✈️ How Travel Advisors Work, And Can Be Your Secret Weapon For A Better Trip

📌 TL;DR (Too Long? Read This First)

Think using a travel agent costs more? That we charge hidden fees? That you could get a better deal on Expedia? Let me explain how travel advisors work (like me at Nomadic Journeys), and why we might be your secret weapon for a better trip.

💸 Myth: Travel Agents Cost More

The common perception about travel agents is that they cost more. They have to make money, so they must be charging a fees on top of the rates they get from the hotels, etc. Right? WRONG!

Travel agents make money through commissions, not necessarily through fees. And that commission does not inflate the price of the travel offerings. Let me explain.

🔄 How the Travel Industry Actually Works

Think of the travel industry as a large network with multiple layers.

1️⃣ The Providers

These are companies that offer the services – e.g. ABC Tours, or Dream Hotel Yucatan, Luxe Ground Transportation, Jaguar safari guides, etc. These companies are often too small to market themselves or lack the licenses to sell directly in the US. Most likely, they just want to focus on running the experience, not marketing or handling U.S. sales laws. There are hundreds of thousands of providers worldwide.

2️⃣ The Suppliers

These are companies like Viator or Expedia (the wholesale arm), high-end companies like Abercrombie & Kent or boutique agencies like XYZ Travels. They establish contracts with the Providers to create offerings. The provider might put out their offering to multiple suppliers, each with different rates or perks based on their agreement. There are hundreds of such Suppliers for the US, each with their own specialty and perks.

3️⃣ Travel Agents (like Me – Nomadic Journeys)

Travel agents might be actual people like me running Nomadic Journeys, or online travel agencies like Expedia dot com (retail branch of Expedia). Travel agents have contracts with the Suppliers, so they can sell the solutions that the suppliers offer.

We pick Suppliers carefully to ensure that we have a good mix of Suppliers providing a variety of offerings (cruises, hotels, flights, travel insurance, excursions, all-inclusives, tours, ground transportation, etc), but also to make sure we only have high quality Suppliers.

🧳 How I Build a Trip (vs. Expedia or DIY)

The job of the travel advisor is to match the customer requirements to the right Provider, but going through the right Supplier. This last part is critical since this is all about relationships and service quality.

Lets say you want to book a trip to Rome. There are multiple components to this trip – Flights, Hotels, Ground Transportation, Skip the line tickets to the Colosseum, Museum tickets, Vatican tours, potential food tour or wine tour, etc. You have multiple options

Option 1 – Book everything yourself

You could contact individual hotels, tour operators, airlines, ground transportation, etc, etc directly or compare sites endlessly. But that is going to take a lot of time and co-ordination and contacts.

Option 2 – Use an Online Travel Agency (OTA) like Expedia

You might get a decent deal. But lets face it – the customer service you get from Expedia or the likes is very sub-par. If things go wrong, you are stuck with a 800 number and zero human accountability. You might even finish your trip by the time they get back to you.

Option 3 – Work with a travel advisor

As your travel advisor, my job is to look at my suppliers in the region and determine who would be the best one to engage for each part of the trip. I get great deals and perks from my suppliers, so chances are I’ll probably find you a better deal than Expedia, or at least match it.

And while price is important, its not always the biggest consideration. This is a big trip that you have dreamed of for a while, and you want it to go flawlessly. If the room you booked is different than what was advertised, or if the tour operator cancels on you, that is going to ruin your trip. Quality and service is more important.

👉 Read more about what I offer as a travel advisor?

✅ What You Really Get With a Travel Advisor

Here’s why people choose me and Nomadic Journeys:

1. Customer Service

As a travel advisor, I pick suppliers that I know have good quality as well as excellent service. I have direct connection to the Suppliers. So if there is a problem, I call the Supplier myself to fix it.

2. Full-Service Planning

Flights, hotels, insurance, tours, museum tickets, airport transfers, auto rentals, etc – I handle it all, so you do not have to make the individual piecemeal bookings.

3. Local Insight

I tap into a large network of local experts and fellow travel advisors who are willing to share the best-loved experiences of their customers. So if you want a good wine tour or the best small village to stay in the Italian Alps, I can get those recommendations.

4. Customized Itineraries

I take great pride in getting to know your interests, travel style and objectives so I can build the right itinerary for you.

5. Better Value

I get commissions from Suppliers (like insurance agents). But that cost is already baked into the wholesale rate. No extra fees.

Some travel agents charge a planning fee. I don’t. . And you’ll often get extra perks by booking with me. So you get more value for your money.

🧭 Ready to Work Together?

Still think working with a travel advisor is old school?
Let’s chat — and I’ll show you how planning with Nomadic Journeys is modern, customized, and stress-free.

👉 Or if you’re curious how I got into this business, read my previous blog post about why I became a travel advisor.