Welcome to my travel advisor services page. While this isn’t necessarily directly related to my blog, No Back Home, I am including this page here as it helps provide a bit of background on who I am and why I am a good candidate for helping you with your travel planning.
First things first, everyone always asks what exactly a travel advisor does. To be honest, it looks different for every single person. Some travel advisors work within a traditional travel agent office taking clients who call over the phone (or nowadays sending online requests), while some offer only flights or only high end hotel bookings. Some travel advisors work specifically with companies booking their travel and corporate events. As you can see there is no one size fits all for travel advisors.
For me personally, I focus on a few things – booking hotels at all price ranges and complete travel itinerary and planning services. Below I outline exactly how this works for me specifically.
BASIC LEVEL
You know the location AND the hotel – FREE
I like to call this a “throw your friend a bone” type of booking. While you don’t necessarily NEED me to book your hotel, you know that when you book through me, you are helping a single mom earn an income AND you may also get better treatment from the hotel through perks, upgrades, and special touches. This is always free and I will always aim to get you the same price (or lower) than what you can book yourself. And if I can’t, I will make sure to let you know how you can get the lowest price on your own.
ACCOMMODATION RESEARCH & BOOKING
You know where you want to go, but need some assistance on researching accommodation options —
If your booking will exceed $800, the services are FREE
If your booking is less than $800, there is a research fee ranging from $50-$150
One of the toughest parts of travel for many people is figuring out where to stay. It takes time to comb through the reviews, research the right area to stay in, check availability options, perks etc. That is what I am here to do for you. When your combined booking will result in more than $800 of spend, this service is free as I will be paid through the commision from the hotel. If your booking is less than $800, I do ask for a small research fee that will help cover my time and expertise in booking this accommodation.
RESEARCH DESTINATION & ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
You need help deciding where to go AND finding accommodation – Research fee of $150
Know that you want to get away for a few days, but not sure where to go? I will do a quick consult call or text to get more information before providing you with a detailed description of some options, with the type of hotels you can expect in the destination. I can also book your accommodation, but if you choose to go with a home rental that is also great. I can provide recommendations on both. Your research fee covers my time so I can focus on providing you the best options regardless of whether the booking results in a commission from the hotel partners.
FULL CONCIERGE / TRIP PLANNING SERVICES
You want full concierge services for your trip – hotel recommendations (with/without booking), activity recommendation, transportation options, route guidance and more – Packages start at $500
NOTE: If you want only a portion of trip planning services, rates can be negotiated based on your needs.
This is for the person who says I want to go to XYZ for 10 days, please plan our trip. I will provide accomodation options (both hotel and Airbnb based on your preferences), route planning, suggestions for day tours, hikes, where to eat and more. A non-refundable deposit of $200 will be requested to start these services. Once you are provided with your final itinerary, the balance can be paid.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Below are some of the myths surrounding working with a travel advisor and frequently asked questions I get.
Why Should I work with a Travel Advisor?
I know it can feel a bit like smoke and mirrors to some when it comes to travel advisors. There are many myths surrounding this field and I believe in transparency, so I will share it all here.
Essentially, an advisor is here to take the burden off of planning and researching your trip, bringing our travel expertise to the planning process to ensure a seamless experience. Think of this as a travel secretary in some ways. Yes, you can do much of what we do, but you may not have the time, energy or knowledge of a destination to get the best results. That’s where a travel advisor comes in. We use not only our own individual travel knowledge and experience, but also the knowledge and resources of our vast team at Fora Travel as well as local destination organizations.
I work with a large agency, Fora Travel, that has developed close relationships with hotels, tour agencies, cruise lines, car rentals and more to bring you the best available rates and amenities. Through this agency, I have access to our large network of advisors who can also provide their expertise on any hotels or destinations that I do not know personally.
How does a Travel Advisor make money?
A travel advisor makes money in a variety of ways. One is through the hotel, activity or service providing a commission to us for booking you through them. Just like online search engines, who are actually Online Travel Agents (OTAs), they make commission on every booking you make through them. Travel advisors are the same. Not all properties offer commission, which is why often travel advisors charge a research fee to make sure their time is being compensated regardless of where you end up booking
Will the hotel cost me more?
Ideally, no it will not cost you more to book through a travel advisor. I take great efforts to make sure my clients are receiving the same prices they would if they booked it themselves. Sometimes this means I have to go through Expedia’s travel agent portal to get you the best rate. If our agency has connections with the hotel, we can often still provide perks even when booking this way.
I can also provide more extensive itinerary planning and concierge services. Because there’s no commission included there, depending on your needs I will charge a planning fee for the time it takes to pull everything together and ensure I line up the best of what your chosen destination has to offer. Most of my clients use me in both ways – sometimes just an easy hotel booking for a resort vacation or a weekend away, sometimes a more extensive itinerary for a complicated adventure. I’m here for it all!
What agency do you work with?
I am a certified travel advisor with Fora Travel. Fora started as a boutique agency, helping those passionate about travel get a foot in the door of the travel agent world. I was first certified in Sept 2022. Since those early days, Fora has grown to massive scale, earning awards in the industry as well as creating partnerships with over 2,000 properties and on the ground destinations. Through these close relationionships, we are often able to offer additional amenities like room upgrades, spa and resort credits and complimentary breakfast.
What destinations do you know well?
I have been traveling for over 25 years and have lived in in India for a decade as well as Southern California for a decade. Through these years I have become quite knowledgeable in a variety of destinations. While I feel comfortable booking and planning trips in most destinations of the world, there are a few that I know extremely well — India, Ireland, Costa Rica, Guatemala, SE Asia, and Peru. Additionally, I am well versed in cruise travel, specifically small boat expedition trips in Alaska, Antarctica and the Arctic regions.
I look forward to working with you. If you have any additional questions or would like a consult, feel free to reach me at karilyn.owen@fora.travel.