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Taking the Plunge: A Travel Agent’s Guide to Charging Fees

Charging travel agent fees can be a hot-button topic among the travel industry. So why charge them? The (very) short answer is that hosted advisors who charged fees earned a 42% higher income average than peers who opted not to charge a fee in 2023.

No wonder charging fees is becoming the norm. Nearly half of hosted travel advisors charge fees 1 . In 2023 travel advisors trade representative, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), released a credo further normalizing and encouraging professional fees.

hosted advisors who charged fees earned a 42% higher income average than peers who opted not to charge a fee in 2023.

As travel has become more complex, your job as a travel advisor has become more complicated. If you're fee-curious, or on the fence, consider these three reasons to consider charging fees:

• It's stabilizes your income volume and flow: Commissions may not land in your bank account until final payment or even after travel. That could be months. Fees offer more a more immediate and steadier income stream to help stabilize your bottom line.
• It's helps attract clients you want. Charging fees (even a plan-to-go fee, which may be applied in full or in part to a booked trip) can help weed out tire kicked, and magnetize the type of travelers who are going to value your work and expertise. It may seem daunting when you're starting out, but future you will thank right-now you for it.

Those are the crib notes. See below's article highlights to get a taste of our full deep dive!

⭐️ HAR Article Highlights: ⭐️

• A Travel Agent Fee Cheatsheet
• How (and Why) to Build a Fee-For-Service Travel Business in 8 Steps , an EduSpot from Madeline Jhawar
• Advice from over 150 travel professionals on charging fees
• A pep talk on service fees, and when you should definitely charge them.
• Still not sold? This may encourage you to warm up to service fees.
• An overview of different service fee types (and which structures might be best for new agents)
• Recommendations for Fee Processing Systems

A Travel Agent Fees: A Cheatsheet!

Before I launch into a pep talk, I want to show you the goods. We have a cheatsheet that will help you navigate charing a fee (or reevaluating your current fee structure). When you download the pdf, you'll be able to fill it out as a form. The cheatsheet will help you:

• Figure out what your “hourly wage" is with commissions to help you see If you're on target with your earnings goal.
• Identify your level of expertise and how it impacts what type of fee you might charge ( NOT how much).
• Assess how much hand-holding you offer clients
• Figure out median fees, by region

You can download it here!

How (and Why) to Build a Fee-For-Service Travel Business in 8 Steps

Sometimes it's helpful to hear direct from personal experiences of travel advisors. Madeline Jhawar offered an EduSpot during HAR's 2023 Host Week event and it's still relevant today (if not more relevant.) Take a look if you're more of a visual leaner :)

Need more? Well we always have more because we're kind of extra in the best way here at HAR.

Over 150 agents weighed in, offering advice on verbiage they use with clients when they address fees, a confidence booster for those who are hesitant to charge, and how they transitioned into charging fees (if they didn't charge from the get-go). It's (almost a literal) ton of info! Here it is, uncut:

Phew! That's a lot to consider! Here's the rest of HAR's pep talk (and practical advice), below!

The Pep Talk in Support of Charging Travel Agent Fees

Repeat after me: "i am a professional".

When you seek medical care, you don’t go to a doctor and tell them that you’re just going to pay for the labs and prescriptions. No. You pay your doctor oodles of money because they’re trusted professionals who went to school for a long time to gain the skills to (hopefully) successfully diagnose your symptoms and steer you toward recovery.

Travel agents are professionals too. You’ve invested in professional development with conferences, FAM trips, and training. You deserve to get paid for the time, knowledge, expertise, and research that goes into booking a great trip. Time that a supplier does not compensation for.

Advisors save travelers hours upon hours of time researching, planning, and booking . Seriously, it’s borderline obscene how much time people spend planning vacations. And you don’t do it with the wave of a magic wand or the click of a button.

Commissions Might Not Be Enough

Unfortunately, the travel industry doesn’t default to compensating travel agents for the added value they provide beyond the logistics of booking. This is where fees come into play.

While travel agent commissions may be the bread and butter of a travel agent’s income), it can be difficult to earn a sustainable income on commissions alone. In 2023, fees accounted for 20% of a hosted advisors' total income. Can you imagine a 20% if you're not charging fees already?

In 2023, fees accounted for 20% of a hosted advisors' total income.

I’ll be honest: I’m not a motivational speaker. Far from it. But I do understand how difficult it can be to ask for money. It’s not my M.O. Maybe it’s not yours, either. But do you remember Ron Tidwell from Jerry Macguire? He took no issue asking for money, and I just want to take a moment for you to gain some motivation from him:

(Dang, you gotta miss those VHS visual-quality days!)

Should I Charge a Fee?

Some agents choose not to charge fees, and of course, this is okay. For some agents, charging no fees is a part of their marketing platform––a way to sell themselves to clients. Others just don’t feel like it or don’t feel comfortable charging fees. For others, they express that the commissions they receive provide ample enough income and just don’t need to charge them.

