Know Before You Go

Vacation planning is so exciting!

Thank you for asking me to help you with your plans.   Having a travel agent on your side is the best way to make the experience as easy and hassle-free for yourself as possible.  

A travel agent can:

- Save you time going on wild goose chases looking at all the options, and narrow down your choices to the ones that best suit your travel style and vision for your personal vacation. 
- Save you money by not falling into the marketing traps of third-party websites that have hidden fees as well as knowing the best times and places to book to get the most value for your money. 
- Save you the confusion of trying to find answers to all your questions from the conflicting information online, I rely on my own personal knowledge and first-hand experience from my travelers and pass the information on to you. I will make sure you have the proper information to make your decisions and have all the information you need to be travel-ready. 
- Save you the stress of having to deal with any hiccups or issues on your own, no need for you to sit on hold to make a change to your itinerary, I do that for you.  Flight home is delayed?  While I can't send a plane for you I can tell you to go back to the beach and get a drink while I sort out what the next steps are and seek compensation if available.

A few points to keep in mind before we start:
You don't need to stress about finding the best price or a secret deal.  There are so many marketing ploys online that it's easy to think if you just find a special website you will get the best deal.  Trust me when I say the best deal is always the one that suits your needs and makes your travel experience enjoyable.  A little-known fact is that all vacation searches from all websites are being done from the same live inventory from the live prices that the supplier sets.  Some sites might lure you in with a great price on the main page but on the final booking page, there will be fees or price changes that happen that make the price the exact same as it is when you book directly with the supplier.  No one is allowed to undercut what the supplier is saying the price is, because if they did who is paying that savings?  No one wants your business that much that they will pay the difference for you lol. 

What you may find if you go bargain hunting to save a few dollars is you end up with travel plans that involve bad flight itineraries, unknown timeshare commitments, low-quality suppliers, non-existent support once they get your money, unexpected hidden expenses and other headaches that just aren't worth the small amount of savings you think you are getting.  The old saying is true, you get what you pay for, and this is very true in the travel world.

A good rule of thumb in the travel world is that the best prices are to be had the earlier you book and put a deposit down on a reservation.  The days of last-minute deals don't exist anymore as the demand is so high the planes and resorts are selling out before they even think about wanting to slash their prices to sell what's left. The prices are lowest as soon as they are released as the inventory is wide open, as more people book the remaining inventory goes up in price.  This is the new 'dynamic' pricing we are seeing in the industry. Even if the supplier has a Black Friday or last-minute 'sale' the discount they are giving on the current price is still higher than the price was originally when it was first released, waiting around for a sale is a surefire way to be disappointed, because even if they do come, the likelihood of it being lower than it was at the beginning or even being offered for the dates and location you are looking at is very low. 

Another question I get asked a lot is to find a 'secret gem' of a deal that no one knows about that I can pass on to those who ask.  Unfortunately, this does not exist. While I can certainly take your budget and suggest the components that have the most value for your money within that budget (ie resorts A and B are similarly priced but I know resort B has more positive feedback and a better waterpark for the kids), I cannot get you 5-star luxury, picture-perfect resort at the same price as the economically priced resort that is a little rough around the edges.   
I have a whole blog post on this that goes into more detail:  Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget?

COMPENSATION:
I help facilitate a direct booking between you and the supplier, there is often a built-in commission to their prices which you pay whether you work with an agent or book online yourself.  You're paying for my services whether you book with me or not so it's a good idea to have an agent on your side if and when you can benefit from my help. 

In many cases, there is no additional fee to work with me as I am compensated for my time with the built-in commission structure of the supplier prices.  In some cases such as custom travel plans or plans that involve components without a built-in commission to their prices then there may be a planning fee to cover my time and support which we will discuss and agree upon up front before we start working together.  I pride myself on full transparency on how I get paid so you can trust that when I give you my recommendations and prices, I have your best interests at heart and am being mindful and respectful of the money you are spending. 

INSURANCE/TRIP PROTECTION:
It is my job to make sure you are properly informed about the options to insure/protect your trip.  Before we discuss your options, if you think you have coverage elsewhere please take the time to review what you are covered for in terms of emergency medical and trip cancellation (some credit cards offer trip cancellation but you need to check if it is capped at a certain amount and/or only covers certain situations so that you know if you will want additional coverage). 
Please see further information about your options here. 

PASSPORTS:
You must carry your original and valid passport with you for presentation to airlines, customs and immigration and resort check-ins. 
Passports must have an expiry date MORE THAN 6 months PAST your planned return to Canada to be considered valid in most countries and with many airlines. 
Your reservations must be booked with the information exactly matching your passports.  Any changes to your reservations after they are booked will likely incur a change fee or the need to cancel and rebook your plans.

**You are responsible for confirming your own eligibility for international travel.  Things such as prior or pending DUI charges, past-due child support, custody disputes and felony charges may impact your admissibility into another country, please seek legal advice if you have any concerns**

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS:
For the most part, there are no Visa requirements for Canadians to travel to many of the popular destinations of the world.  I will provide you with as much information as I know about entry requirements and custom forms etc prior to your trip however it is the responsibility of every traveler to be up to date on the current requirements for the destination they are traveling to. 
The best website to use to check this is here.  

I think that about covers all the important information to know before we get your vacation planned!  Any questions please don't hesitate to reach out to me at any time at sbowles@thetravelagentnextdoor.com.

Now lets get started ... I look forward to helping you with your vacation plans!