An Explanation on Travel Pricing

I’ve got a bone to pick with Wheel of Fortune. I watch it almost daily (yes, I am an 80-year-old at heart), and I’ve started to notice something interesting. When they give away trips as prizes, they announce the cash value of the trip, so it can be added to the contestant’s score. But the more I pay attention, the more I realize they have some seriously wacky pricing. In one episode, they gave away a trip to Antigua for $6000, and a trip to Myrtle Beach for $8000.

Now, I don’t know the nitty gritty details of either trip, but this just blew my mind – no offense to MB, but how is that more expensive than Antigua, and how the heck are they spending $8000?? I could plan a pretty nice trip for two to Europe for a week for that price, and given the choice I would MUCH rather go to Europe.

Of course pricing is all about supply and demand so it’s dependent on dates, quality of the hotels, the amount of excursions or meals included, first class vs. economy, etc., but over the last couple years as a travel agent, I’ve noticed that most people are really hesitant to give me an actual number for their budget because either 1) they truly just don’t know what things cost or 2) they’re afraid if they give us a max budget, because we’re going to make them spend that full amount.

THE DREADED BUDGET CONVERSATION

“I just want a good deal / something reasonable.” This is what I hear almost every time I start to work with someone on a new trip. We are totally happy to find something that fits your needs and budget, but “something reasonable” to you could mean something totally different to someone else. A $3,000 cruise could be reasonable to you, and 5-star $10,000 luxury all-inclusive could be reasonable to the next.

As an agent, I’m always nervous about sending a quote without a budget discussion first, because if it’s too high, you’ll get sticker shock and think that you can’t achieve your dream trip! Too low, and you may not get the dreamy experience you may have had in your head. In both scenarios, you end up disappointed and I lose your trust and your business — it’s a lose-lose scenario for everyone. I like to explain it this way to my clients:

I don’t want to take you to Jeff Ruby’s when you were expecting McDonald’s because the bill will have you panicking when you can’t afford anything on the menu. I don’t want to take you to a McDonald’s when you’re expecting Jeff Ruby’s because, well, what a huge disappointment!

THAT is why we ask and why it’s important to at least have a rough estimate! We understand that you may not know exactly what everything costs, but giving us a range of what you would be comfortable spending on a trip lets us know if we’re looking at Holiday Inns or Ritz Carltons, or something in between - and you can tell us whether it’s flexible or not!

How Good Agents Can Get a Bad Rep

Balcony view on my Mediterranean cruise (Santorini, Greece)

Travel companies know you want a good deal – who doesn’t? Unfortunately, things like Wheel of Fortune and misleading ads have skewed people’s perceptions of accurate pricing, and they capitalize on this by offering you deceptively low deals in their online ads. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. They show you the absolute lowest price for the absolute cheapest date to get you to click. If those dates don’t work for you, you have to find a different dates and oh look at that! The price for those dates are higher.

Again, travel is based on supply and demand. Prices are almost always at their highest around the holidays because everyone and their mother is traveling during that time. The cheaper deals are almost always during the low season when they have a harder time filling their rooms or seats.

Cruise lines are notorious for this and as an agent, it can be really frustrating. People see an ad for a cruise for, let’s say, $50 a day per person. Holy cow! What a great deal, right?? So you call your travel agent and say you’re interested. Well, your travel agent is experienced & smart, and she knows that the dates for those prices probably “off-peak,” meaning it might be during the rainy season or other reasons not many people travel during that time (hence the sale - to fill empty rooms). Your advisor also knows at that price you’ll be stuck in a tiny interior stateroom with no windows, bare bones amenities, and drinking nothing but water the whole trip. This might work for some, but most people I know would say that’s no way enjoy a cruise.

Well, our job as travel agents is to try to make sure that our clients have the best possible vacation. You’re going somewhere exciting – you’re going to want to see it!  So we find dates that actually work for you, a room with a view or even a balcony, a drinks package included so you can have soda — or if you’re really fancy, alcohol! — and maybe even an internet package, and suddenly your $50 per day cruise is a lot more expensive, and guess who gets the bad rap? The travel agent.

Folks, this is not part of some evil plan to fool you into spending more money than you have to. We do this because we know that your experience will be SO much better if you can relax, have a drink and, you know, actually see some stuff outside. And when you do, you’ll be happier & more satisfied with your investment! But again, it’s all ultimately YOUR decision. If you’re one of those people who will do fine in an interior room without alcohol - we’re not going to FORCE you to upgrade. We just like to offer our advice and recommendations so you’re not shocked and disappointed when you get there.

“But don’t you work on commission? Are you going to up-sell me?”

Yes, we do work on commission, but our business is built on our clients’ trust in our expertise. I always try to provide clients multiple options at different price points and try to be as upfront as possible about exactly what’s included in their package and WHY I think they’re important. Sometimes the things included may seem unnecessary or like an “upsell,” but I only include the things I truly believe will truly improve the quality of your trip - not stuffing it with extras to earn more commission. I always explain the reasons why I included those things, and it’s ultimately the client’s decision! I even try to let clients know where hidden costs could come up for them along way before travel and in their destination so they aren’t surprised when they get there.

We know travel is a big investment for our clients and that if you’re not happy with your trip, we won’t earn any more of your business or referrals! Not all agencies & agents are created equal, but at LoveLand & Sea, we truly embrace our titles of ADVISORS & CONSULTANTS. We will work to get you the best deal for your budget so long as it lines up with your needs!

There may be a stray travel agent out there who is just after a big commission, but most of the agents I know - and definitely all of the agents at LoveLand & Sea - carefully consider every detail of every trip so that you come home happy, because that is always our ultimate goal.