But here’s four instances where I tend to feel really strongly about charging a fee:

• When booking air-only travel:  Leisure agents can take cues from their corporate agent counterparts and go ahead and charge a fee for air-ticketing. Booking air-only isn't often a huge moneymaker for leisure agents. But it takes time (and sometimes causes headaches.) If a client isn’t willing to pay a ticketing fee for an air-only booking, then maybe they’re not the client for you.
• Non or Low-Commissionable Bookings: If you’re booking leisure air travel, independent hotels, or smaller vendors that don’t provide a commission, this is another instance where it’s a really good idea to charge a fee.
• Booking Non-Commissionable Ancillaries or Add-Ons: Travel agent Ria Maratheftis from The Travel Nook said this better than I ever could, “If we provide personalized ‘concierge’ services such as in-depth itinerary planning with non-commissionable components, i.e. (sporting events, concerts, theatre tickets, Disney dining reservations, ride Fastpasses, wedding planning, etc.) then we will typically charge a $100 per person blanket fee to expedite the research, ticketing, shipping & ongoing maintenance.” (Want a trick to book your Disney extras? Check out our Disney Early Reservation Date Calculator ! )
• Booking FITs (or anything customized): Booking FITs are time-intensive and customized for your client. By nature, it takes more time to create and book FIT itineraries, and you should be compensated for that time.

This just scrapes the surface, and of course, we’ll get into other reasons to charge fees. But if you're making any kind of non or low-commissionable bookings (or components), I highly suggest charging a fee.

Travel Agent Fee Myths Demystified

Advisors who are hesitant to charge fees are typically concerned about attracting or retaining clients or feel they don't have enough knowledge to charge fees. So let me play the role of Jerry McGuire’s Ron Tidwell in why you might still want to charge fees, despite these reservations!

1. I'm Worried About Attracting New Clients:

I understand this. Some respondents to our survey mentioned they live in a small town with other travel agents and that charging a fee would essentially be a death sentence.

But charging a fee—especially for trips that take research, support, and planning or are low or non-commissionable will not only scare away tire-kickers but also support you in creating a loyal customer base that values the added value you bring to their trip. What you don’t want to attract is this kind of client:

2. I Don’t Have Enough Experience to Charge Fees:

Just because you don’t have much experience, doesn’t mean you don’t put a ton of legwork into creating and planning a trip. A new travel agent might spend hours planning a trip, but still, make it look effortless. Their process might be a closer mirror to the consumer process, with more extensive research and time taken to make sure everything is done well. But just because you don’t have much experience, doesn’t mean your time still isn’t valuable. If you fall into this category, here are a few things to consider:

• Do not charge an hourly fee: If you’re a brand-newbie, charging an hourly fee won’t make sense. Instead, consider a (combination of) per-person fee, flat fee, and/or service fees for booking air-only and low or non-commissionable bookings. 
• Apply the fee to their booking: If you are lacking confidence, tell your client that you’ll apply the fee to their vacation package/ trip once it’s booked and confirmed that they will book through you. You could do this just for the client’s first trip, or for all trips if you’re still worried about charging a fee.

3. I'm Afraid I Might Lose Clients:

A happy and loyal client will recognize the added value you provide for them. And while attrition might be a part of implementing a fee for the first time, it’s likely that you keep and attract clients who will recognize the value of your services.

4. I don’t know enough about fees to charge them:

Rest assured, once you get to the end of this article, this will not apply to you any longer. If you're not sure how much to charge, take some advice from Steph Lee who chats through a few steps to take to determine how much to charge. Take a look!

5. My state's Seller of Travel Regulations DoesN't Allow It:

In most states with Seller of Travel regulations (in fact, many agents from FL or CA reported charging fees in our survey), you need an SOT license. According to travel lawyer Mark Pestonk, the "issue is whether an IC, who otherwise qualifies for an exemption under a seller of travel law, will lose his or her exempt status merely by charging a fee to clients."

It’s worth noting that hosted agents can still charge fees so long as they are processing those fees through their host agency (that has SOT). You can read more on Seller of Travel Laws here . Check with your host agency specifically about how this can work. Plus, we'll dig into more of Mark's insights on charging fees in a Seller of Travel state soon!

6. My Host Agency Doesn’t Allow Service Fees:

As an independently contracted agent, you have the choice of whether or not to charge fees. Even if a host agency doesn’t have the capacity to process service fees, there are still ways to charge them. If charging a fee is important to you, this might play a big factor for you in choosing (or even switching) host agencies.

Different Types of Fees (Which One Is Right for You?)

We break down fees into two categories:

1. Service Fees:

Service fee charges are pre-booking charges for air-ticketing or a segment of a trip (car, rail, hotel, etc.). The service fees don’t include a charge for research or planning a trip, it’s a charge for the logistics of booking. Different service fee charges can include:

• Air ticketing, domestic
• Air ticketing, international
• Tour package
• Cancellation
• Air-inclusive package
• Accommodation Only
• Frequent Flyer
• Ancillary Services
• FIT Segments
• Shore Excursions
• Special Coupons

Service fees are pretty much a given among corporate agents, but much less common among leisure agents.

2. Consultation Fees

Unlike service fees which is a flat transaction charge for booking a trip segment, consultation fees are a charge for your time spent researching, planning, booking a trip for a client as well as your time spent supporting a client during their travel. Consultation fees are becoming more popular among leisure agents and for good reason—it takes a lot of time to plan and book a trip!

