Professional Planning Fees & Booking Process
How Does a Travel Agent/Advisor Get Paid?
Ah....The good 'ole days...once upon a time, everyone (airlines, hotels, cruise lines, tour companies) paid travel agents at 5-10% to sell their products and we could provide our time and expertise to the traveling public for "free". Those days are long gone. Domestic airlines no longer pay commission to travel agents and many hotels/tours no longer pay a competitive commission. Researching and pricing an itinerary for a potential client can take several hours of time. So charging a professional/planning fee just as an accountant, lawyer or doctor would allows me to focus on creating an incredible trip for my clients while receiving some compensation for my time. As with the other professions, we seek to be paid for the work that we do and the value & expertise that we provide.
As your travel agent/advisor we will provide you or your group with the following:
You might not fully understand what a travel consultant does. Here's why my clients like working with me and come back again.
- A personal relationship with you the client(s) to determine your exact wants, needs, hopes, and dreams. Knowing that we will have your back during the entire process, even while you are traveling.
- We bring comprehensive knowledge & supplier training and personal experience to every travel experience.
- Our professional affiliation with our host agency, suppliers, and Travel Leaders Network consortium allows us to offer our clients additional amenities/upgrades above and beyond what you would receive by booking reservations on your own online. Often for the same price or less than what you would pay.
- For any group travel - we will negotiate with suppliers the best rate possible for your group with any additional amenities, perks or bonus rooms as possible.
- While my goal is to always offer our clients the best travel plans for their budget, we am not a low-cost or budget agency. Rest assured we will not book you at some place we would not stay.
- Our quote might not always beat or match an online competitor, but we can guarantee you that any slight difference will be made up with unbeatable service from Faucey Fam Travel. A service that you won’t receive from those online competitors.
Planning Professional Fees (Non-refundable and paid prior to any itinerary work) & Booking Process:
After an initial consultation call ("get to know you chat"), if you should decide to hire me we will start the booking process. To begin work, a non-refundable Professional/Planning Fee of $20-$150 is required (see details below) and you will need to sign our Terms & Conditions online.. Once fee is paid in full, we will start our research and provide you with 2-3 itineraries & quotes. Once you have decided on the best itinerary for your trip Faucey Fam Travel will secure and confirm travel arrangements as agreed upon. The Professional Planning Fee is separate from the cost of your trip.
Faucey Fam Travel – Professional Planning Fees
As your travel agent/advisor we will provide you or your group with the following:
- A personal relationship with you the client(s) to determine your exact wants, needs, hopes, and dreams. Knowing that I will have your back during the entire process, even while you are traveling.
- We bring comprehensive knowledge & supplier training and personal experience to every travel experience.
- Our professional affiliation with my host agency, suppliers, and Travel Leaders Network consortium allows us to offer our clients additional amenities/upgrades above and beyond what you would receive by booking reservations on your own online. Often for the same price or less than what you would pay.
- For any group travel – We will negotiate with suppliers the best rate possible for your group with any additional amenities, perks or bonus rooms as possible.
- While our goal is to always offer our clients the best travel plans for their budget, we are not a low-cost or budget agency. Rest assured we will not book you at some place we would not stay.
- Our quote(s) might not always beat or match an online competitor, but we can guarantee you that any slight difference will be made up with unbeatable service from Faucey Fam Travel. A service that you won’t receive from those online competitors.
FEES FOR CUSTOM TRAVEL PLANNING
- Fees start at $150 for full trip planning, up to 10 days for 4 people.
- Thereafter, we will charge additional fees of $20 per person for each additional traveler.
- Proposals for different destinations will be charged an additional fee of $150 per destination.
- Last minute booking fees will be subject to additional fees of $100 for trip requests within 30 days of travel—or within 90 days if travel is during a national holiday.
CONCIERGE SERVICES
Hotel - $20 per booking when you specify property, dates, and your desire for preferred partner amenities.
Airline Tickets - $50-75 per person (international flights)
Car rentals, tours, excursions, theme park tickets, concert & sports tickets - $20 per booking (We have access to thousands of different tours, excursion, tickets for Broadway, concerts and sporting events not only in the US, but all over the World.)
OCEAN AND RIVER CRUISES
- $50 when traveler specifies the ship and sail date for up to two cruises (up to four travelers).
- $100 per itinerary (up to four travelers) if your request requires our research (including up to 5 cruises with a maximum length of 14 days).
- $150 per itinerary (up to four travelers) if your request requires out research, air, shore excursions, pre/post hotel arrangements.
- $20 per person for each additional traveler.
RESORT OR ISLAND PACKAGES
- $50 when traveler specifies the resort and date (up to four travelers).
- $100 per itinerary (up to four travelers) if your request requires our research (including up to 3 resorts with a maximum length of 10 days) including air, lodging, ground transfers and tours/excursions.
- $150 per itinerary (up to four travelers) if your request requires our research of a couple of destinations including air, lodging, ground transfers and tours/excursions.
- $20 per person for each additional traveler.
THEME PARK PACKAGES
- $150 (for up to 4 travelers) for air, lodging, ground transportation, theme park tickets.
- $20 per person for each additional traveler.
GROUP TRAVEL (Rates Vary)
- Group travel is 10 or more travelers traveling together. Rates per person will vary depending on the customization of itinerary and the number of cities travelers are travelling from.
VACATION RENTALS
- $100 per stay + 15% of rental costs (We work with a group of luxury vacation rentals and villa companies. We are unable to book Airbnb or VRBO rentals, but if you find a rental you like, please let us know and we may still be able to book it in one of our systems (sometimes at a reduced rate). Rental cleaning fees, deposits, and other rental fees still apply.)
CANCELLATION/CHANGE FEES
- $25 per itinerary (Airline/Supplier cancellation fees may apply as well)
- Group Travel – $20 Per person rate will vary depending on the customization of deposited itinerary. (Airline/Supplier cancellation fees may apply as well)
GENERAL TERMS
- All Planning Fees are separate from the cost of your travel. All Planning Fees and travel vouchers are NON-REFUNDABLE, whether or not you decide to book travel. This Agreement is separate from your agreements with any travel suppliers, e.g., airlines, hotels, tour operators, cruise lines, and any other suppliers.
By paying our planning fee, you understand and accept for yourself and the travelers included in your party the planning fees outlined herein. You acknowledge and accept that all fees are non-refundable, whether you decide to book the travel presented or not. You agree to all fees such as cancellation policies, change fees, and penalties, and understand that unused portions of travel vouchers are non-refundable. You also understand these fees are separate from the cost of your trip and the tour operator/cruise line policies. By paying our planning fee, you also acknowledge receiving a copy of our Terms and Conditions and a copy of this Planning Fee Agreement.
So as you can see, we am really committed to making this the best experience possible. We may not get you the cheapest deal - that's what the online booking engines are for. If that's what you are looking for, then we are not a great fit. But if you are looking for a true partner with the expertise to do this job right and get you the best value, then we can't wait to get started working with you. If that's the path you want to take, then the next step is to collect a non-refundable professional/planning deposit and then we will begin preparing a couple of quotes for you. Shall we get started?