Frequently Asked Questions

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This is a question I often hear.  People ask, "can't I just book things myself?"  The answer is yes, you can but there are several reasons why you may miss out by going it alone and this blog post highlights just a few of the reasons why using a Certified Travel Agent  to assist you will be worth it.   Why should you use a Certified Travel Agent? 

 At travelXtribe, our service comes at no cost to you. We receive a commission from the suppliers we book you with. Thanks to our extensive knowledge and experience, I can often secure exclusive extras and provide tips and advice that make your trip run smoothly—benefits you won't find through a simple web search.

The only exception is for Custom Itineraries. These tailored plans require hours of research to meet your exact needs, so we do charge a small fee to cover the time and effort involved in providing this level of service.  That will be discussed during our first meeting.  I believe in transparent communication.

We have an 8-step approach for our trip planning process, and it helps to ensure high quality, white glove customer service every step of the way:

1) Submit an inquiry request or give me a call requesting a call back. 

2) I will send you a "Travel Dream Form" via email or text and ask that you answer the questions and return prior to your consultation call. 

3) Consultation call occurs.  We discuss what amazing looks like to you, understand your wants for your trip, and allow time for you to ask any questions you may have about the process.

Note: If you are wanting a customize travel itinerary, there will be a planning fee for this service.  See FAQ named "Why do you charge a planning fee for custom itineraries?" for more details.

4)  I will work to pull together itinerary options that meet your criteria in preparation for our follow-up call.

5) Follow-up call held where we will review your itinerary options for you to choose from and answer any remaining questions you may have.  

6) Make a deposit to lock in your trip dates, price, and travel destination arrangements and discuss future payment due dates.

7) Travel day arrives!  If you run into any issues on your trip, please reach out and I am happy to assist you with any challenges where possible.

8) I will follow up with you a week or so after your return home to hear all about your trip, what went well, any concerns, and start planning your next adventure or let you know we are here when you are ready!  Also, we love seeing those travel photos so don't be shy to share.

Okay, maybe there is one additional (optional) step:

9) If you had an amazing time and feel I provided amazing service, I always love to get a good review and/or recommendation from our amazing clients and travelXtribers!

travelXtribe offers a variety of travel packages, including ocean/river cruise travel, luxury all-inclusive travel, and destination travel. I can also build you a customized individualized vacation itinerary package based on your individual preferences, for a nominal planning fee.

The planning fee is a service charge for the time I spend researching, coordinating, and crafting your amazing dream trip.  On average, it takes 6-10 hours to research and pull together a customized personalized itinerary.  Please see this blog post on why we recommend you book with us.  Why should you use a Certified Travel Agent?  

I use a digital travel itinerary tool named Tern. You can either install the Tern app on your phone and access in that platform or if you are not comfortable putting another app on your phone you can access via web browser.  It is a comprehensive and interactive itinerary by day for you.  It stores all of the flight, car rentals, transfers, hotels, etc. with reservation numbers all in one place for reference during your trip. 

This is a free service that I provide to you..

I am a big advocate for Travel Insurance and am happy to answer questions you have about what is covered, different policy options with cost, and provide my insight into things to consider.  At the end of the day, you are always able to opt out of Travel Insurance but I quote it with every itinerary and require a signature to opt out.  This is to formalities to confirm that I covered the options with you.  Here is a blog post that provides some things to consider when making your decision: https://travelxtribe.com/f/isnt-travel-insurance-a-waste-of-money