05/28/2026
A little honesty from your local travel agents today… ✈️
One of the hardest parts of this industry is watching people take the trips and promotions we spend time researching, pricing, building, and creating… only to turn around and book them directly themselves or with a different agency.
And what’s frustrating is that for MANY vacations — cruises, Walt Disney World packages, all-inclusive resorts, and more — the price is often the EXACT SAME whether you book direct or use a travel agent.
The commission is already built into the price either way.
We understand why many agencies charge a planning fee; at The Travel Bug we have avoided doing so for 17 years. We understand the importance of gathering quotes and comparing options. What’s tough is when someone uses our expertise and then books elsewhere without saying a word. We don’t expect exclusivity — just communication.
That’s a large part in why we don’t always publicly post every single detail of our promotions anymore.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that using a travel agent costs more. In reality, airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and tour companies pay us commissions.
We’ve had too many situations where people screenshot our posts, use the information to shop around, and book elsewhere after we did all the work behind the scenes. It’s discouraging, exhausting, and honestly heartbreaking at times.
Using a travel agent usually costs you nothing extra, but gives you:
✨ Personalized planning
✨ Payment options
✨ Supplier connections
✨ Recommendations & firsthand experience
✨ Help during delays, cancellations & travel issues
✨ Someone advocating for YOU
Behind every quote, itinerary, and promotion is a real person putting in real time and effort to help create incredible memories for families.
🤍 So, when you support a small business travel agency like The Travel Bug, you’re supporting real people, real families, and a team that genuinely cares about your vacation experience from start to finish.
To every client who books with us, refers us, shares our posts, or supports our business in any way — thank you, we appreciate you more than you know. 🫶🏼
Thank you to our friends at Emily's Travel for putting together this original post.