Does Runway Travel charge service fees?
Runway Travel’s fees vary depending on the complexity of your trip. All trips are completely customized to meet your needs and interests, see Our Process. Our “Plan To Go” fee includes consultation time, destination expertise and recommendations, itinerary building, transportation and personal assistance. But more importantly, we provide you access to our preferred partnership benefits travelers could never get booking on your own. Examples include booking travel arrangements, travel documents, a contact name and travel support. We will also advise you on Visa requirements, travel insurance and vaccination mandates. Our nominal fees deliver value, minimize your stress and save you time for the fun stuff like packing!
A simple hotel booking does not incur a service fee.
Air ticketing fees start at $50 per person, and include pre-travel service and 24/7 in-travel emergency service.
Why should I book with you instead of an online booking site or with a resort directly?
Runway Travel will deliver exceptional personal assistance before, during, and after your vacation. If you book on your own, you will not benefit from our extensive personal connections which carry a certain gravitas when needing anything addressed. We deliver extra perks like room upgrades and complimentary breakfast. The lowest price on the internet won’t get you amenities or white glove treatment because they want our repeat business. Lastly, we arm you with a personal 1-800 number should you need to contact us while you’re away. You won’t get that from a travel site.
Will I pay more if I book through you vs. an online booking site?
No, our exclusive partnerships give us preferred rates and often we can price-match online booking engine pricing with similar itineraries. More often than not, our agency receives promotional offerings that are not offered to the general public.
I only need a hotel reservation, not a vacation. Should I bother to call you?
Our preferred partnerships with thousands of luxury hotels will provide you with complimentary extras such as room upgrades, daily breakfast and early check-in and late checkout. Whether your trip is two days or three weeks long, you will always benefit from booking through Runway Travel. So yes, please call!
Do you book private villas or home rentals?
Runway Travel has access to a large network of villa and home rental partners around the globe. With these established partnerships, there is a trust level that the property is accurately represented and is of the highest quality. We can assist you with villas and apartments in some major European cities, Villas in Europe and the Caribbean, and ski destinations just to name a few. We do not work with owner-direct websites like AirBNB or VRBO.
I see you are part of the Virtuoso Network, what are the advantages to me?
Benefits vary by destination and properties, but complimentary extras at hotels and resorts often include:
- Preferred rates
- Room upgrade upon arrival
- Virtuoso-only amenities
- Daily breakfast for two
- Early check-in and late checkout
If you’re considering a cruise vacation, complimentary extras tend to include:
- Shipboard credits
- Virtuoso-exclusive shore excursions
- Welcome aboard receptions
- Dedicated onboard hosts
- Private car and driver
- Specialty dining
- Pre-paid gratuities
Aren’t Travel Agents an outdated concept with so much information online?
You can certainly do all the researching, booking, and arranging on your own. Using a travel advisor drives up the value of your trip through our knowledge of properties, connections, personalized planning, and collaboration with your family. We also reduce risk and stress. For example, do you need visa’s? What are the Covid vaccination or quarantine requirements for each country? What are the distances from one city to another and the best way to transfer? We are here to make your vacations stress free.
I’m really nervous about Covid. Is it safe to travel now?
Travel Advisors are now more important than ever in a Covid world. We have been there since the beginning of the pandemic for our clients making changes, canceling reservations, rebooking vacations (often multiple times), and providing advice on protocols and regulations which are changing frequently. Hold times were often several hours but we made sure we had our clients’ interests in mind. The world is certainly different and we want to make sure our clients are comfortable traveling. We provide clear cancellation penalties, alternative options, travel insurance and anything you need to make sure you are comfortable traveling.