Recommend your travel agent — and tell me the cost

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

You are absolutely delusional if you think people can't VIP themselves.

I don’t think you have a good idea of what a high end travel advisor does (not Costco or AAA)…….
It’s so vastly different.

But it’s super high end/elite. Everyone knows your name/fav drink on arrival/kids snacks.
In some hotels, monogrammed robes etc.
Guides who have a deep understanding of your interests.
Access to small or exclusive events (Paris fashion week/dinner with a designer etc). If that is what you are in town for.
Art Basel - private parties/opening parties.
Monaco yacht show in Sept - very exclusive dinners
Capri over July 4 - the Christian Dior pop up dinner and Zimmerman dinner event.
Concert tix in Europe last minute.
New Years week - special VIP rates to extend trip by a night when the 4bd suite we had booked for five nights is not available for an extra night so will have to switch rooms.
But the butlers will end up moving our stuff for us and instead of charging me $3000 a night they will only charge me 850. At a Rosewood in Caribbean…
Etc
Etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

You are absolutely delusional if you think people can't VIP themselves.

I don’t think you have a good idea of what a high end travel advisor does (not Costco or AAA)…….
It’s so vastly different.

But it’s super high end/elite. Everyone knows your name/fav drink on arrival/kids snacks.
In some hotels, monogrammed robes etc.
Guides who have a deep understanding of your interests.
Access to small or exclusive events (Paris fashion week/dinner with a designer etc). If that is what you are in town for.
Art Basel - private parties/opening parties.
Monaco yacht show in Sept - very exclusive dinners
Capri over July 4 - the Christian Dior pop up dinner and Zimmerman dinner event.
Concert tix in Europe last minute.
New Years week - special VIP rates to extend trip by a night when the 4bd suite we had booked for five nights is not available for an extra night so will have to switch rooms.
But the butlers will end up moving our stuff for us and instead of charging me $3000 a night they will only charge me 850. At a Rosewood in Caribbean…
Etc
Etc

I don’t think you know who you are talking to. Have done a chunk of this and more. I do t use AAA or Costco or any of that. You don’t need a travel agent, phone work wonders.

[Anonymous]

Good on you. We are turning away business these days. We don’t need the DIY’r who has the time to spend hours creating a bespoke vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good on you. We are turning away business these days. We don’t need the DIY’r who has the time to spend hours creating a bespoke vacation.

That is point, it doesn’t take hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

You are absolutely delusional if you think people can't VIP themselves.

I don’t think you have a good idea of what a high end travel advisor does (not Costco or AAA)…….
It’s so vastly different.

But it’s super high end/elite. Everyone knows your name/fav drink on arrival/kids snacks.
In some hotels, monogrammed robes etc.
Guides who have a deep understanding of your interests.
Access to small or exclusive events (Paris fashion week/dinner with a designer etc). If that is what you are in town for.
Art Basel - private parties/opening parties.
Monaco yacht show in Sept - very exclusive dinners
Capri over July 4 - the Christian Dior pop up dinner and Zimmerman dinner event.
Concert tix in Europe last minute.
New Years week - special VIP rates to extend trip by a night when the 4bd suite we had booked for five nights is not available for an extra night so will have to switch rooms.
But the butlers will end up moving our stuff for us and instead of charging me $3000 a night they will only charge me 850. At a Rosewood in Caribbean…
Etc
Etc

How much do you spend on vacationing a year????? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good on you. We are turning away business these days. We don’t need the DIY’r who has the time to spend hours creating a bespoke vacation.

That is point, it doesn’t take hours.

Keep believing that! Also believe that when something goes wrong and you have to fix it! We aren’t missing your business one bit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

You are absolutely delusional if you think people can't VIP themselves.

I don’t think you have a good idea of what a high end travel advisor does (not Costco or AAA)…….
It’s so vastly different.