Consultation fees are a good idea if you’re doing any kind of customized or non-commissionable booking, and creating a fee structure for consultation fees is more of an art than a science. Different consultation fee structures include:

• Flat Fee: A flat fee is the most popular consultation fee charge by a large margin. It’s one standard/blanket fee upfront that covers the research and planning of the entire trip, regardless of how many people or days the trip is. A flat fee may function as an “initiation” for a client to render your services in planning a vacation.
• Hourly Fee: A charge per hour spent researching, planning, and/or booking a trip. This is probably not a great model if you’re a newbie since trip planning may take you a lot longer.
• Per Transaction Fee: This is where I contradict myself in saying that consultation fees aren’t necessarily a transaction fee. But these fees are popular among booking FITs and will be a consultation charge that’s broken down by segment (for example, a $50 per air ticket or a $25 for rail, etc.). This helps agents get “reimbursed” according to the complexity of a trip (rather than an overall flat fee).
• Per Person: This is also self-explanatory, and is a great tool if you’re booking groups. Some agents will also charge a per person per day of travel fee.

Still Not Sold? These Two Fee Structures May Help You Warm-Up to the Idea

Look, I'm shameless. If you're still not sold on charging fees, then please allow me one last opportunity to try and tip the scale toward charging.

Here are two fee structures that are particularly good for the faint of heart.

• Plan-to-go Fee: A plan-to-go fee is essentially where you charge an initial consultation fee for someone to render your services, but then apply it to their booking if they end up booking the trip through you. This gives you peace of mind that even if someone is just coming by to kick the tires on a trip, that you'll be compensated. A plan-to-go fee can be designed like any of the consultation fee structures above (flat fee, per person, etc.). In this case,
• This is a new one to me, brought to you by travel advisor extraordinaire DeJuan Shorter. He charges a consultation fee to his clients, but only for the first trip, they book with his agency. He chats on it in the video below:

So stinking smart.

Resources for Processing Service Fees

ARC provides a service fee processing system for travel agents. They charge a 3.5% processing fee for charges of $20 or more or $.70 for transactions less than $20. Their subscription costs $25.99 quarterly but is only charged when the account is active.

If you're charging for FIT travel (not just service fees or consultation fees) ARC's program will likely be the best bet for you, since non-travel specific processing systems like Pay Pal, Square, and Quickbooks (listed below) may not process transactions when travel is being sold ( in the CC processing world, travel is a high-risk product ).

2. Through Your Host Agency

If you don’t have GDS access ( what the heck is the GDS? ), your host can run service fees through their system. Each host agency will have a different process for this, so you’ll want to check with them. Typically, your current commission split with your host will also apply to service fees.

If your host does not have GDS, they may not be willing to process your fees, and you’ll need to find your own process system. Which bring me to . . . .

3. PayPal, Square, and QuickBooks, etc.

Here's a rundown of some of the costs:

• Quickbooks :  2.9% for swiped transactions or 3.4% for manually entered transactions plus a $.25 per transaction fee. If you're rolling in $7,500+ per month in service fees, you'll need to dish out a monthly fee. 
• PayPal:  2.9% plus $.30 per transaction. 
• Square:  2.75% for swiped transaction or 3.5% + $.15 for manually entered transactions.

The tricky thing with conventional processing systems like PayPal, Square, and QuickBooks is that sometimes travel industry professionals can be considered high risk, and certain processing systems won’t take the risk of covering you. (*Cough* — HAR may or may not have some personal experience with that!). However, so long as you’re not using the same processing system to sell travel, you should be able to frame your fees as “consultation fees.”

This process may not work if you operate in or are selling to a client that resides in a state with Seller of Travel requirements AND if you’re using your host’s SOT number. If this is the case, then you want to ask your host about processing your fees (more on this subject to come very soon!!!).

Travel Agent Fees in Action!

Don't take it from us! Tune into these travel agent chatter episodes where advisors dish on charging fees!

Learn from Molly Williams, CEO of The Optimists Travel. Through the pandemic, she realized the value of her time and the importance of charging fees. Listen to her recent podcast here!

Here's another great story of an advisor who used his previous experience in pricing at WestJet to start his own agency where he charges—and no, this is not a typo— CAD 60-$500 per ticket. Listen to the podcast to get yourself revved up!

Ashley Morris charges a fee for her destination wedding planning services and, amongst other things, shares her journey on charging fees and why it is a win-win for both the agency and her clients.

More Fee Info! ('Cause You Can't, You Won't, and You Don't Stop)

Because I simply cannot stop myself, here some more info on service fees we have on the site:

• Three Travel Agents Get Creative with Fee Structures : There are a ton of creative ideas in this article, but these three travel agents have particularly unconventional fee structures. They're too clever not to check out.
• How Seller of Travel Laws Impact Service Fees : This is is amazing because a.) it has some expert info from Mark Pestronk on charging service fees in states with Seller of Travel Laws and b.)Jamie Jones, COO of WhirlAway Travel (from above) shared insights with HAR to create a customizable template for agents to make their own service agreement to share with their clients. 
• HAR's Research Reports: If travel agency fee data could take steroids, this is what it would like . . . an entire archive of reports with giant sections dedicated to common fee practices. It's great to take a peek if you'd like to do a little competitive intelligence on charging fees.

How about you? Do you have recommendations for service processing systems? Will you share insights on how you developed your own service fee structure? Let us know in the comment section below! 

[Editor's note: This article was originally published in Jan. 2018 and was updated on the date listed.]

• Source: Host Agency Reviews Research Reports ↩

About the Author

Mary Stein has been working as a writer and editor for Host Agency Reviews since 2016. She loves supporting travel advisors on their entrepreneurial journey and is inspired by their passion, tenacity, and creativity. Mary is also a mom, dog lover, fiction writer, hiker, and a Great British Bake Off superfan.

