Frequently Asked Questions: travel agent services

My favorite question! When booking your trip through a Fora Advisor (Aka - Me!), you’ll benefit from the partnerships FOR has set up with more than 4,500 hotels and travel providers around the world, including the Virtuoso consortia, Four Seasons and Rosewood. 

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Say hello to room upgrades, complimentary breakfasts, resort and spa credits, and, last but definitely not least, you’ll get all of this for the best available rate you’d find on the Internet. 

But traveling with Fora goes well beyond that. We put serious time and airline mileage into visiting these properties in person so we can give you the up-to-date intel on your destination. We also maintain close relationships with hotel management so you’re treated like the VIP you are from the moment you arrive.

Cappuccino Cravings Travel offers personalized travel services. I don't offer specific packages at this time. If it's your first time using a travel advisor, start with Basic Bookings - which are always FREE! 

If you desire more complex trip planning and booking services, there is a planning fee for that. Check out my services for more information. 

I specialize in Europe and the Caribbean, but I have access to hotel perks & tours around the globe. Let's talk about your dream trip and figure out how I can help you make it unforgettable!

I don’t charge anything for most travel bookings. Advisors receive commissions from the properties and travel providers, at no additional cost to you. In fact, I’ll always find the best available rate so you can be confident you’re getting a great deal.

Because airlines rarely offer that option, I charge a ticketing fee of $100 when booking them for you.

For more complicated multi-stop itineraries, I charge a planning fee.Check out my services for more info. 

For every trip I book, I happily share recommendations for restaurants and activities that you can either book yourself, or with the help of the hotel concierge, at no cost to you. If you’d like your me  to arrange those, look into the VIP Level Service offering!

For Basic Bookings: 

It depends on the hotel or travel provider. Most hotels require a credit to hold a room, but some also charge a deposit upon making the reservation. Before I release your payment information, I’ll always let you know your chosen hotel’s deposit and cancellation policies so there are no surprises.

For Premium and VIP Serives:

The planning fee will be paid in full prior to initiating planning & booking activities. 

Like, the catch of the day? JK. I understand why you’d ask but we can assure you there is none. 

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Here’s a peek behind the scenes: hotels pay a much smaller commission to a human travel advisor than they do to an online travel agency like Expedia or Booking.com. Hotels and other travel providers also love working with us because we put a lot of effort into recommending the right place for each traveler. That’s why they’d rather pay us the commission and add in perks such as spa credits for you, instead of having you booking online. It’s a total win-win.

Planning travel - if you have a lot of time - can be fun. It’s what we do!

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But you’ll still benefit from using a Fora Advisor like me. Tell me the hotels you’re interested in and I’ll book them for you so you get perks such as free breakfast, a room upgrade, early check-in or late check-out, at no extra cost to you.

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Plus I’ll let you know if we have any intel on the property that may not be obvious online (like the fact that the room you requested looks onto a wall). It’s like having a best friend who works in travel, and can help you plan your dream trip.

Rates are not always consistent

AmEx and other credit card companies may present rates in a manner inconsistent with how the hotel does, so check if VAT or other service fees are listed.

There are, in fact, upgrade priority systems

Reservations made via travel advisors are always at the top of the list for consideration.  Even above AmEx.

Virtuoso perks sometimes go beyond AmEx perks

Knowing how to market the value-add of perks beyond what clients may expect through a credit card is helpful.

Booking AmEx is still booking with a travel agency

But a less supportive one. Only client name and payment is shared with the supplier, no strings are pulled or special requests made.

I get it - you spent your hard-earned cash to get those sign-on bonuses and you want to use those points for free travel! 

I always recommend travelers redeem points for the flights portion of their travel.  That’s the best value for redemption anyway!

While there may not be bonus categories, clients can still earn credit card points and hotel/car loyalty points when making bookings with travel advisors.

Additionaly, when booking with your points I am unable to help you navigate any portion of your travel for which points are redeemed.  I cannot advocate for you if anything is changed or goes awry.