But it’s super high end/elite. Everyone knows your name/fav drink on arrival/kids snacks.
In some hotels, monogrammed robes etc.
Guides who have a deep understanding of your interests.
Access to small or exclusive events (Paris fashion week/dinner with a designer etc). If that is what you are in town for.
Art Basel - private parties/opening parties.
Monaco yacht show in Sept - very exclusive dinners
Capri over July 4 - the Christian Dior pop up dinner and Zimmerman dinner event.
Concert tix in Europe last minute.
New Years week - special VIP rates to extend trip by a night when the 4bd suite we had booked for five nights is not available for an extra night so will have to switch rooms.
But the butlers will end up moving our stuff for us and instead of charging me $3000 a night they will only charge me 850. At a Rosewood in Caribbean…
Etc
Etc

How much do you spend on vacationing a year????? Just curious.

$200k not including air

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

You are absolutely delusional if you think people can't VIP themselves.

I don’t think you have a good idea of what a high end travel advisor does (not Costco or AAA)…….
It’s so vastly different.

But it’s super high end/elite. Everyone knows your name/fav drink on arrival/kids snacks.
In some hotels, monogrammed robes etc.
Guides who have a deep understanding of your interests.
Access to small or exclusive events (Paris fashion week/dinner with a designer etc). If that is what you are in town for.
Art Basel - private parties/opening parties.
Monaco yacht show in Sept - very exclusive dinners
Capri over July 4 - the Christian Dior pop up dinner and Zimmerman dinner event.
Concert tix in Europe last minute.
New Years week - special VIP rates to extend trip by a night when the 4bd suite we had booked for five nights is not available for an extra night so will have to switch rooms.
But the butlers will end up moving our stuff for us and instead of charging me $3000 a night they will only charge me 850. At a Rosewood in Caribbean…
Etc
Etc

I don’t think you know who you are talking to. Have done a chunk of this and more. I do t use AAA or Costco or any of that. You don’t need a travel agent, phone work wonders.

NP - I am shocked that there are two posters on this forum that have a done a chunk of that exact list! Wow!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good on you. We are turning away business these days. We don’t need the DIY’r who has the time to spend hours creating a bespoke vacation.

That is point, it doesn’t take hours.

Keep believing that! Also believe that when something goes wrong and you have to fix it! We aren’t missing your business one bit!

Look I am not knocking you job, your abilities etc. and for certain people I am sure your services are greatly appreciated and some people need/want that. My issue is with you posturing that things aren’t doable without an agent or that you have some magical source that know one else has, especially in this area.

What you get is all based on your spend/revenue generated for a company. You get access because you refer or facilitate purchases of xyz through certain companies. Plenty of people in this area get access because of the a
amount of money they spend.

And last week my DH spent less than an hour making all of the arrangements for a very nice 12 night European vacation with a few VIP experiences all on his phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good on you. We are turning away business these days. We don’t need the DIY’r who has the time to spend hours creating a bespoke vacation.

That is point, it doesn’t take hours.

Keep believing that! Also believe that when something goes wrong and you have to fix it! We aren’t missing your business one bit!

Look I am not knocking you job, your abilities etc. and for certain people I am sure your services are greatly appreciated and some people need/want that. My issue is with you posturing that things aren’t doable without an agent or that you have some magical source that know one else has, especially in this area.

What you get is all based on your spend/revenue generated for a company. You get access because you refer or facilitate purchases of xyz through certain companies. Plenty of people in this area get access because of the a
amount of money they spend.

And last week my DH spent less than an hour making all of the arrangements for a very nice 12 night European vacation with a few VIP experiences all on his phone.

PP, this is ridiculous. I’m not a travel agent, nor do I have one to recommend. I’m very well-traveled and mostly do all my own research and reservations, but I’ve been on a few trips where I’ve used travel agents, usually local specialists. Three examples are Namibia, Laos and Portugal. For Portugal, I did most of the work myself but used an agent to find me a specific activity. The activity provider didn’t have a website, they weren’t on tripadvisor, there would have been no way for me to find them just by looking on my phone for an hour. Similar experiences in Namibia and Laos. These weren’t necessarily VIP experiences but they were unique, off the beaten path things that only locals or experienced travel agents who really know the places would know about.