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It’s official: Internet booking sites are the worst. Which means travel agents are back in a big way, to such a degree that the crème de la crème among them are so selective that they’ll work with only a small group of card-carrying members.

We talked to the top dogs at four very different membership travel companies to find out what kind of VIP hook ups they’ll get you—and how much hand-holding you can expect along the way.

Fischer Travel

Courtesy of The Tailor  Nathan Dyer

Source:  Stacy Fischer Rosenthal, president

The Gist: Founded almost 54 years ago by her father, Bill Fischer—who got his clients into sold-out spots like the Hotel du Cap in Antibes in the ’80s—this family-run business is as exclusive as a club gets. “We have a very serious vetting process,” says Fischer Rosenthal.

The Membership: You might want to sit down for this: a $100,000 initiation fee, plus an annual $25,000 renewal fee, plus service fees for all trip planning. And that’s only if you’re accepted. Right now, Fischer has just 175 members.

The Claim to Fame: One-on-one tennis lessons with John McEnroe, a private tour of the Egyptian pyramids, Christmas dinner cooked by a Michelin-starred chef—you name it, Fischer Rosenthal can do it. If she told us her team could move mountains, we’d almost believe her.

Hand-Holding Quotient: Next-level. “My clients will never check in at a front desk, they will never fill out any forms, they will never have a moment when their trip isn’t absolutely seamless.”

Essentialist

Courtesy of Essentialist

Source: Joan Roca, founder

The Gist: Former Travelocity exec Roca ditched digital and went private bespoke in 2017 after realizing travelers didn’t need more choice—they needed more curation. His cabal of experts includes more than 75 journalists and editors specializing in various destinations around the world.

The Membership: A flat fee of $1,400 per household per year includes unlimited travel-planning services by a designated “travel designer” who knows everything about you, from what you like to eat to what you like to drive.

The Claim to Fame: Ultra-insider experiences are the name of Roca’s game, whether it’s the best paella in Majorca at a secret restaurant few locals know or a private dinner in a Venetian palazzo. “It’s not about the price tag,” he says. “It’s about discovering things that are under the radar and unique.”

Hand-Holding Quotient: Minimal. “Our client doesn’t require a lot of hand-holding,” Roca says. “They don’t want people standing at the door of their hotel room every morning. They just want to go.”

Courtesy of Marchay

Source:  Karl Backlund, cofounder

The Gist: With partner Jon Ein of private equity firm Foundry Capital, Backlund devised not an agency but a “travel community of like-minded individuals,” in which pay-for-play travel agents wouldn’t be welcome.

The Membership: $4,500 for a full annual membership with unlimited bespoke trip planning , or $1,750 for a one-trip planning fee. “We admit limited members to make sure the service standards are maintained,” Backlund says.

The Claim to Fame: Seamless execution of even the most complicated itineraries, whether it’s an island-hopping extravaganza in the Caribbean via private jet and yacht or a Scottish golf spree with 11 tee times in 11 days.

Hand-Holding Quotient: That’s up to you. “Our clients appreciate a significant portion of discovery—the thirst for exploration is definitely there,” Backlund says. But he’ll still hold your hand if you ask.

Inspirato Pass

Source:  Brent Handler, founder

The Gist: Handler is like the Thomas Edison of travel clubs . He invented the destination club with Exclusive Resorts in 2002, then went on to create Inspirato , a similar but more affordable club in 2011. The Inspirato Pass , his latest brainchild, is a subscription app.

The Membership: $2,500 per month gets you household booking rights to exclusive trips, events and accommodations—all at no added cost. The catch? After booking a trip, you have to take it before you can reserve another.

The Claim to Fame: There’s the usual hotel suites and over-the-top villas, but what gets really interesting is Inspirato Pass ’s access to marquee events and experiences, from US Open seats to a European river cruise.

Hand-Holding Quotient: Surprisingly high, for an app. “All Inspirato Pass trips include pre-trip planning by our expert travel designers, including custom itineraries,” says Handler. Impressive.

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Virtuoso – How It Works, Travel Advisors, Upgrades & Benefits

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What Is Virtuoso?

Virtuoso benefits, fees to use virtuoso, virtuoso hotel properties, earning points on a virtuoso rate, virtuoso travel advisors, other programs like virtuoso, virtuoso vs. amex fine hotels & resorts, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

If you routinely focus on luxury travel, you might have heard of Virtuoso , an incredible network of travel agencies that deliver huge added value to your hotel stay.

With tens of thousands of travel advisors worldwide capable of delivering extra perks to thousands of luxury hotels in the world, you’ll want to keep this company in your back pocket.

Sure, we pride ourselves on being able to use points for luxury hotel stays, but what if you want to save your points for a different trip? What if you don’t have enough points? Or what if wherever you’re traveling to doesn’t have points hotels?

That’s where Virtuoso can come in. In this guide, we’ll show you how Virtuoso can fit into your travel plans. We’ll walk you through the A to Z of what Virtuoso is, what benefits you can get, and how you can book Virtuoso rates.

Let’s get started!

Everything You Need To Know About Virtuoso

So what exactly is Virtuoso? Virtuoso is a worldwide network of travel agencies with specializations in luxury and experiential travel.

Virtuoso’s network consists of more than 20,000 travel advisors, each of which falls under a larger member agency.

Its travel advisors bring personalized travel recommendations and bookings to the table, whether you’re looking for hotels, cruises, or tours.

