Your price is the same as booking direct, and I'm paid a commission by the supplier. On custom multi-country itineraries, there can be a research fee — quoted before you owe anything, and credited toward your booking.
That's the whole answer. Thirty-two years of parent conferences taught me that people don't resent the cost of something. They resent finding out about it late. So here it is up front. The rest of this page is the detail behind it, because I'd rather you have it now than wonder about it during our first call.
Cruises and Resort Packages: No Planning Fee
If you're booking a cruise, an all-inclusive resort, or a resort-plus-air package, you pay me nothing.
Here's why that works. Cruise lines, resorts and tour operators pay travel advisors a commission out of their own margin, in exchange for us bringing them clients and handling the booking. That commission is built into the published rate whether an advisor is involved or not. So when you book direct, the supplier keeps that portion. When you book through me, the supplier pays it to me and your price does not change.
Will you pay more than booking direct? No. For cruises and resort packages, I do not charge an additional planning fee. I generally book the same published supplier rates, and I may also have access to group rates, promotions or amenities.
What if you find a lower price? Send it to me. I'll usually be able to match it or explain the difference — and the difference is very often a non-refundable rate, a lower room category, or a fare with no cancellation protection. Sometimes it's a genuinely better deal, and I'll tell you that too.
Some trips can't be booked from a supplier's package. A three-week route through Italy, Greece and the UK with five hotels, four transfers, two internal flights and a rail segment isn't a package — it's a build. That kind of work takes many hours of research and coordination, and much of it is unpaid if the trip never books.
For those, I may quote a planning fee before we begin. Here's how it works:
When it applies: Per our first discussion, if a trip is going to include a complex itinerary that cannot be booked easily, then we will discuss the options. Most of the time, this would include multiple cities, transportation throughout and possible excursion bookings that require time. Think the difference between checkers and chess.
How much: This will 100% depend on complexity, however a typical amount to begin the creation of an itinerary is around $100 per person - non-refundable (if you decide not to book). This planning fee is credited toward your trip when you book within the quoted deposit window. If you decide not to book, it's non-refundable — it covers the research time either way.
When a custom itinerary is quoted: A planning fee would only be charged after our initial call to determine complexity.
What it covers: The planning fee is to cover the time for research and piecing together the perfect scenario for you.
Credit toward booking: The planning fee will be credited toward your total when you book your trip within the stated deposit window of your quoted trip. The planning fee would then be applied at the end of your payment window toward your total amount due.
If you don't book: Your planning fee is non-refundable and would be my compensation toward the time that it took for planning and researching your trip.
You will never be surprised by a fee. If one applies to your trip, I'll tell you the number and what it covers before you commit to anything, in writing.
This is the question people are usually too polite to ask, so let me answer it unasked.
I'm paid a commission by suppliers, and commission rates are not identical across every supplier. That's a real fact about how this industry works, and it would be strange for you not to wonder about it.
Here's my answer: the trips that pay me well and the trips that go badly are the same trips. A client who has a miserable week doesn't come back, doesn't refer anyone, and doesn't leave the reviews that bring me the next client. In a business built almost entirely on repeat clients and referrals — which mine is — recommending the wrong thing for a slightly better commission is the most expensive mistake I could make.
You'll find the practical version of that on my other pages. I tell people to book the cruise line's excursion when the port day is tight, even though that earns me nothing. I tell people a drink package won't pay off for how they actually drink. I tell people when the cheaper week is a gamble rather than a bargain. Those are the moments where the incentive and the advice diverge, and they're the ones worth watching.
If you ever want to know why I've recommended something, ask. I'll give you a straight answer.
What You Never Pay Me For
An initial consultation - Free
Researching and comparing cruise or resort options - Free
Booking a cruise, resort or resort package - Free
Cabin or room selection and category advice - Free
Adding group space or requesting perks and upgrades - Free
Tracking your deposit and final payment deadlines - Free
Requesting a price adjustment if the rate drops before final payment - Free
Your pre-departure document packet and app itinerary - Free
Help while you're traveling - Free
A custom multi-country independent itinerary - May carry a planning fee, quoted first
Why Use A Travel Agent vs Booking Yourself
Third-Party Booking Links
Some pages on this site include links to vetted excursion and transfer vendors. If you book through those links, the vendor pays me a small commission. Your price is the same as going to them directly, and I place the advice above the links, not below them.
Do travel agents charge a fee? Some do, some don't, and many do both depending on the trip. I don't charge for cruises or resort packages. Custom multi-country itineraries can carry a research fee, quoted upfront and credited toward your booking. The research fee is credited toward your trip when you book within the quoted deposit window. If you decide not to book, it's non-refundable — it covers the research time either way.
Is it cheaper to book direct? No. The commission is built into the published rate either way. Booking direct doesn't remove it — it just means the supplier keeps it.
How do travel advisors get paid? By commission from suppliers — cruise lines, resorts, tour operators — paid after you travel, in most cases. On custom builds, sometimes by a client-paid planning fee as well.
Is a planning fee refundable? No - The only planning fee that I may charge is on complex itineraries that have multiple puzzle pieces to create the ultimate vacation. This will always be agreed to before charging you.
Do you charge for airfare-only bookings? Yes - as airlines will not pay any type of commission, I must charge for my time and research. This fee would be discussed and agreed upon before booking anything.
What if I want to change my trip after booking? Supplier change fees may apply, and those are set by the supplier, not by me. I'll tell you what a change costs before you make it.
No fee, no obligation, and no pressure.
The consultation is free and you're not committing to anything by having it. Tell me roughly what you're thinking and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person for it.
Robert Cook — Travel Advisor Serving Keller, North Fort Worth & the DFW Metroplex
Call or text: 682-337-9466
Email: travelbycook@gmail.com
CLIA Certified Cruise Counselor | IATA | KHM Travel Group | Florida Seller of Travel ST37113