It’s great that PP can find and book all the things she wants for her holiday on her phone in under an hour. But you can’t possibly believe that with that one hour of research you know of all the things that can be arranged and booked and that you’ve got the best deals and access to them. Some people are looking for extra special things (or of course just someone to do all the work for them, that’s fine too!) and it’s naive and arrogant to think that you can find all of those things yourself too with a few minutes of browsing on your phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My consultation fee starts at $500 per family. I am not currently taking any new clients.

For anyone says they want a DIY price, then prepare to DIY. Remember you cannot VIP yourself which us travel agents can do. We can recommend experiences you cannot Google.

I can tell you that no one on a TripAdvisor forum is going to be there for you when the crap hits the fan, the flight is cancelled, the non stop routing that suddenly became a three stop two day series of flights.

Travel agents were there for their clients when the world shut down. I can lead you to stories of people who spent hours if not days trying to get home or get refunds.

You are absolutely delusional if you think people can't VIP themselves.

I don’t think you have a good idea of what a high end travel advisor does (not Costco or AAA)…….
It’s so vastly different.

But it’s super high end/elite. Everyone knows your name/fav drink on arrival/kids snacks.
In some hotels, monogrammed robes etc.
Guides who have a deep understanding of your interests.
Access to small or exclusive events (Paris fashion week/dinner with a designer etc). If that is what you are in town for.
Art Basel - private parties/opening parties.
Monaco yacht show in Sept - very exclusive dinners
Capri over July 4 - the Christian Dior pop up dinner and Zimmerman dinner event.
Concert tix in Europe last minute.
New Years week - special VIP rates to extend trip by a night when the 4bd suite we had booked for five nights is not available for an extra night so will have to switch rooms.
But the butlers will end up moving our stuff for us and instead of charging me $3000 a night they will only charge me 850. At a Rosewood in Caribbean…
Etc
Etc


Any recommendations on someone who helps plan things like the above?

[Anonymous]

Are travel agents only for luxury high end travel? I’d like to plan a trip to Europe over Christmas with travel for a mix of ages (seniors to small children). The various needs/logistics are a challenge and I’d love to outsource with trusted travel recommendations. We’re not looking for a budget trip, but also not luxury $$$ either. Is a travel agent for us?

[Anonymous]

Travel agents for high end customers save TIME. That’s the big kicker. I had a few quotes from agents for our African safari. The costs were ridiculous, well into 6 figures, and I was limited to operators with contracts with agents. I didn’t see anything on itinerary that I couldn’t do myself TBH, though agencies would save hours of time and planning.

In the end, I did it myself because I’m a pretty experienced traveler, like yo control my own travel, and didn’t think it was that hard to do. I ended up paying around $40k for the same trip that they’d quoted me $100k more for so I saved a ton!

So no, it’s not an out of reach luxury offered. They’re just saving time and offering convenience. If you’re not a seasoned traveler, some places may feel daunting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you're over 60 without telling me you're over 60. Nobody uses "travel agents" anymore. Should we start recommending our milkmen as well?

Tell me you're poor without telling me you're poor.

Why do you keep repeating that? And stop using poor as an insult. It's tacky.

[Anonymous]

Reviving this thread. Can anyone recommend a travel agent or advisor to help with a multi city Europe trip that has to be during peak season (august 2024) and starts in an Eastern European city and then goes to France (oceanfront TBD and Paris). Smooth transfers (with people possibly joining the trip along the way and needing to meet up), expert guides, avoiding the worst of the crowds, help choosing specific locations etc. Looking for nice but not high end luxury. Feeling overwhelmed and barely got started.