Yes, the need for travel advisors is greater than ever as the travel industry continues to grow in volume and complexity. I understand the desire to plan your own vacation. You may be able to plan a great vacation on your own, but with a passionate and experienced travel advisor in your corner, you will have more options for your trip, more time for other things, less stress, and the peace of mind knowing that I only work with reputable suppliers. With my strong partnerships and first-hand experience, I can make recommendations for you that you might not have considered on your own.

This is an important question as the travel industry has seen an influx of new advisors in the last 5 years that are unknowingly joining MLMs (multi-level marketing companies) that emphasize recruiting more advisors with less attention on training, sales, and no regard for improvements to the industry or the well-being of the traveling public.

Rest assured that I have the support of a leading host agency that collectively sells over $130 million in travel annually and is a member of Virtuoso, the top travel consortia in the world. I am a member of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), the world’s leading trade association of travel advisors and I hold their Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) designation. I am a member of CLIA, the world’s largest cruise industry trade association. These combined credentials provide me with access, opportunities, training, and support across the travel industry that directly benefits you as my client.

By charging a planning fee, I can dedicate the necessary time and attention to detail to curate a personalized itinerary tailored to your preferences. My goal is to save you time, provide you with peace of mind, and ensure a seamless trip from start to finish. My planning fees are calculated based on the complexity of the trip. This includes the number of legs, number of travelers, number of nights, and vicinity of time to departure.

I am a strong believer that any successful partnership is built on mutual trust and respect, AND clear communication. Please be as specific as possible about your vision at our initial consultation and honest in your feedback. Timely communication is crucial. Ideally a response time of 24-48 hours, especially during the booking phase, will ensure pricing and availability. Please do not book elements of your trip without consulting me. These itineraries are multi-pronged and I want to ensure they flow seamlessly. And finally, trust me as your professional travel advisor. I work extremely hard to provide you with excellent service and outstanding travel options. Mutual trust will smooth the way for an incredible journey before, during, and after your trip.

Although there are rare exceptions, I generally cannot use your rewards or points to book travel for you. You will complete a pre-travel questionnaire that asks for your loyalty numbers, and I will be sure to apply those to your bookings so you can earn points from your trip. If you wish to use points for certain elements of your vacation, please let me know at our initial consultation and we can determine how I can still offer support for your travels.

I present all elements of your trip as a full package. I make selections based off our initial conversation, your travel preferences and interests, and your level of investment. Packages can include air, carefully selected accommodations, logistics, and experiences/activities. The itineraries are crafted from the details we gather in our consult call, and are a reflection of your goals, interests, and targeted investment. Depending on your planning suite, you will have a set number of revision requests to your proposal. We will work together to get everything just right!

I work directly with my destination partners to provide you with the best accommodations, experiences, and service at the best value. All of our itineraries are provided as a bundled package. Pricing is a result of leveraging my partner relationships and their fantastic negotiated rates, passing that benefit on to you. Due to the nature of these contracts, I am unable to break out components individually.

My goal is to ensure that you have the best experience possible that is perfectly matched to your vision and interests. There are many times that I do have access to negotiated rates, but the real value is in how I can save you time, stress, and frustration either prior to traveling or while actually in the destination. If you’re looking for a custom-made seamless planning and travel experience, I’d love a chance to show you the difference of working with a travel advisor!

I do not work with properties that are individually managed. I am unable to stand behind the quality of individually owned properties. If you are looking for options with shared space (like a living room), I will work with our partners to find vetted villas, apartments, and/or hotels that meet your needs.

We understand that the unexpected can happen and your trip may need to be changed or cancelled. SBT has our own generous cancellation policy which you will review immediately following our initial consultation. Our suppliers also have cancellation policies which we will share with you prior to booking. Additionally, we always recommend the purchase of trip insurance, and we can provide you with a policy quote during the quote and proposal stage of planning.