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 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 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 I 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 call.  I believe in transparent communication.

I have an 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) Submit an inquiry request from my website or give me a call directly at 303-915-8991.

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) 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.

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 and send over for your review.

If everything looks great, you can choose your itinerary choice, provide credit card authorization, upload identification documents (id and/or passport info), and opt in/out of travel insurance.

5) I do require a follow-up call where I can review your itinerary choice, payment timelines, visa/document requirements, and answer any remaining questions you may have.  This is also the time we can submit your down payment.  

Note: Trip pricing is not locked in until a deposit is made.  Trip deposit will lock in the dates, pricing, and travel destination details.

6) Travel day arrives!  If you run into any issues on your trip, please let me know right away and I am happy to assist you with any challenges.

7) I will follow up with you a week or so after your return home to hear all about your trip.  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!

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?  

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.

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 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