Do you know how travel agents get paid? Here’s the skivvy: no matter where you book your trip, from an online agency or directly from a hotel website, there is a travel agent commission built into their pricing.

That’s right. If we book your trip from their website we get paid commission (yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and we can book on Expedia for you). If they can get you to bypass us and book directly with them they simply put in their own pockets the money they factored in to pay us. You don’t save a dime. Not a single dime.

Let’s go back to that Viking river cruise scenario from my last blog. Let’s say you call Viking directly to book your trip. You not only did not get a better price than the one we could have gotten for you, you missed out on us telling you about a special itinerary, offer or other brand that might have saved you more money or been a better fit for you.

Even better, did you know we have exclusive discounts to the “best of the best”? For instance, for March 2019 we have an exclusive discount of $100 off per person on any Globus, Avalon, Cosmos or Monograms European 2019 trip IN ADDITION to all of their current promotions. So yes, you’d still get that $299 air, $1000 per couple discount AND our added discounts as well on Avalon, and all of the other promotions too. It’s $50 off per person on all of their North America products in addition to all of their current offers.

To sweeten the deal even more, how great does it feel to know you not only saved money, but you supported a local business? With the Big Box Stores and online suppliers putting the squeeze on almost every aspect of our lives, I really like the way it feels to spend my money with a local business. Don’t you?

This agency started as a one person experiment in a little town with only two traffic lights (Eufaula, Oklahoma). It has since grown into a 17 agent privately owned agency that answers to no one but our customers. We have the freedom to book for our customers exactly what’s right for them, not what some stockholders in NYC tell us to sell.

The Joy of Travel is now one of the largest privately owned travel agencies in the United States, and every single bit of our success is due to you. You’ve told your friends about us, joined our groups, and trusted us with your family vacations, destination weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries.

We are always going to tell you the absolutely truth about not only your trip, but how the travel industry works and what’s the best course of action for you and your upcoming adventure.

Thank you for your support. We appreciate you!

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