The rest of Q&A

Q – We have been doing mostly vacations in the West and Southwest – two exotic parts of the world given that we live in South Burlington, Vermont. But now that I have tried my last case I think we are ready to do some intensive travel. I am an information gatherer and am ready to start my “files” on Croatia  as well as a cruise out of Hong Kong to Singapore. Two questions – do I really need to use a travel agent and pay all the fees and how does the consumer get real information about insurance coverage? Really appreciate your efforts on this site. It really is a breadth of fresh travel air. 

A – There are several myths surrounding the use of a travel agent, advisor, or consultant (they are all somewhat different by the way). The biggest myth is that you pay more to use one. In fact, the full commission tot he agent is built into all pricing, every single travel product the consumer purchases from hotels rooms, to escorted tours, to cruises. You are always paying for the agent so it kind of makes sense to take advantage of what they have to offer. The better advisors normally have access to preferred rates as well – better than what you, representing no one, can negotiate on your own. So, unless you are in the mood to try your case with every cruise line you book and every hotel  where you stay, demanding a refund of that commission because you never used an agent, you are likely better off using a good agent’s services. 

Here is one quick example: Last year, 91% of our clients did not pay  anything for our services. Our services were free because the commission to our firm is already built into every price. The consumer usually has no understanding as to how this possible and they just don’t demand their proper refund when they book directly because no one ever told them that they could. 

Insurance is a shorter answer. In virtually every state, it is illegal for a non-registered insurance agent, such as a travel advisor, to “evaluate or interpret the technical terms, benefits, or conditions” of a policy a consumer is considering. There are two ways to conquer insurance:

01 – Read the best consumer articles about travel insurance in publications like the New York Times or Consumer Reports. 

02 – Call the Customer Service line at the insurance company you are considering. They will/should answer all of your specific questions. 

One final insurance thought: After all the analysis is completed, you are likely going to receive the best coverage from one of the more expensive policies.

Q – My husband and I have been to Hawaii twice before. We went up in a helicopter in Maui once and we were rather pleased although a tad nervous when the wind drafts carried us upward. Now, we are going back to Hawaii for three weeks, in part, because we want to help the local economy which is still very much in the recovery stage. We will, and can, spend money. Everything we do these days since “cash-out” is pretty much five stars. But the one aspect of the trip that causes me some concern is my husband’s pushing me to do five or six helicopter rides. So, given your honesty on so many other matters, just how safe is helicopter touring on the island these days?

A – We would need to know a bit more about your concerns – but allow us an opinion based on what you have provided. We might suggest one helicopter experience just so you can say you’ve done it and in keeping with your prior experience in the air over Maui. 

There are some facts we want to share:

The National Safety Transportation Board has recorded 246 Helicopter crashes since 1983 resulting in 188 deaths and 115 serious injuries. Sixty of those deaths occurred during Helicopter operations in Hawaii. 

Compare that to commercial airline operations in the United States which has not resulted in a single fatal domestic crash since 2009.

On that basis, we think your concerns are fully justified. 

Q – We are fairly new to the cruise game – so forgive us a rather basic question. We are, or were, happily booked on a lovely Regent Seven Seas Cruise to Japan in 2026. We live in Arizona and were thrilled to discover we could receive free air with our cruise in Business Class, along with transfers to the hotel and then later to the ship and back to the airport at the end of our cruise. Last week, I received a mailing, with a fair bit of “fine print” that said that the Free Air Program now includes round-trip limousine service from our home from a company called Blacklane. We are traveling with my wife’s sister and her husband and using their local travel agent based in Prescott.  Even though we are not your clients, wonder if you might take a moment to advise if we should switch over to the new program. We all really enjoy this site. 

A – Thank you for your question and it will be a pleasure to respond. This site was designed to help travelers and travel advisors from all over North America so there is no issue with your using your sister’s agent.

