booking expedia? read the fine print

This happens more often than any travel consultant wants to think about. A couple contacted me, wanting to plan their honeymoon on Maui. I gave them quotes on several resorts they were interested in and, as they were looking for a great value, recommended another property, the Napili Kai Beach Resort (pictured above). This is a very nice, low-rise group of condos on a great beach. The resort has swimming pools, putting green, beautiful grounds, and a nice restaurant.

I quoted them a complete package including round-trip air on the flights they wanted, five nights in the room category they preferred, and a rental car for the entire period of their stay on Maui. I included in the quote a very reasonably priced travel insurance policy that would allow them to change or cancel their reservations for any reason at any time, very important since the Napili Kai has a rather significant cancellation deadline.

They emailed me a few hours later, having priced out the same package on expedia for a slightly lower price. They asked a reasonable question: why did my package price out higher? So I did my research ... doing a mock booking for the same package on expedia. The result of my research? Expedia's price did NOT include taxes and surcharges on the rental car; mine did. When booking with expedia, it's always important to read the fine print about taxes and fees. You usually need to click through to another page to get to that information — and why is that, I wonder?

Consider the benefits of using a luxury travel consultant. I am, of course, biased in expressing this opinion, but hear my argument. While you may save a (very) few dollars by booking on some website, there are distinct advantages of working with a trusted travel advisor.

• A no-walk guarantee. My supplier, Classic Vacations, has a no-walk provision in their contract with every property they represent. You will not get to the resort and find that the hotel sold your room to someone else.
  
• An emphasis on service. Classic is not a mass marketer selling hundreds of thousands of vacations directly to consumers on the internet. While expedia does have an 800 number, I've read countless accounts of customers unable to get through in a timely way to get their problems resolved. My clients have a toll-free number to call 24/7 if they need help.
  
• Working with a human being. When you use a travel consultant, you're not reduced to clicking buttons on a webpage. You have an experienced travel professional working for you. You can ask questions and get advice. I have traveled the world, very likely have visited the places you're thinking of traveling to, and have a network of contacts who can smooth the way for you.
  
• Special requests. Would someone at expedia call the sales manager at Napili Kai, let them know a honeymoon couple is coming, and ask that they be VIP'ed for their stay? I don't think so ... but this the kind of service I provide every day for my clients.
  
• Small touches like having all the paperwork for your rental car pre-filled. There is a special Classic counter for my clients at the Hertz office in Maui; they won't have to wait in line for their rental car.

How did the story turn out? My clients ended up booking through me. It doesn't always happen, but my job is to give my clients the best advice, service, and value I possibly can. travel consultant (search here on Google) copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website. .