Vacation Mavens recently celebrated nine years of podcasting!! For all of you who have been with us for this journey, we thank you for your support! For those that joined us recently, welcome and we look forward to many more years of sharing our travel experiences.

Tamara recently launched a new business as a travel advisor! You can learn more about her custom travel planning services here. Even if you aren't looking for full itinerary planning services, you can support Tamara's business by researching and booking hotels (and getting perks with preferred partner hotels) on this online booking platform.

Episode Highlights

• A travel agent and a travel advisor are generally the same but a travel advisor is more apt to offer custom trip planning, versus off-the-shelf packages, and serves as more of a consultant
• You want to use an advisor for many reasons including:
  • Industry knowledge
  • Destination knowledge
  • Preferred partners
  • Knowledge of sales
  • Traveler perks and amenities
  • Save a significant amount of time in the planning process
• How do travel advisors make money?
  • Some charge planning or service fees for custom trip planning. Tamara charges based on the length and complexity of the trip, starting at $500 per week and $50 a day for additional for a typical couple or family.
  • Advisors also receive commission from booking hotels, cruises, and trip packages. So travel advisors can't help with booking using points or Airbnb or places that don't offer commission. Generally, it should be the same rate or better than booking directly with the hotel.
• Many independent travel advisors are part of a larger host agency, which provides buying power and knowledge to get preferred relationships with partners.
• How do you choose a travel advisor?
  • There are people that focus on specific niches such as cruising, Disney, or all-inclusive resorts
  • Tamara focuses primarily on Europe and North America but she is part of an agency with resources and also partners with in-country specialists who have vetted hotels, guides, etc.
  • It is helpful to work with someone that has been to or is very knowledgeable about the destination
  • Word-of-mouth is a great way to find someone
  • If you are a luxury traveler, you can visit Virtuoso.com and search for the destination. You will then see travel agents that cover that destination in the sidebar
  • You can also find travel advisor specialists on Instagram by searching hashtags such as #luxurytraveladvisor, #travelagentlife, etc.
• How does working with a travel advisor differ from booking through Amex Travel since Amex Platinum card holders receive perks for hotel bookings within the Fine Hotels and Resorts. You need to book those through Amex Travel.
• Many of those luxury hotels are also part of a consortium such as Virtuoso. If there is a booking through Amex Travel vs a travel advisor, the booking through the travel advisor will have priority for upgrades.
• Virtuoso is a consortium for luxury properties and brands that offer additional perks when booked through a Virtuoso agency. The perks include free breakfast for 2, $100 resort or F&B beverage, and upgrade based on availability, or early check in or late check out based on availability
• Many travel agencies also have other preferred partnerships too that can offer perks or amenities for hotels that aren't part of Virtuoso
• Tamara works on creating custom itineraries that include hotels, activities, private tours, transfers, etc. However, she can also help with hotel bookings, river cruise bookings, and all-inclusive resorts, often without a planning fee.
• Does a travel agent help when things go wrong? Yes, they can help you if something goes wrong or if you need to cancel.