Wait, Does This Cost Me Extra?

Short answer: no. Here’s exactly how travel advisors like me actually get paid.

The Short Answer

I don’t charge a planning fee, and I don’t add anything to the price of your trip. In the vast majority of cases, working with me costs you exactly the same as booking it yourself — you’re just not doing it alone.

So How Do I Actually Get Paid?

Cruise lines, resorts, tour operators, and companies like Disney and Universal pay a commission to the travel advisor who books the trip. It comes out of the marketing and distribution budget they already have — not out of your pocket. I get paid by the supplier, after you travel, not by you.

Why Doesn’t It Cost You More, Then?

Most of the suppliers I work with set one price whether you book directly or through an advisor — it’s built into their contracts, not something either of us controls. So you’re not paying extra to have someone handle the details. You’re just getting the details handled.

What You’re Actually Getting

For that same price, you get someone who has actually done the trips: researching options, building the itinerary, tracking deadlines and payments, and being your one call if something goes sideways mid-trip. Planning a Disney or Universal vacation is basically a part-time job. I do that job so you don’t have to.

One Honest Exception

A few booking types — independent vacation rentals, some boutique hotels — don’t offer travel advisor commissions at all, so those aren’t always something I can help with. For cruises, Disney, Universal, all-inclusive resorts, and guided tours, this is exactly how it works. And if a situation ever came up where cost worked differently, I’d tell you upfront, before you booked anything.

If you’re planning a family trip, I put together a free guide covering the 10 most common planning mistakes that turn vacations into stress — grab your free copy here.

Ready to Start Planning?

If you’ve been holding off on reaching out because you weren’t sure what it would cost you, now you know: it’s free to ask.