Planning fees, explained

Occasionally we'll get an inquiry from a new client and their first question, which is perfectly okay, is "how do your fees work"? We are always happy to answer this question and usually cover the topic during an introductory phone or video call. As we plan your travel, we must have your trust and we believe that that trust comes from an open dialogue.

Let's start out by saying that if one hires a travel advisor, a planning fee is included in your payments. As much as we love our work, and we really love it, it is our full time job. If another agent professes that they don't charge any fees, rest assured that they are getting paid in other ways that may not always be in the client's best interest.

Some people will ask, "well don't you get paid by the hotels and tour operators"? The answer is that some bookings will earn agents a commission. If one were to book hotels, tours or any other big tickets items based on a commission, then there may be an inclination, even subconsciously, to make a choice based on profit vs what's right for the client. A perfect class or an ideal tour might take hours of back office work to arrange but pay no commission. We take all of that out of the equation. Our clients pay a planning fee and, in exchange, we build the best possible customized trip with no other objectives involved.

We've heard some agents say that they don't charge any fees and that they work with in-country partners. Translation, they outsource their planning to other companies who are most definitely charging a substantial fee which is then passed on to the ultimate consumer, you the traveler! We do frequent checks of our itineraries and associated costs compared to 3rd party planners and our quotes always come out at a significantly lower price point and usually with much more included.

We are familiar with where you're going, oftentimes on a very personal level. We've walked the walk and we provide you with the firsthand knowledge it takes to enjoy your customized trip with ease and confidence. We aren't relying on a 3rd party to do the legwork for us. Since we purposefully go out into the world to experience the fine details and we've built a relationship with our clients, we are uniquely qualified to provide the best personalized itineraries. If someone is going somewhere we have not, we put in the research to provide the details on which our clients rely.

We have wonderful relationships with incredible individuals and companies all over the world but we are working with them to arrange the individual puzzle pieces that make up an entire trip that we've personally planned. There are a few exceptions when it is necessary to partner with another agency, for example when booking a European river cruise. In those cases, we're upfront about our process and do not add our own planning fee.

The bottom line is that we take immense pride in the job we do and we know that when you work with us, you are investing in our skills and trusting in our expertise to deliver to you the best possible experience. Our expert knowledge consistently saves money and time (and on vacation, time is money!!) for our clients while also providing the most personalized itinerary possible.

The best compliment I've ever received from a client was when she said she didn't want her vacation to arrive yet because she was going to miss our frequent chats. That's what personalized service means to us at Cobbles & Clover. We do charge a planning fee and we're worth it.