I LOVE TRIP PLANNING. WHY WOULD I USE THE TRAVEL PRINCIPLE INSTEAD OF DOING IT MYSELF?
 

We hear it all the time. While many travelers love the inspirational process of planning their own trips, there’s many reasons why you should leave the heavy lifting to us:

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o   You can’t VIP yourself!| We have access to VIP rates not available to the general public. When booking you a hotel stay, we always work with the hotel’s sales team to VIP your reservation, personalize your stay, and add extra perks like upgrades, free breakfast, and hotel credits. Some of the world’s best travel suppliers will only sell to travel advisors and won’t even work with the general public. We even have VIP access to things like sold out restaurant reservations and private after hours tours at museums.

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o   Planning the logistics can be hard| Did you know the average person spends 10-30 hours planning a vacation? Dreaming up things to do and see is the fun part but putting it all together – not so much. Leave the logistics to us - we can take all your ideas, from friends’ recommendations to landmarks spotted on Instagram, and piece it together in a highly detailed itinerary.

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o   Cut through the noise| We tap into an extensive network of on-the-ground experts for the inside scoop on the latest and greatest. What your friend recommended from their trip last year may no longer be relevant – the world of travel is far from stagnant. And don’t get us started on these anonymous internet review sites.

o   Peace of Mind| Travel is an investment – with KGTC you’ll have peace of mind that you are spending your money wisely and having the best travel experience possible. While you are traveling, we always have your back when the unexpected happens.

 

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

 

We understand why you’d ask but we can assure you there is none. ‍Here’s a peek behind the scenes: Hotels love working with us because we put a lot of effort into recommending the right destination for each client and ensuring they are well taken care of. Happy guests are repeat guests and there’s nothing the travel industry values more than loyalty. That’s why hotels let us offer our clients special perks like upgrades and hotel credits – so they are incentivized to book through us verse online travel portals. Guests that book through online travel portals like Expedia or Booking.com are categorized as having no loyalty and only price shopping, so hotels assign them to the worst rooms and do the bare minimum for their stay. This same concept applies to airlines, cruises, tour operators, etc.

 

DO YOU REQUIRE A MINIMUM SPEND FOR TRIPS?

 

We do not have a minimum spend and pricing is destination dependent but we do specialize in luxury travel. The hotels we book generally start at $750/night. The itineraries we book normally begin at $2,000/night for two people, including hotels.

 

HOW INVOLVED CAN I BE IN THE PLANNING?

 

As involved as you’d like! Some clients want to do nothing more than pack. Some clients send us detailed itineraries so that we can give feedback, handle the logistics, and add our perks. Since our itineraries are so customized, we welcome your feedback and involvement.

 

WHAT TYPES OF TRIPS CAN YOU PLAN?

 

We do it all – single night hotel bookings, honeymoons, cruises, corporate incentive trips, big family reunions, safaris, wedding room blocks. Our only limitation is that we work solely with high end hotels & travel suppliers. We have implemented these restrictions on our services in order to ensure the highest quality service and to mitigate the risks of something going wrong while you are traveling.

 

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE DURING THIS PROCESS?

 

During the planning process, we will primarily communicate through email. This allows us to keep track of anything that is discussed since each trip requires so much detail. We are, however, always available to chat on the phone, especially during the beginning stages of planning when the big decisions are made and you need extra guidance. Your itinerary design fee includes up to three planning phone calls and additional phone calls are available at a fee.

While we do provide the plans for the trip, you are responsible for handling any adjustments to your bookings while in travel. With our full itinerary design service you will have a team on the ground with you assisting with any changes, questions, or emergencies. Most local teams communicate via WhatsApp. With our hotel only booking service, you would communicate directly with your hotel. If while traveling you are experiencing service issues or not getting the answers you need, then we are always available as back-up.

 

WHAT IF YOU DESIGN AN ITINERARY AND THEN I DECIDE I WANT TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION?

 

Since the work we do involves custom trip planning, the time spent on your trip is uniquely yours. Starting from scratch is absolutely possible, but will require another itinerary design fee.

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WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY TRIP?

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Cancellation costs vary by supplier. These policies will always be available to you before you confirm. In the event of cancelation, The Travel Principle will negotiate on your behalf but does not have control over the suppliers policies. The Travel Principle itinerary design fees are non-refundable.

 

HOW DOES PAYMENT WORK?

 

Payment policies and schedules vary by supplier. The Travel Principle itinerary design fee is due before we send the preliminary itinerary and invoices can be paid either with a credit card or bank transfer.

 

DO YOU RECOMMEND TRAVEL INSURANCE?

 

Travel insurance is always recommended. If you are interested in travel insurance ask us about it before confirming your trip since many insurance policies require that you purchase travel insurance at the same time you purchase your trip. While we are not insurance experts, we are happy to provide guidance.

 

CAN MY TRIP ITINERARY BE ITEMIZED?

 

In many cases when working with our in country partners on a full itinerary design service, we provide a package price and are contractually unable to break down pricing. If you wish to amend your itinerary, we will reprice your total trip cost.

 

I HAVE ELITE STATUS AT MY PREFERRED HOTEL BRAND – WHY WOULD I BOOK WITH THE TRAVEL PRINCIPLE?

 

The Travel Principle perks are combinable with hotel loyalty programs so you’ll get even MORE benefits than usual and double your chances of getting that upgrade. For clients that don’t have status at hotels – we often compare booking through The Travel Principle to becoming an automatic Elite Member at the hotel you’re checking in to. 

 

ARE YOU ABLE TO BOOK TRAVEL USING POINTS?

 

We’re sorry but we are unable to book travel using points. 

 

HOW IS BOOKING HOTELS THROUGH THE TRAVEL PRINCIPLE DIFFERENT FROM BOOKING HOTELS THROUGH AMEX?

 

AmEx does offer similar hotel rates but is essentially a call center. You will not receive the same level of expertise, personalization, and attention as you do with The Travel Principle.

 

WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

 

​E-mail us at info@thetravelprinciple.com