What does a travel advisor do?
We take the exact same logistics used to run traveling Hollywood film crews and apply them to your vacation. Your only job is to actually enjoy your time off.
Beyond Booking: What does a travel advisor do differently?
If you have ever spent hours reading online reviews only to show up at a hotel that looks nothing like the photos, you already know the risks of doing it yourself. When you work with Gilded Travels, you get a dedicated human advocate. When you work with us, you get a dedicated human advocate. The standard does not change whether we are building out luxury family travel or acting as your private honeymoon planner. It is the same when we are designing sustainable business travel for a remote executive halfway around the world. We build your trip entirely from scratch and verify the properties through our personal network before securing exclusive perks through our official Virtuoso partnerships. Most importantly, we handle the unexpected. If severe weather causes sudden flight delays at 2 AM, you are not stuck on hold. We are already fixing it for you.
How does a travel agent work? Our 5-step process
1. The Inquiry
You want to know what does a travel advisor do for you that a booking site cannot. Fair question. You fill out the Gilded Travels trip inquiry form, and we personally review your travel goals. In the meantime, you schedule the Discovery Call at a date and time that works for you.
2. The Hello
We jump on our complimentary Discovery Call to dive deeper into what you want to get out of this trip. The goal is for us to get to know each other and make sure your travel expectations are aligned with the service we can provide. We’ll talk about balancing the adventurous days with genuine downtime so everyone is happy.
3. The Proposal
You give us the green light and handle the design fee, and we get to work on your custom travel itinerary. We build the initial blueprint of your bespoke travel itinerary. Then we have an honest conversation to tweak the pacing, logistics, and locations until the itinerary is exactly what you envisioned.
4. The Booking
After you approve the final proposal we secure the reservations, lock in your VIP upgrades, and handle the deposits. You also get access to the Gilded Travels Trip App, which keeps your daily schedules, offline maps, and confirmations in one place right on your phone.
5. The Journey
It’s time to enjoy your vacation! While you travel we monitor the moving parts from behind the scenes. If there is a weather delay or a sudden logistical hiccup, we handle it before you even have to ask, without interrupting your vacation with unnecessary emails. By the time you come home, the question of what does a travel advisor do will have answered itself.
Transparent Custom Planning Fees
You may be wondering, what does a travel advisor do to earn their fee? Planning a great trip takes time and deep industry connections, both of which go toward protecting your time and your investment. Because we do not sell cookie-cutter packages, we charge a clear, upfront planning fee to build your trip. This covers the hours we spend checking the logistics and actively managing your travel while you are in the air. More often than not hotel perks, private access, and custom experiences we get for you end up covering the cost of the fee itself.
The Value of a Human Advocate
The balance was perfect; a fantastic mix of planned activities and personal time to explore. The meetings to pre-plan the trip were concise, helpful and relevant. Lots of great moments. Petra and Bethany by the Jordan were both highlights. It exceeded my expectations.
Russ H.
Jordan
I HIGHLY recommend Steven for your travel needs. His attention to ALL details was invaluable – even the ones that I would never even have thought of! He had tremendous follow up for the few issues that popped up during the vacation, which helped ease my concerns quickly. We will use him over and over.
Jeri R.
France
I had the pleasure of working with Steven at Gilded Travels to plan a fantastic trip to Rome and Malta, the experience was nothing short of amazing! Steven went above and beyond in creating a customized itinerary that perfectly suited our interests.
Brian P.
Malta and Italy
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use a travel agent if I already know where I want to go?
Yes, absolutely. Knowing your destination is just the starting point. The real value of working with a luxury travel advisor comes down to execution and access, meaning we elevate the on-the-ground experience in ways a booking engine simply cannot.
We secure unlisted room upgrades, vet the daily logistics so you do not waste time in transit, and act as your safety net if something goes wrong while you are traveling. The question of what does a travel advisor do beyond booking is answered the moment your first VIP perk kicks in.
What is a typical investment for a Gilded Travels itinerary?
Every vacation is entirely custom, but we do have baseline starting points to ensure we can deliver the level of service and quality you expect. Custom-designed journeys start at $500 per person, per day. Simpler getaways such as small group tours, all-inclusive resorts, and cruises start at $300 per person, per day.
These baselines typically exclude international airfare. Final pricing depends on your destinations, travel dates, and the level of customization involved.
Can I get an itemized cost breakdown of my custom itinerary?
No, we do not provide line-by-line pricing for our trips. We work with global partners and Destination Management Companies to secure confidential wholesale rates, which allows us to deliver a much better overall value.
Your trip is invoiced as one complete package. This structure protects the pricing relationships that make your experience possible and keeps the process simple on your end.
If I already booked my flights and hotels, can you just plan the activities?
If you have already secured your own flights, that is completely fine. However, if you have already booked your hotels, we cannot take on the rest of the trip. Our quality standards and 24/7 support require us to manage the full on-the-ground itinerary, starting with the properties you stay in.
Hotels are the foundation of every trip we design. We vet each property through our personal network and secure perks that are only available through our partnerships. Without that control, we cannot guarantee the experience meets our standards.
Do you book Airbnbs or VRBOs?
No, we do not book peer-to-peer home rentals. We cannot guarantee the safety, cleanliness, or reliability of an unvetted property, and our clients expect a level of service those platforms are not designed to provide.
If you are looking for a home-style experience with plenty of space, we have access to a vetted global network of private luxury villas and premium serviced apartments. These properties meet our quality standards and include dedicated on-the-ground support.
Can you book my flights using my credit card points or frequent flyer miles?
No, we cannot book flights using your personal points or reward miles. Airline security policies and terms of service require the primary account holder to manage and authorize those transactions directly.
That said, if you plan to use points for your flights, you can absolutely book those yourself. We will design and manage the entirety of your on-the-ground itinerary around whatever flights you secure.
Do I need to purchase travel insurance?
We highly recommend it. Your upfront planning fee and many trip components are non-refundable, and travel insurance protects your financial investment against unexpected cancellations, medical emergencies abroad, and severe weather delays.
We will provide you with a custom insurance quote during the booking process so you can make an informed decision.
How far in advance should we start planning our vacation?
For international trips, reaching out 6 to 9 months in advance is the sweet spot. This gives us enough time to secure the best guides, boutique properties, and preferred room categories before they book out.
If you are planning travel around major holidays, spring break, or a specific milestone event, reaching out 10 to 12 months ahead is the safer bet. Popular dates at top-tier properties fill quickly, and early planning gives us the most leverage.
Ready to plan a vacation you can actually enjoy?
Start planning your custom travel itinerary with our Chicago travel advisors.