Importantly, though, bookings made through Virtuoso come with value-added perks for no additional cost to the traveler.

In almost all cases, hotel stays booked through Virtuoso come with the following benefits:

• Daily breakfast for 2 guests per room
• Room upgrade (subject to availability)
• Early check-in (subject to availability)
• Late checkout (subject to availability)
• A special Virtuoso amenity (typically a $100 property credit or other amenity valued at a minimum of $100, like a free massage or round-trip car transfer)

Virtuoso rates almost always cost the same exact price as the best available flexible rate .

This isn’t the same as a prepaid, advance purchase, non-refundable rate, corporate rate, or member-only rate.

However, if you usually book the best available flexible rates, you’ll literally get hundreds of dollars in added value just by going through a Virtuoso advisor .

In addition, Virtuoso advisors generally don’t charge you any commissions for hotel bookings — they get a commission on the back-end, but that cost won’t be passed on to you most of the time.

This isn’t the same as a planning fee — if you’re booking a complicated trip, you might be quoted for this extra fee depending on the travel advisor.

Hot Tip: Get in touch with Leigh, a next-level Virtuoso agent. UP’s very own Leigh Rowan has deep connections with some of the best hotels and hoteliers in the world. Reach out to him about your upcoming luxury hotel trip, and watch how he’ll upgrade your next stay. Submit your Virtuoso booking request to [email protected] .

The complete catalog of Virtuoso hotels includes name-brand luxury chains like:

• Aman Resorts
• Conrad Hotels & Resorts
• Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts
• Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
• Mandarin Oriental
• Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
• The Peninsula Hotels
• The Ritz-Carlton
• Rocco Forte Hotels
• Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
• St. Regis Hotels & Resorts
• Viceroy Hotels & Resorts
• Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts

As you can see, this more or less encompasses all luxury hotel chains . In addition, you can book luxury boutique properties that may not have multiple locations. These properties are incredibly helpful if you’re looking to book a more exotic vacation where there aren’t many luxury hotel options.

Booking Virtuoso rates is a lot like stacking benefits! Because a Virtuoso hotel rate still goes through the hotel’s internal system, you can earn hotel points, elite night credits/stays, and even enjoy hotel elite benefits when booking through a Virtuoso travel advisor.

For example, if you’re a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium member and you’re booking a Virtuoso hotel stay at an eligible Marriott property, you will earn Marriott Bonvoy points and enjoy Titanium benefits on your hotel stay.

The reason this works is that your travel advisor will also enter your loyalty number when booking your stays.

The first thing you’ll need to do is have a stay in mind. You can view the rates for hotels by visiting the hotel search catalog , but you will need to contact a Virtuoso travel advisor (such as Leigh Rowan from our team)  to enjoy these benefits.

Hot Tip: You can even browse Virtuoso travel advisors by their destination specialties or travel interests!

Virtuoso is the largest consortium with thousands of luxury hotels and resorts within its purview.

However, other programs offer similar benefits, including Four Seasons Preferred Partner , Belmond Bellini, Dorchester Diamond Club, Hilton Impresario , Rosewood Elite, Marriott STARS, Marriott Luminous , and Mandarin Oriental Fan Club.

Virtuoso actually includes all of the brands above and offers similar benefits — as a result, Virtuoso offers a “one-stop-shop” for booking luxury hotel stays and getting benefits regardless of which exact chain you stay at.

Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts is similar to Virtuoso in the sense that it offers perks like free breakfast and room upgrades. However, Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts offers a guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout .

Virtuoso is bookable without a specific credit card, while Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts requires a premium Amex card like The Platinum Card ® from American Express .

However, you need to have a Virtuoso travel advisor to help make your booking for you ( online or over the phone). On the flip side, you’ll also get a human who can offer recommendations and advice based on your destination and travel style.

Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and Virtuoso both have overlapping hotels — that’s not terribly surprising when you consider that these luxury hotels are worldwide chains.

One thing you might notice is a significant markup on Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts rates . For example, if you look at The Ritz-Carlton Osaka stay searched through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and compare it to a Virtuoso search, you’ll see a big difference in rates:

Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts is charging $568 per night before taxes and fees, while Virtuoso’s rates are $511 per night. In this case, booking through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts would cost 11% more than booking through Virtuoso.

Sometimes, the 2 programs have the same rates — however, in many cases, Virtuoso’s prices will beat out Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts.

On the other hand, Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts may have special offers such as a fifth-night free benefit, so you’ll need to evaluate the economics on a case-by-case basis.

Virtuoso is the secret tool that luxury travelers use to get hundreds of dollars worth of extra value on their bookings, especially hotel stays.

Some of the world’s most prestigious hotel brands like Four Seasons, Aman, Rosewood, and The Peninsula are available to book through Virtuoso. It also includes small luxury boutique hotels that aren’t a part of a larger hotel brand, so you can enjoy a boutique experience as desired.

With this program, you’ll enjoy benefits like free breakfast, room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout, and so much more — all for the same price as the best available flexible rate. Virtuoso rates are also often cheaper than Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts rates, so it’s definitely a no-brainer to consider Virtuoso!

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

How does virtuoso travel work.

Virtuoso is essentially a travel agency network focused on luxury accommodations. With tens of thousands of approved travel advisors worldwide, Virtuoso allows you to enjoy extra elite-like benefits and perks when staying at thousands of luxury hotels and resorts around the world… but the real gem is you won’t need to pay extra to enjoy these benefits.

