05/31/2026
It’s honestly mind-boggling to me that I even have to explain why I charge for travel planning services. Keyword: services.
I am not a charity, and I’m not a 60-second Google quote machine. Trip planning takes real time, real effort, and real experience.
When someone fills out my client questionnaire, I’m not just throwing random resorts or cruises at them. I’m researching destinations, comparing vendors, checking reviews, matching budgets, finding flights, transfers, insurance options, excursions, room categories, amenities, and making sure the trip actually fits what that client wants and needs. No two clients are the same.
I also refuse to knowingly book someone somewhere that I feel is poorly rated or will give them a bad experience just so I can make a commission. I care way too much about my name, my business, and the experience my clients have. If I truly don’t feel something is a good fit, I will absolutely tell someone to find another advisor. Not all money is good money, and I stand by that.
I’ve been a travel advisor for 2 years, and I pride myself on the level of customer service I provide and how I go above and beyond for my clients before, during, and after travel. But within the last year, I changed my business structure because I realized something important: my time has value.
I do not have unlimited hours every day to spend creating customized itineraries for people who may:
• ghost me
• take my work and book elsewhere
• decide not to travel
• or simply disappear after hours of research
Travel advisors are paid by vendors AFTER booking. If you don’t book, I make $0 commission. So yes, I charge planning fees for the time, knowledge, and services I provide.
And honestly, I don’t know why that shocks people. Most professionals charge for their time. You clock in at work expecting a paycheck, right? You wouldn’t work 40 hours for free, so why should anyone expect me to?
I’m a business owner, but I’m also a wife, a mom, a grandmother, a farmer, and a human being with a life outside of work. I’m grateful for my business and my clients, but that does not mean I’m willing to spend countless unpaid hours building vacations for free with the possibility of making nothing in return.
My services are not for everyone, and that’s okay. I’ve turned away clients before because I didn’t feel we were the right fit. I know the type of clients I work best with, and I’m perfectly okay with protecting my peace, my time, and the way I run my business.
At the end of the day, you do not have to agree with how I run my business. But being disrespectful or trying to shame someone for charging for professional services says far more about you than it does about me.
Thank you to all who appreciate me and my hard work I give to each of my clients! 💙
