What Travelers Ask Most
Yes. Trip planning begins with a professional planning fee based on the type and complexity of your trip. This allows me to provide thoughtful, customized service and ensures dedicated time and attention throughout the planning process. This fee is not required until after your free consultation.
Yes—and here's why that's actually a good thing for you. My planning fee reflects the time, expertise, and genuine care I put into designing your trip. It varies depending on the complexity of your itinerary, and it's not collected until after your free consultation. What you get in return is a travel designer who is fully invested in making your trip exceptional—not just processing a transaction.
The earlier the better—especially for popular destinations and peak travel seasons. As a general rule, I recommend at least 6 months for domestic trips and 9-12 months for international trips. If you're planning something special like a honeymoon, destination wedding, or group trip, even earlier is always better. And if your timeline is shorter, don't let that stop you from reaching out—I've pulled off some pretty amazing last minute trips too.
Hawaii is my primary specialty—I lived there for many years and know the islands inside and out. Beyond Hawaii, I specialize in Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Belize, and French Polynesia. I'm also a certified Disney Vacation Planner and a Honeymoon and Destination Wedding Specialist. And if your dream destination isn't on that list, reach out anyway—chances are I know it, or I know exactly who does.
Absolutely. Whether it's a multi-generational family reunion, a destination wedding group, or a group of friends finally taking that trip you've been talking about for years—I love planning group travel. Group bookings often come with added perks like reduced rates and special amenities, and having someone manage all the moving parts makes the whole experience far less stressful for everyone involved.
Booking & Payments
Unfortunately I'm not able to book flights or hotels using your points or miles—those redemptions need to go through your loyalty program directly. However if you do book something with me, I can make sure your loyalty numbers are entered into your reservations so you'll earn points.
Flights are included when I'm planning your full vacation package—but I don't do standalone airfare-only bookings. Travel is a complex puzzle and flights are just one piece of it. I work best when I can see and manage the whole picture to make sure everything works seamlessly together.
Yes—one of the real advantages of booking through a travel advisor is payment flexibility. Most bookings require a deposit to secure your reservation, with the final balance due closer to your travel date. Depending on how far out you book, you could have several months to pay it off in manageable increments.
Absolutely. Whether you have multiple travelers splitting costs or just prefer to use different cards for different amounts, I can accommodate separate payments with no problem.
Yes—I use a secure encrypted payment system that does not store your card information. Your financial information is safe, and you can book with complete confidence.
During Your Trip
This is exactly why you hired me. Whether it's a flight cancellation, a hotel issue, or an unexpected curveball—I'm here. You'll have my direct contact information and I will do everything in my power to get things sorted as quickly as possible. That's the kind of backup you get when you work with me.
Strongly—yes. Travel insurance is one of the smartest investments you can make for any trip, and I work with several providers to find the right plan for you and your specific itinerary. It's optional, but I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't encourage it. Life happens—and having the right coverage means a cancelled flight or unexpected illness doesn't have to derail everything.
Pricing & Value
Bring it to me before you do anything with it. I'm not saying that to be defensive—I'm saying it because what looks cheaper online very often isn't when you compare apples to apples. I've seen 'better deals' that come with eight hour layovers and rooms overlooking the parking lot. Let me take a look at the details and do a true comparison. If it really is the same trip for less money, I'll do everything I can to match it. Ninety nine percent of the time I can.
Life happens—I get it. If something comes up, just communicate with me and we'll figure it out together. Most airlines and hotels have strict cancellation policies that are outside of my control, which is exactly why I strongly recommend travel insurance for every trip.
Do you have a question we didn't answer?
I would be more than happy to answer any other questions you may have about our process, destinations, or travel design.