Let’s start planning your dream vacation
My work is based on years of experience, in-person and online training, vast industry affiliations, and a big network of reliable partners — all to enhance your vacation and ensure a seamless planning and booking experience, as well as memories of trips to last a lifetime.
We charge a nominal retainer to insure a commitment to one- another, and our reciprocal respect for each other’s time. This is paid before any quotes are worked on.
As a boutique travel agency, our business model is quality not quantity. We work with clients that want to hire us, and we keep our customer base at a size that allows us adequate time for each booking, and each traveler, that way we can truly be at your service every step of the way.
What Do Our Services Include?
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Vacation consultation to discuss travel dates and needs
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Researching destinations and trip options
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Crafting a custom itinerary suited to your needs
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Trip presentation and detailed discussion of itinerary
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Follow up revisions if needed (1 or 2)
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Recommending and securing adequate travel insurance based on the requirements of your destination
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Booking of travel components and managing any changes that may occur
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Pre-Departure consultation and documents to review destination entry requirements and restrictions
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In destination or during travel emergency support if needed
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Post trip follow up
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are your retainers refundable?
No, our retainers are fully non-refundable.
2. What happens when I pay a retainer, get the quotes that I need, but don’t purchase the trip? I come back to you at a later time, when I am ready to proceed with the booking. Do I have to pay another retainer for the same trip?
It takes time for us to work on each of your quotes. We customize everything, and each time we quote you something, we work with you to adjust those to your needs. Quotes are usually valid for 24-72hrs. If you don’t purchase the trip, and come back to us at a later time, we have to start everything all over again. In this case a new retainer will be charged.
3. How many quotes does your retainer include?
Before you are charged a retainer, we do a free consultation, during which we discuss your needs, and our general recommendations. It is very important that you are honest about what you are looking for, what your approximate budget is, and give us feedback on anything we suggest. This is what ensures that we can actually work on quotes that would be a good fit for you, instead of wasting your time with unsuitable options. There are a reasonable amount of revisions included in our quoting services, but the retainer is basically for one specific trip. If you are looking to shop around, see multiple quotes for several destinations just let us know, we would handle that with an hourly rate instead of a trip retainer.
4. Is this your service fee for booking my trip?
Retainers are not service fees for the work we do, they are a non-refundable payment to hire us to work with you. We keep these fees really low, starting at $50- and it goes up depending on the complexity of your trip and number of travelers.
5. How do you get paid for your services?
a. We have negotiated contracts with the suppliers we sell who pay us a commission. These are only paid to us only if you actually take the trip we booked, and we do not get paid typically only a few weeks after your return. If you book your trip months in advance, we only have the retainer as our payment for all that time and work, until we actually get paid by our suppliers.
b. Since some of my services are customizable, we often work with suppliers on a net price basis. We do this when this option offers more flexible terms and conditions for you, or when we are working on trip components (such as train tickets, ferryboats, private transfers, exclusive activities and more) that make more sense to be booked on a non-commission able rate. In this case we charge a standard service fee to compensate for our lack of payment.
When you get our quotes the price you will see listed on them is inclusive of all the commissions and/or service fees, so you will know the exact cost of your trip before you are charged for it.
6. Do you offer a best-price guarantee?
Our prices are very comparable. We always look at value vs. cost and we make sure you get a fair price. This however doesn’t mean that our packages are always the cheapest. We work with trusted, hand picked tour operators that are service oriented, professional and reliable. We want to offer you the best experience at a reasonable cost, and that is our priority. When you book online, you are basically paying a service fee to a website, without actually getting the service in return. When you book with us, you are a priority to us, and we are at your service every step of the way.
Your dream trips start here. ✈
Please note a valid passport book is required for travel outside the US. Many destinations require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended stay. Several destinations have visa, health, vaccination and other requirements to allow entry. Please always contact the appropriate consulate for the most up to date entry requirements. Also visit the State Department’s website for additional information. You are responsible for ensuring that you have a valid passport prior to travel. Ariel View Travels isn't liable for trips that are cancelled due to lack of a passport.