If you did not take the current offer you would have received an air credit of approximately (depending on date) $2700 per person. The program you reference went into effect on July 1st, 2024. You now pay for the Business Air, upwards of $5,000 + from Phoenix, and, for that, you receive a $500 limo package from Blacklane, a limo company headquartered in Germany.

This is all rather complex and we have received more than two dozen questions on this specific topic. To make things simple let us break down what you need to know in bullet points. Excuse the lack of flowery sentences:

• Anyone who was booked under the old, pre-July 1st change has received much more favorable pricing from Regent. If you were to take advantage of the new offer, you would have to cancel your current booking and then re-book at today’s rate which is significantly higher. Although they fail to mention it in their ads, the luxury cruise lines tend to have fare increases every 90-120 days so, as the ship fills up, those who book later pay more. There are always “deals” in mailings and cruise ads. But, the “secret sauce” is that to take advantage of any deal you must re-book at the new rate as of the current date – and it will always be higher, often much higher, than the no-deal rate would have been six months earlier.
• The included Business Class air program Regent has used for years is no longer sustainable. With plane delivery and supply train issues, seat prices have been going up and the airlines are less willing to enter into reduced fare contracts with cruise lines. This is particularly true when it comes to seats in the often sold out front of the aircraft. 
• Regent must individually quote each new air offer and it will be based on publicly available fares you can often obtain on your own. Do note that Regent’s quote includes round-trip transfers with a value from Blackstone of $500. If you work directly with an airline you will not get that credit. 
• If you choose to get to the airport on your own, you can keep the Blacklane credit and use it to provide sightseeing/private drivers in one or more of the ports you will be visiting. But to use Blacklane, you will need to download their App and do everything with them directly online. 
• Taken together, Regent’s newly-announced Air Program will cost guests several thousands of dollars more than their previous program. Guest’s should now pay particular attention to booking Regent’s lowest “Cruise Only” rates. But, for convenience and ease of use, many guests will continue to ask that their Advisor have Regent include the entire Air Package in their booking.

So – your case, we would urge you to stick with what you have and give your Prescott Travel Agent our best regards. Hope it is a truly memorable trip – and remember – as you stand on any corner in any major city in Japan, one out of every three women you see under the age of 50 has never, ever been on a date. Japan now has negative population growth which is why they are embracing immigration. 

Q – Thank you! Amazing how much of the “travel truth” escapes media interest given the huge ad spending stats from the industry. My wife and I are in our early forties and we are waiting to travel internationally until we get a bit closer to retirement age. We do most of our own planning, not because we think we are saving money but, rather, because we enjoy the planning part of every domestic journey. 

We have taken your advice regarding securing rebates of the built in travel agent commission when we book hotels. We have had only moderate success but it has been fun trying and watching them defend charging us the travel agent commission when we never worked with a travel agent.

But the fun aspect does not apply to the airlines. Our demands for a commission rebate have fallen on deaf and sometimes “rude” ears. Are we missing something?

A – We admire your tenacity in the light of truth but the airlines are a dead end street when it comes to getting the commission returned to you. The reason is simple – they stopped including the travel agent commission in ticket pricing more than a decade ago. That is why almost all travel agents have to charge ticket fees for the processing of airline tickets. The larger agencies do negotiate override commission deals but the consumer really is not entitled to any commission rebate on air tickets because it is not, as it is with hotels, cruises, and tours, baked into the final pricing. 

Q – (5.14.24) I won’t bore you with my medical history. I am going to be 79 and I have type-2 Diabetes along with several other maladies – some related, some not. We are going to be going on a 54-day sailing on Seabourn in Asia that combines several shorter sailings. Can you confirm that should my wife or I need the on-board doc’s services they are included in the fare. I seem to have read that on so-called Grand Voyages” and the Around-the-World’s” the physician’s services are all included. Can you verify? 

