Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to book through a travel advisor? 

Our hotel and air pricing are competitive and we have perks that are not available to the general public. However, bespoke travel can be more expensive than pre-packaged trips with pre-set dates because everything is tailored to you.

FAQ

Do you offer line item breakdowns? 

We provide the clarity you need to make an informed decision. Our pricing is fair market prices. We cannot always provide a line-by-line breakdown, as we often receive proprietary rates from our suppliers. Unlike picking from a buffet, there is an art to itinerary creation that is often complex, involving multiple suppliers and currency conversions.

Is there a fee for your services?

Yes, Luxury Pilgrim is a luxury travel consultancy. We charge fees for trip planning, villa research, and airline tickets. Our fee structure is based on the time/hours required to plan your trip. Rates can vary based on the complexity of services rendered. Our rates range from $350-$1500 as a general rule.

How much should I allocate for my hotels? 

We specialize in luxury hotels, luxury boutique hotels, and luxury wellness hotels. These typically cost $550-$1800 US dollars a night. We do book regular hotels as needed, but for our bespoke trips our clients usually book high-end hotels. 

I have already booked some elements of my trip. Can you help with the rest?

It is not our standard business practice, only because we take pride in being responsible for your entire experience. With our established clients we can assess on a case-by-case basis. For quality control, it is often more time-consuming and labor-intensive to handle components vs the entire process. We do have an advisory-only service if needed. We can guide you in the right direction, and we charge hourly for this service.

We will have communicated the cancellation policies in advance of having monies paid out. Please make sure you have read and understand your liability. We have our clients sign a document stating that they understand their investment. As your advocate, we endeavor to find the best solution with our partners should the unforeseen occur. Cancellation penalties may apply.

Do you book villas or rental homes?  

We have a network of villa partners around the world. For legal reasons, we do not work with rental websites such as VRBO or Airbnb, but can assist with research. We use only accredited local brokers who visit and maintain their villas to preserve quality control.

What happens if I have to cancel? 

We will have communicated the cancellation policies in advance of having monies paid out. Please make sure you have read and understand your liability. We have our clients sign a document stating that they understand their investment. As your advocate, we endeavor to find the best solution with our partners should the unforeseen occur. 

What do I need to do to prepare for our Strategy Session? 

We have an intake form to prepare for our call. We ask that you have given serious thought to your travel dates. We also ask that you have checked to see if your passport is up-to-date and that you have thought about a range of funds you are comfortable allocating to your journey. 

Do you also handle airline tickets or only on-the-ground itinerary creation? 

Yes, in fact, we pride ourselves on our airline knowledge. We practically have a PhD in Airlines! We are familiar with airline route networks, aircraft, and seating layouts. We also believe that handling your air provides us with a level of oversight of your whole experience. We do not use an airline desk—we handle this ourselves, unlike many counterparts. The only caveat is mileage tickets, which are handled on a case-by-case basis; fees apply. 

How should I prepare for the travel planning process?

Travel is once again booming. We manage a finite number of trips which allows us to craft finely-tuned luxury itineraries while maintaining consistent communication and availability to travelers who are on the road. For this reason, once we have our discovery call, we will ask if you are ready to proceed with trip planning and the decisions that come with embarking on this process. If you are seeking information to make an informed decision, we can pause until a later time.

How can I reach you? And what is your communication method? 

Business is conducted via email and over the phone via appointment—we want to make sure we are not on the phone with an airline or a vendor, and that we have allocated plenty of time to devote to you. Our office hours are Monday-Friday 9-5:30. If you need assistance after hours, we have a service that handles these situations (after-hours fees apply). We use texting for reminders and time-sensitive concerns, but we do not conduct normal business by text. Our reasoning is twofold: You are making important financial decisions that should not be made on a small screen while on the go. Additionally, our work requires a lot of concentration and texting cannot be counted on to communicate high-stakes travel decisions. (Feel free to borrow my motto: Never make a big decision on a small screen.) But rest assured, we are available 24/7 for clients on the road and we know where every traveler is at all times.

What exactly do travel advisors do? It seems easy enough, It also sounds fun and glamorous. Is it?

We hear this a lot. It is understandable. The Instagram pictures you see of us in incredible spots around the world make it look like a dream job. However, these are work trips, not personal vacations, and also not free. We are so grateful for all the opportunities and amazing experiences we get to have, but behind the scenes, there is more to it than ease and glamor, and that is a good thing—it means we are doing something right and that this is a serious industry.

Could you do this yourself? It’s true you can easily book a flight to LA or Vancouver. But booking flights or hotels are only a small portion of what we do and how we spend our days. This job is about attention to detail, being 10 steps ahead to counter what might go wrong. We spend lots of time leveraging our contacts to give our clients the best experience. We also are on hold with airlines, which is neither glamorous nor desirable and something you will not miss. A properly researched trip can take between 8-25 hours to complete. The end product you see, and the graceful experience you have, are often the result of months of work.