Most of clients call me and or answer my "Help me get to know you" form. This initial call is our first discussion of what you are thinking about for travel. Sometimes its because you have the flights and hotel, but need more help with the details. Sometimes, you have a time to travel and need help finding that inspiration.

It is advisable to have a budget in mind and be prepared to make a deposit within the 2-3 weeks or our planning call. Plan to deposit 1/3 to 1/2 of your expected expense before we begin gathering quotes.

This will take about 30 minutes.

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After we talk a little about who is going, what activities you and your party hope for, I will come back to you with a few suggestions.  I will need your help to settle on some dates, and a budget range.

Please be prepared to make deposit of 1/3 to 1/2 of your total costs.

This is when I will settle on a one time fee for my time. My fee is based on the complexity of your trip. The farther out it is, the easier it is for me to find the best options. The more days of travel and changes in lodging, the more time I will spend putting it all together and the higher the fee.

Other travel agents may choose to not charge a fee. They may however direct you to more expensive suppliers who pay them a hefty commission.  I try to include what my commission may be into your fee request. Fair is fair.

Please feel free to ask me more about your fee in our discussion.

At this time, I will also send you my terms and conditions agreement, so we have an understanding.

After you pay the agreed fee, I will make a suggested itinerary with suggested flights or transportation, and possible lodging, which may be a hotel, an apartment, a VRBO, or a villa.  I usually have a couple of choices. And if I see a fantastic tour or activity, I will include that suggestion.

Things will speed up and I will need your attention until we get the travel and lodging booked.  Any transportation (driving times, rail tickets, etc.) needs to be finalized before we can make final lodging or destination activity decisions.

First we will reach an agreement on how you will get to the location, and then where you will stay. This will feel rushed, because as soon as your decision is made, I want to secure the best possible option. 

Making a payment: I will send you a credit card authorization form for the expected amount. 

I will send one for each expense as we come to it. You send me your credit card information, I use it to directly pay the supplier, either the airline or the lodging, or tour operator. The credit card information expires after 30 days, and I do not keep that information.

Once the trip is booked to your satisfaction, this in no way means that we are "done". I will still be watching and monitoring your trip. If your flights change, I will check they still work well. I am here for questions and concerns. We can still tweak days and activities. 

A complete re-schedule does require more of my time, and I will ask for an additional fee for that work.