A: We asked ChatGPT to give us the top 3 reasons to use a travel agent. Here’s what it had to say (for the record, we agree):

• Expert Guidance and Personalization: Travel agents bring expertise and insider knowledge to the table. They can offer personalized recommendations based on your preferences, budget, and interests, ensuring you get the most out of your trip. Whether you’re looking for hidden gems, special deals, or tailored experiences, they can customize your itinerary to suit your needs & budget.

• Time and Stress Savings: Planning a vacation can be overwhelming with all the details to consider—flights, accommodations, activities, and logistics. A travel agent handles all the planning, saving you time and energy. They take care of the complexities, so you can focus on enjoying your vacation.

• Access to Exclusive Deals and Perks: Travel agents often have access to special promotions, discounts, or exclusive packages that aren’t available to the general public. They can also offer upgrades, VIP access, or unique experiences that you might not be able to find on your own, adding more value to your trip.

Q: What can you help me book?

A: Airfare, hotels, rental cars, all-inclusive resorts, cruises, theme park tickets, city tours, day trips, packaged trips, and more. We can book almost anything related to traveling that can be reserved or paid for by credit card. If you are looking to book your travel using points and/or miles, it’s best for you to do that directly on the provider website.

Q: How much do you charge for your services?

A: We’re happy to be able to provide the majority of our services to our clients at no charge. Complex multi-day custom itineraries, known as FIT (flexible independent travel) may require a small cancellation fee. This fee would be charged in the event that we had already booked the trip, but you cancelled prior to traveling. If applicable to your trip, we’ll discuss this prior to beginning the booking process so there are no surprises.

Q: How do you make money if you don’t charge a fee?

A: Suppliers of travel (airlines, hotels, tour companies, rental car companies, etc.) pay a small commission to agents. For example, when you book your own hotel through a third party (e.g. booking.com, hotels.com), that third party collects a commission from the actual hotel. When we book on your behalf, we collect that commission. There is no difference in the end price to the customer.

Q: Can’t I just book everything myself after you plan the trip?

A: Well…technically yes, but that would make us really sad. We take planning seriously and spend a lot of time working on your trip. If you book the trip yourself, you are paying the commission to another third party, likely a large company. We do our best to ensure we are getting you the best deal available. If you do find a deal that is better than the quote we provided you, please let us know. Prices can and do change daily, and we can often go back and find you the same or potentially an even better rate.