This is an excellent question and we want to be as transparent as possible about how travel agencies work and how ours works in particular.
In the "old" days, travel agencies got paid a 5-10% commission on anything they sold from airline tickets to hotel stays to tours and cruises booked. That meant that agencies could sell these items to their clients for "free," because they could depend on these commissions from the travel suppliers (airlines, lodgings, cruise lines, etc).
To some extent, travel agents are still paid by hotels and resorts (usually not bed and breakfasts or apartment stays), cruise lines, and tour operators, so we still don't have to charge fees when we book those travel components. For other services, like flight bookings and creating customized itineraries for independent travel, we have to charge a fee just like you'd pay a doctor, lawyer or accountant for their expertise and professional services.
$60 per year entitles you to year-round personal consultation with our resident travel guru, monthly newsletters, hotel stay giveaways, and more!
$50 per person for flight bookings
Range between $100-500, depending on the complexity of the personalized itinerary
No fees are charged for these services
There are many benefits to booking these services through ActiveTravels!
No! And, often, we can get you even better rates than what you see online. Sometimes, we can get you a room when that hotel website says there is no availability. Not to mention, by working with us, we are often able to get you upgrades and help you with your special requests. How? The travel business is a "people to people" business. We have been fortunate to have made successful working relationships with hoteliers, tour operators and tour guides around the world and we will make these connections work for you.
Excellent Customer Service! We're here for you, every step of your trip, from the planning stage to problems that may arise on the road, to hearing your tips for other clientele when you return. Try getting that from Orbitz, Expedia, or Priceline.