How much does it cost to join Virtuoso?

Virtuoso doesn’t hire travel advisors, but they recruit advisors for its member agencies. You can join Virtuoso as a travel advisor via a member agency or  join Virtuoso as a member agency .

What are Virtuoso amenities?

Virtuoso amenities may vary by hotel and property, but they usually include preferred rates at hotels, room upgrades upon arrival subject to availability, property credits like spa and shopping credits, daily breakfast for 2, and early check-in/late checkout subject to availability.

How do I join Virtuoso?

Travel agents can join Virtuoso via its website, but if you’re looking to book a stay with Virtuoso, you’ll want to book directly with a Virtuoso travel advisor.

Who owns Virtuoso Travel?

Virtuoso was founded by Jesse Upchurch in 1986, but it’s currently helmed by his son Matthew D. Upchurch. Virtuoso is a private company and has hundreds of employees.

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A Travel Agent Fee Evolution: Transaction Fees Give Way to Charging for Great Service

Charging fees on airline tickets and other non-commissionable items has become standard practice for many travel agencies. But it’s only a small part of how the fee-based model can help travel agencies succeed in a world of shrinking commissions and digitally savvy consumers.

Moving beyond transactional fees into full consultancy mode is the key, says travel industry consultant Nolan Burris, president of Future Proof Travel Solutions, who has been counseling agents on the potential of service fees since 1999. Travel Market Report sat down with Burris to get his take on how and why agents are taking the fee concept to new levels.

You have been an advocate of travel agencies embracing the fee-based model for some years now. Are you seeing any changes in how agents are approaching fees? I’ve definitely seen a big jump in one key area: agents that have gone well beyond charging simple “transaction fees” of $25 to $50. They have successfully repositioned themselves as professional consultants with premium fees ranging from $250 to $1,000—some even higher. 

I’m often asked what it is they do for that sort of fee. The answer is simple: their fees have nothing to do with making bookings. They are entirely about extreme high levels of service, highly detailed consulting and research, and even incorporating non-commissionable and otherwise “time wasting” things ignored by traditional agents.

In general, are you seeing progress among travel agencies when it comes to embracing the fee concept? Definitely. It’s no longer just agencies getting started with fees, but dominated by those moving to more premium levels of fees.

In our online video course series, the ones focused on fees consistently get the most views. Our most downloaded tool is the one that helps agencies calculate profitable fees. Our most commonly received email questions are about fees, and the most requested workshops at events where I speak are related to fees.

Are leisure agencies as well as corporate coming on board with fees? Absolutely!  In fact, while corporate may have been the first to adopt fees (due to zero air commission), leisure agencies tend to successfully charge the highest rates.  

Once agencies start charging fees, how do they evolve from simple transactional fees to more comprehensive ones? There is a very clear pattern of progression. At first, most agencies approach fees as a “commission filler” to make up for cruise NCFs, low margin products, etc. In other words, they charge minimal fees to get back to where they once were with revenue. The focus is primarily on covering costs.

Then the light bulb goes on. They see that even a little extra revenue can make a big difference in their ability to provide better service. In a world where anyone can get a booking with a finger tap, service is more important than ever as a competitive edge. But it’s hard to offer that when struggling with reduced commission, or even full commission on cheaper products. It’s at this stage that I see agencies think about increasing their fee amounts.

Where do they go from there? The third stage is when agencies charging minimal fees realize that you can’t “wow” customers with an extra $10. To totally wow them with remarkable service, you have to be able to pay for the things that it requires: systems, spending quality time with each client, extra training, rebranding, marketing, dealing with non-traditional products when requested, etc. At this stage, many still think in terms of simply covering the cost of such things.

The fourth stage is where I’m seeing the biggest spike. This is where the focus has moved beyond simply covering costs or making up for lost commissions. Instead, this is where agencies start looking at their fees and the service they provide as a product in and of itself, separate from the cruise or tour. They see it as a product upon which profit should be earned, separate from whatever may or may not be booked.  

What kind of new services do they add to justify increased fees? More agents are now looking at the “whole trip” experience, not just transportation and accommodations. They do things like restaurant research, activities planning, cultural arrangements (museums, sports, concerts) and such, as an integral part of their trip consultations. This is when fees generally go from $25 or $50 to $250 or $1,000.  

Statistics show that typical vacation-takers spend as much or more money once they arrive as they do on the upfront cost of the trip. This includes restaurants, local tours, activities and more—most of which is non-commissionable.  

Are some agents embracing premium service fees from the very start? The biggest surge is in agents, especially independent ones, who have skipped right past stage one, two, and three. This new breed of travel consultants has seized on the opportunity to earn revenue through consulting fees. After all, those things represent the actual experience of the vacation. It’s where customer satisfaction and repeat business comes from. Why leave it to chance?

Has the need to charge fees become even more important in the past few years? There is definitely more of a “need” to charge fees, but in my opinion, it’s the wrong reason. One can easily make up for lost commission revenue by focusing on certain types of products, maximizing preferred suppliers, and hitting performance targets. However, none of those are reasons a tablet-tapping customer would call a travel consultant. In fact, surveys show it causes them to be suspicious of the advice they receive; it’s the old “no such thing as a free lunch” assumption.

