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Why should I use a travel agent?

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Using a travel agent will get you the best value for your dollar, ensure your vacation is personalized to fit your needs and interests, save you time and stress, and you gain the support of an agent who will make sure your travel goes smoothly from start to finish. 

 

Why should I use Escape the Ordinary Travel’s services?

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We specialize in planning trips for mature, experienced travelers who are ready to expand their horizons by truly experiencing destinations in depth and aspire to make their bucket list trips happen and need our assistance to make it happen. Please call or email us if you have specific questions regarding our services.

 

How much will it cost to use Escape the Ordinary's travel services?

 

"Isn’t it cheaper to do it myself online?"

It is a common misperception that expert travel advice and booking will cost you more than booking yourself online or directly with each service component (air/hotel/car/transfers/activities).

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We work with the best tour operators and wholesalers who have amazing contracted rates with many of the same companies you are booking with and because we have this partnership, our prices are competitive with what you find online if not better with the added comfort of knowing you’re booking with a legitimate travel partner. 

 

How do you get paid?

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We are paid by our travel partners when we sell their product. It is built into the price whether you book with an online travel agency like Orbitz or with an independent agent. It is very similar to an insurance broker who shops around for you based on your needs and presents the best options to you. This is why it is important to respect a travel agent’s time and make every effort to book with us if we find you the perfect vacation and meet your wants and needs within your budget.

 

If you find a lower price and believe you are comparing apples to apples, please send us this quote and we will make every attempt to price match it if it can be verified and is exactly the same. If there is something you need that we can help you with, but do not make a commission on, we will advise you of that and our service fee and at that point you can decide if you would like to proceed.

 

How does using a travel agent work?

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The number one thing to remember-working together is a collaboration! We are not going to come up with the perfect trip to fit you based on one conversation and you may not love the first proposal we provide you. Feedback and communication are key to our working relationship so we can tweak, modify, or totally change direction if need be. We have a lot of experience and knowledge with destinations, resorts and cruise lines and if we don’t know the answer, we know who to go to for accurate information. When we send you itineraries or ideas, know that anything can be modified-hotel choices, tours, dates, length,etc. Please let us know what you like or don’t like in a timely manner to keep the process flowing and have an open mind to our suggestions, our shared goal is to make your vacation amazing!

 

Keep in mind, pricing and availability are subject to change and travel is a time sensitive purchase with promotions and sales continuously changing or expiring so you may need to make a decision and deposit/payment on your vacation in a limited amount of time to guarantee pricing. 

 

 

What information should I have ready when I contact you?

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Don’t worry! This list is to provide you some guidance before we talk so you know what to expect during our initial conversation. We would like to know:

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• Traveler information-Full Legal Names and Dates of Birth (this is important in case we need to hold a package or airline ticket to lock in the promotions or pricing, but we need time to discuss the details together to make sure you would like to book it. You are NOT obligated to book something we place on hold.

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• Destination-This can be generic like someplace warm or in the mountains or you could give us other places you’ve been that you’ve loved/hated or you could be specific with cities, resort names, cruise lines. If it is easier, tell us the type of vacation you are looking for (family, cruise, all inclusive, kid friendly, adults only, rail travel, African Safari, etc.)

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• Your interests while on vacation (spa, relaxation, adventure, golf, history, art, etc.)

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• When do you want to travel and for how long? If you aren’t sure, we can give you our advice on weather, peak/off peak/shoulder seasons and how much time we think you need to truly enjoy the destination based on amount of things to do, travel time, and what type of pace you like to keep.

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• Level of accommodations and what amenities are important, Are you looking for the Ritz Carlton, Marriott, or Hampton Inn? Do you want the hotel to have a concierge, spa, restaurant, bar, pool, gym, etc? Do you prefer a certain hotel brand or is location more important to you?

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• Budget-We know it is awkward sometimes to discuss a budget up front, because you feel like we will price something that matches it or try to upsell you into a more expensive trip based on the initial number you give us. We are not in the business to take advantage of you and we know you may have no idea what a trip may cost, but at some point we need to make sure we are on the same page. This will benefit both of us by saving a lot of time and it allows us to narrow our focus and is another way for us to be sure we are meeting your expectations. 

 

If you have special needs, food allergies, mobility issues, or anything else we should be mindful of when creating your personalized vacation, let us know. If you are celebrating any special occasions such as a birthday, anniversary or honeymoon, we want to know! We strive to build a personal one on one relationship with all of our clients and get to know you so we can serve you better. 

 

Other questions? Please call us at 407-403-4338 or email us at escapetheordinarytravel@gmail.com or complete the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.