A  –  No verification here. This must be explored with your travel advisor and Seabourn management. Here is what you need to know and what you need to do:

• Have your physician prepare a detailed list of your current medical concerns and a full list of your medications. Have your travel advisor submit that list to Seabourn or do it directly for reasons of privacy. The on-board physician will need your medical summary information.
• Your assumption was, at one time, correct. But cruise lines have been getting away from unrestricted commitments to include medical services on any length of voyage. There are just too many insurance issues. It is more likely that your initial consultation will be included in your fare but additional services will not be complimentary. You need to get this policy in writing. You need to know exactly what will be included in onboard medical services and what won’t be. Your advisor can assist with this.
• We want you to understand that the ship’s onboard physician does not work for Seabourn. They are independent contractors. Seabourn insurance will not, generally, cover interactions with the shipboard physician. 
• You need to investigate the potential of a huge medical bill should something unexpected happen. Will Medicare or your private insurance cover you? To what extent? Have you taken out medical insurance? What are its provisions? Have you taken our advice to never take out travel insurance unless it specificifically provides at least $500,000 in medical evacuation coverage?

Going on a cruise with Diabetes is not unusual. But going away, anywhere, out-of-country for two months and traveling to areas where the local hospital situation may not be up to US standards, is something we would urge you to consider carefully. Your medical; health issues and paperwork must be in order and you need to know who to notify if you encounter unexpected issues. Your Advisor should be discussing all of this with you in some detail. As you have not mentioned that a professional advisor is involved, the possibility exists that you are not using one or that you are making your arrangements online or directly with the cruise line. Don’t.

You are going to be paying many thousands of dollars in travel agent’s services even if you don’t use an agent. It makes sense to share your concerns with a specialist who will adviuse you on the above. In your case, you might want to contact someone locally so you can sit down face-to-face to discuss these medical concerns in person.

Wishing you a smooth, healthy 54 Days seeing some of this planet of ours. 

Q – (5.12.24) We can’t wait to sail the AMA Spirit to Vietnam and Cambodia. But a friend who follows social media more closely than I ever will, just advised us that AMA has been sold and that it is no longer an American company. We’ve sailed with them twice before, once on the Duoro in Portugal and once for the Christmas markets along the Rhine. We love the line and the people it attracts. We know that you rate them highly but we now have some worries that the AMA we know will not be what we have experienced in the past. Any advice you can offer?

A – Yes, we suppose AMA Wasterways will change – for the better!  After all, the founders remain very much in charge but the line now has an infusion of cash that is the envy of  other companies that compete in the “river trade”.  

The  French investment firm, L. Catterton, has acquired a significant stake in AMA. The founding owners, Rudi Schreiner, Kristin Karst, and the Murphy Family are part of a consortium of investors. Centares is the travel and hospitality branch of  L. Catterton,. The investment group has $9.6 billion under management and the company is a part of the family of funds owned by Bernard Arnault in France. Mr. Arnault is said to be the world’s richest man.  Under the Arnault umbrella, AMA will now share ownership with many familiar brands including:

Tiffany & Company – Louis Vuitton – Christian Dior – Moet & Chandon – Fendi – Bulgari – Givenchy

Many of the friends of AMA, including those of us who know Rudi, Kristin, and Garry Murphy as three of the most approachable, intelligent and down-to-earth executives in the industry, are thrilled that this group now has the funding to accompany their vision to create products in the river cruise market that will operate in new markets and at the highest possible levels. AMA will remain a product specifically suited for a majority of American guests although the European market will continue to be an important part of their overall demographics.

You can now tell your friends to stop believing what they read on social media. You can also tell them that your personal riverboat company has “more money behind it” than any of its competitors. You will love your Mekong River Cruise and when you go to bed at night know that Mr. Arnault will make certain that you continue to have the very best experiences on AMA.

Q – (5.13.24) My partner and I enjoy your fresh take on the waves of travel nonsense that is produced by social media each day. And that, sort of compliment is coming from a team that produces some of that noise for a wide variety of corporate clients. We are, in fact, off next week to Buenos Aires to work with one of those clients in a mid-city high-rise. But we will have some free time and we were wondering where you might suggest we rent a bike and do some neighborhood exploring in safety and with a stop for some great Argentinian coffee every hour or so. I suppose we are interested in seeing the kinds of neighborhoods where successful folks in our business might reside in a nearby suburb. We will get more than ouir fill of city life, food, and entertainment. But we want to explore on our own and sort of get an insider’s view of where locals like us, who do what we do, live and enjoy their weekends. We are thinking upscale housing, parks, and plenty of restaurants and cafes that can be explored on a bike. Thanks very much for your response.

