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? 

Our service comes at no cost to you. We receive commissions from the suppliers directly.  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 easily through a web searching or AI prompts.

EXCEPTIONS:  Custom Itineraries and Domestic/International Airfare. 

Custom Itineraries have tailored plans which require hours of research to meet your exact needs, so I do charge a reasonable and customary fee to cover the time and effort involved in providing this level of service.  That will be discussed during our first call.  I believe in fully transparent communication.

Domestic/International Airfare has a $25/ticket domestic fee and $50/ticket international fee.  This fee covers the time and effort involved in booking and maintaining the updates to the flights before, and during your travel window.

I have a 7-step approach for our trip planning process, and it helps to ensure high quality and white glove customer service every step of the way:

1) Consultation call - I require a consultation meeting for all trips I curate.  I am not a booking engine.  My value comes from learning about you and the travelers in your party so that I craft the perfect trip for your personal travel style, wants, and needs.  First step is to book a free 1 hour consultation.  If you are a repeat client, meeting will typically only require 15-30 minutes.  If the calendar does not have a time that works for you, reach out and I we can find a day/time that fits your schedule.

2) After you book your consultation, I will send you a link  via email or text and ask that you answer the questions prior to your consultation call.   These details will help me to be prepared for our call.

3) During our consultation call we discuss what amazing looks like for you, understand your wants for your trip, collaborate on destination and activity options, and allow time for you to ask any questions you may have about the process.  I will also confirm the planning and/or air booking fees with you during this call.

4)  If we agree to work together after consult, I will work to pull together itinerary options that meet your criteria and send over for your review within the time we discussed on consult call.  I utilize an application named Tern for itinerary options.  There is both a desktop and mobile app platforms.  This software allows you to have a one stop shop for your booking codes, air travel confirmations, transportation and excursion details during your travel.  This app is a platform I pay for and provide to my clients for no additional charge.

5) I always suggest a follow-up call where we review your itinerary choice, payment timelines, visa/document requirements, and answer any remaining questions you may have but if everything looks great in the Tern app, you can make your itinerary choice, provide credit card authorization, accept Terms & Conditions, upload identification documents (id and/or passport info), and opt in/out of travel insurance without a follow-up.

Note: Trip pricing is not locked in until a deposit is made.  Only once you make trip deposit payment will pricing be locked in.  It is possible for pricing to change between quote and booking so it is important to make decisions quickly to avoid any price fluctuations.

6) One week prior to leaving, I offer a quick 15 minute call to review the itinerary, answer any last minute questions, and ensure there are no outstanding items we need to address.  This call is optional but recommended.

Travel day arrives!  If you run into any issues on your trip, ALWAYS work with the hotel, airline, tour guide, or supplier directly as they are in the best position to resolve in destination but also notify me and keep me informed if they were able to address your issue to your satisfaction.  If not, I will always follow up to see if there is anything I can do to resolve the issue on your behalf.

7) I will follow up with you a week or so after your return home to hear all about your trip.  Also, I love seeing those travel photos so don't be shy to share.

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

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

The planning fee is a service charge for the time I spend researching, coordinating, and crafting your amazing dream trip.  The fee is not a pre-defined rate, it is dependent on the duration, and specific requests you have for your trip.  

I offer a variety of travel packages, including ocean/river/expedition cruise travel with pre/post options, 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.

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. 

It also allows me to add additional details like VISA requirements, packing lists, etc.

This is a free service that I provide to my clients as a courtesy. 

I am a big advocate for Travel Insurance and I 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. 

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