Family Trip Deals

Indeed there is strength in numbers, and in regards to travel, a discount may be available as well. Group travel, providing you have an amicable relationship with the rest of the group, may be your ticket. One of my nieces is a member of a travel club and throughout the year they hold raffles, bake sales, and taco sales. This group endeavor does require some effort and time. And this venture will work better if all share in the responsibilities equally. The money is put into a pot and they decide when and where they want to travel to. They’ve taken many cruises and trips to Vegas. When it comes to booking their vacation they work with a travel agent who can offer them the best package deals. In most instances they have to chip in for their total expenses, but not nearly as much had they not had the club jackpot.

When you’re working with an agent keep in mind that this is their business and in all likelihood they‘re also looking for leverage. Some resorts will set up private meet and greets, cocktail parties and other excursions. These can add to your expenses and are things you can book yourself and save money by doing. Some agents add up to a ten percent fee for their services when booking these extras for you.

Another consideration is your relationship with the agent. Initially you may do a bit of agent shopping to see who’ll give you the best deal; and that’s a good thing. Find one that’s a good fit for you and build a rapport with them. Ask for referrals from friends or co-workers, and listen to your gut. Once on family trip to Vegas, one of the members had to cancel. When asked for her refund which was within the specified guidelines she was told that I (the one who’d done the booking) was responsible for giving her the refund from the discount we’d received. As you can imagine that didn’t go over well with either of us. It almost took legal action to get my family member her refund from the agency. Needless to say we never booked with that agency again.

Group travel probably commands more attention to detail and more time but it’s worth it. You can receive substantial discounts and then you have the pleasure of traveling with the people you care about the most.

Happy travels and think long and hard about the family t-shirts. That’s so yesterday.