I truly believe the most important reason to charge fees has nothing to do with “need” or reduced commission. Instead, it’s to be able to fund creating a superior human consulting experience they’ll never find on an app or website. I also believe fees help travel consultants take control of their own financial futures instead of leaving it in the hands of faceless multi-national corporations. Not to sound dramatic, but we should have learned our lesson from the airlines and NCFs.  

Of all the agents I know who have made the leap to substantial fees, I don’t know a single one that would go back to relying exclusively on commission.  

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Exceptional travel experiences managed by expert travel advisors — your journey starts here.

Calling all current and future travel advisors — are you a high-performing entrepreneur with a passion for travel design, about brownell.

Ours is a venture built of inspiration. We are the careful stewards of experiences handed down through generations — stories excitedly told by forever changed. Each of our hand-selected travel advisors dedicates themselves to the organization and execution of the unforgettable, the tiniest of details, and the smallest of moments that turn a trip into an experience. Our travel advisors are among the most recognized and experienced in the world, and with our award-winning Discover More™ travel-planning process, they design every trip with a deep understanding of their client’s travel needs and desires.

As the oldest travel agency in North America with deep and long-standing relationships with many of the finest luxury travel companies in the world, our advantages don’t just set us apart — they help to define who we are. We invite you to explore our website and learn more about our services and unparalleled network of luxury travel advisors.

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Why use a travel agent?

Luxury Travel Services by Rob is a premier travel agency dedicated to curating unforgettable vacations. Whether you're envisioning a romantic honeymoon, a memorable family getaway, or crossing off a bucket list , I specialize in streamlining the planning process, reducing the time and effort required compared to planning it independently.

Rob uses his travel industry connections and suppliers around the world to carefully curate itineraries and sought after experiences  that best reflect the personality, style, and goals of each client.

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Life can become hectic, but your vacation shouldn't be compromised due to last-minute rushes and hasty planning. Remember time is money.

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I offer a 5-star quality service to ensure that your trip feels distinctly 'you' from start to finish.

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Thanks to the honest advice of a well-traveled expert , you can sidestep crowds and journey to unspoiled places that few have heard of.

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1. Book a Discovery Call

During the discovery call, we'll have the opportunity to get to know each other and assess whether my planning services are the right fit for your trip. We'll discuss ideas and collaboratively create a list of experiences you wish to include in your itinerary.

2. Planning Fee

I charge a planning fee to provide access to my expertise, partnerships, discounted rates, and special perks. Fees will vary depending on the services and range from $79 to up to $399+. The fees will be discussed once you would like to proceed to the next step.

3. Custom Itinerary

This is where I take over. I'll diligently search for the perfect destination and the finest hotels, sparing you from any research. Relying on your personality and insights gained from my trusted travel partners, I'll recommend the best options for a tailored experience.

4. Book Travel

I'll finalize your itinerary, covering flights, transfers, hotels, and excursions, saving you more than 40 hours of work! Now, all you need to do is get excited for your upcoming trip.

5. The Perks

Thanks to my excellent travel partners, I can provide exclusive perks, including complimentary breakfast, a $100 resort credit, room upgrades upon arrival, and the flexibility of early check-in/late check-out. These perks are available at preferred partners and where applicable.

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Subscribe to luxury travel with all nightly rates, taxes, and fees included.

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As an Inspirato Pass subscriber, you’ll enjoy the flexibility to choose how many Pass Trips to enjoy each year through your monthly subscription that includes nightly rates, taxes, and fees.

How Inspirato Pass works

Browse the list.

Browse the list of approximately 1M Pass Trips in 100+ destinations around the world.

Use Pass Days

Choose a trip and put your Pass in use towards a reservation for a specified number of Pass Days.

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When the required Pass Days elapse, your Pass is available to reserve your next Pass Trip.

Inspirato Pass Features and Pricing

• Choose Pass Trips from a list of approximately 1M trips including Inspirato homes, top hotels and resorts.
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We're here to answer your questions. Contact our team at  (888) 625 - 7525 or email us at  [email protected] .

Luxury Travel Concierge Services | Incognito Global Travel

Incognito travel concierge company ‍, a world of luxury awaits when you "go incognito" ‍.

An hour alone in the Sistine Chapel. A game drive deep into the Serengeti. A trek across an Antarctic glacier.  Journey to the wildest and most wondrous places on earth, effortlessly. Unlock private, immersive, and ultra-exclusive experiences, inspired by your curiosity.  ‍ Go far beyond the ordinary, with a custom-crafted journey by Incognito Global Travel.   We’ve experienced first-hand the very best of immersive luxury travel—and we’ve forged relationships with amazing local guides, properties, and travel companies along the way. Let us share it all with you for a highly personalized escape that touches your mind, body, and soul.

Luxury Travel Concierge Services | Incognito Travel Company

For adventure travelers, luxury leisure seekers, or sophisticated world wanderers Incognito Global Travel provides full-service luxury travel advising and planning, creating unique, bespoke, and individually tailored travel experiences. We specialize in the 'unknowns’ of luxury travel, featuring the world’s boldest, most off-the-beaten-path, and distinctive experiences. From private Vatican tours, individualized safari encounters, Antarctica to the Amazon, or anywhere you need to be. Let us take you beyond, leave nothing unexplored!

The Experience

Incognito Global Travel is a high-end, full-service, luxury and adventure travel company founded on the core concept that all travel must be tailored to the individual(s), and freeing to the mind, body, and soul. We tailor-make and coordinate a private, stress-free, luxury travel adventure, giving you the peace of mind that your vacation adventure will be memorable and perfectly matched to your specific desires and preferences. We provide full-scale planning & concierge services to our select portfolio of leisure and corporate clients. Our luxury travel adventurers get private, unique, authentic, and luxurious travel experiences hand-picked by our luxury travel advisors.

Incognito Global Travel Luxury Travel Concierge Services offer an unrivalled VIP blend of culture and luxury traveling crafted from extensive firsthand travel experience, exhaustive research, and relationships built the best luxury hotels, vendors, and experts in the field. We reach out to every property to ensure our clients are VIPs who receive the best rooms, exceptional service, and special amenities. We value the hidden gems and the tried-and-true favorites from the finest luxury & boutique hotels, villas, yachts, catamarans, luxury cruises, spas, and commercial and private aircraft.

At Incognito Global Travel, providing world-class luxury travel advising for clients that seek the ultimate in opulent travel is all about relationships! As the best luxury travel concierge company around, with years of building personal and professional connections around the globe, we provide only the best for our clients. We are proud affiliates of Embark Beyond, the world’s most powerful buyer of luxury travel and members of the Virtuoso network, an exclusive, elite, invitation-only network of the world’s top 1% of travel providers.

One of our favorite things to do is helping people plan the perfect surprise trip. Expanding across the US in Dallas TX , Seattle WA , Denver CO , and Boston MA . We believe the best kind of travel gift is the trip itself. As our name implies, we will happily work with you to plan and book an amazing “incognito” dream holiday for that special someone, making sure that the secret is kept every step of the way. Whether you want to surprise your significant other on their wedding anniversary or give somebody that special trip on a private jet charter they have always dreamed of, we will help you make it extra special and keep it a secret!

Working with Incognito Global and Valentina was easy, fun, and stress-free. Her meticulous attention to the smallest details made our experience memorable, our connections simple, our tours tailored to our wants, and gave us very unique upgrades throughout! I never knew we could have such an amazing vacation adventure.

- Alisha M., Chicago

We cannot thank Valentina enough for planning a trip to Seychelles. We never would have ever thought of this as a possibility! Three islands in 10 days. It was an inspirational, rejuvenating, and a most memorable holiday adventure. Valentina got us upgrades and special experiences, and even left us little messages along the way. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

- Jane and Paul C., New York

We used Valentina for a family cultural and religious pilgrimage to Israel...she was very knowledgeable, prompt, friendly, flexible, and supportive of our constantly changing needs. Her itinerary was easy to follow and made our trip so stress free. She made sure to mix in things to see and do to meet everyone's tastes! I give her my highest recommendation

- Simon L., los angeles

Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia over three weeks! Remarkable beauty, amazing food and 5 star the whole way. Words cannot express how grateful we are for Valentina putting together such an amazing trip! She got us private access to some of the sights that are otherwise overcrowded. Everything was so well organized. We can't wait for Valentina to plan our next trip!

- becky h., dallas

Travel the world.

Moscow is the biggest city in Russia as well as the Capital, and has over ten million people living here. Moscow sits right on the banks of the Moskva River. The weather here is kind of warm and a bit humid in the summers, but in the long winters it can get bitter cold because of its northern location.

This huge city has an incredibly rich cultural history, a multitude of attractions, historical buildings and interesting landmarks. The renowned onion domes of Saint Basil’s Cathedral are the most recognized, however, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Seven Sisters are also magnificent. Here’s some of the most important attractions: Red Square, There are four wonderful Botanical Gardens, the Central Park of Culture and Rest, the Neskuchniy Garden, the Izmaylovsky Park, the Sokolnik Park, the Elk Park, and many, many more wonderful places to rest and relax.

We’ve been orchestrating Russia dream vacations for discriminating travelers for more than 20 years. It helps us help you, if you begin with our  vacation planner  we’ll make sure you have a lot of fun in Moscow, do everything for you; air, car, hotels and transfers; get you the best airfare rates, enjoy privileged access plus luxury amenities and special touches. You’ll travel confidently, save time and prevent costly mistakes.

Other must see attractions are: The Triumphal arch on Kutuzov Avenue, The Shukhov Tower, the Patriarshiye Ponds, Novodevichy Convent is one of the World Heritage Sites, the Tsaritsyno Park and palace, Ascension church in Kolomenskoye, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ostankino Palace, “Friendship of Nations” fountain in All-Russia Exhibition Center, Moscow International House of Music, The Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow State Historical Museum, The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Tretyakov Gallery, The Red Army theatre, the Central Moscow Hippodrome and that’s just a few exciting things to see.

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leading consulting group

Leading Consulting Group (LCG) is a sales and marketing company specializing in luxury hotels, premium lifestyle services and exclusive brands. Launched in 2007 by Viktor Dimitrov, it offers a prestigious portfolio of clients strategic direction and a comprehensive range of personalized marketing and sales representation services across the Eastern European region.

We represent exceptional luxury hotels, service providers and lifestyle brands.

We hand pick just the right ones for the portfolio to ensure a consistent level of excellence.

They know they are special and unique and want a team of experts that share the same values and goals. A visionary team that can open the right doors and move market share one company at a time. Our clients represent luxury beyond the traditional understanding of this notion.

Leading Consulting Group offers bespoke comprehensive solutions to build a long-term relationships with our clients.

We grow revenue for our clients by creating awareness, educating the travel trade and generating sales by positioning ourselves as an extension of our client's sales & marketing team.

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