A –  There are several great residential neighborhoods surrounding the core of Buenos Aires but we would first suggest that you head to Palermo, just northwest of the city center.  This is the neighborhood where BA’s young professionals and media types are all moving. You will fiund upscale shops and restaurants and sidewalk cafes galore. The neighborhood is admired for jogging and biking and it is considered safe. There are public bike racks available or shops that rent bikes. But don’t stay too long – you may be tempted to put down an apartment deposit. Palermo is that much fun and largely undiscovered by tourists.

Q –   We had a long weekend, so my wife and I planned out a cruise we will be booking on Celebrity Cruises to Europe next summer, which we will follow with a Backroads Walking Tour of Spain. We spoke to our travel agent who knows that we always fly American out of Charlotte. I do love collecting those Advantage Miles and have saved enough in the past for some nice weekend getaways. But my agent told me she does not think I will get mileage credit from the cruise line or the hiking company if I purchase the air through them. Does this sound like it could be true? How can I be sure to fly American while still earning my full mileage credits? PS – we always fly Business Class. 

A – Your travel agent is absolutely correct. This is all a bit technical but let us simplify it a bit. American became the first major airline to say that if you book your air through a third party vendor, like a cruise line or a tour operator, you will no longer be able to earn miles on those flights. This policy went into effect on May 1st, 2024.

Of course, the math is fairly simple. American has to give out contracted rates and pay commission when a third party sells their tickets. They have made a business decision to, essentially, only grant miles when the customer books directly with American either online on the American App. or using the American reservation system. 

Many travel advisors are waiting to see if the other shoe drops and other airlines match this policy.

Your alternative is easy – book the air with American yourself directly. And be prepared to relinquish the airport to hotel and hotel to ship transfers that your cruise line would have included in the air package. 

This is just one more example of why so many millions of folks are wearing those red baseball caps that read “Make American Airlines Great Again”. They even hold their own anti-American Airline rallies. 

Q— (5.5.24) Our friends recently returned from a Regent Cruise sailing out of Athens. They were booked on a pre-cruise program. Their flight out of New York was canceled, and they ended up with a new schedule that required several flight changes. They arrived in Athens after 38 hours of flying. According to the Apple Air Tag, their luggage was still at Charles DeGaulle. No one from Regent or the Regent-booked hotel could help them. They finally sent an e-mail directly to the CEO of Delta and received word two days later that their luggage would be sent home as they had requested.  Thjey did the cruise with clothing and accessories they had purchased in Athens. 

We have a cruise planned on Silversea in two months and we are wondering what to do to prepare for such a situation. They told me that the travel agent could not do much because the agent had not done the ticketing. Any advise for those of us who might be worried about a similar experience regarding lost luggage would be appreciated.

A – As the rate of flight cancellations keeps creeping up, stranded pre-cruise and pre-tour baggage is a growing problem. It is a rather complicated problem to fix when it occurs because the airlines generally refuse to talk to anyone but the booking agent or the customer directly. Most airlines outsource their lost baggage departments these days so formal claims must be filed before departing the airport at one’s final destination. Although cruise lines provide air as a “convenience” to their guests, they are generally unwilling to assume responsibility for lost baggage. They will claim that it is the airline’s responsibility.

Here are Some Suggestions to Both Prepare and Cope with Lost Luggage During an International Trip: 

• Use the Apple Air Tags or a similar tracking device so you always know where your bags are at any moment
• Do not travel without emergency numbers, including the number of your airline’s lost baggage department. Ask for this number when you check in for your first flight.
• If your bags are lost, you should send a specific email to the lost baggage address. Always include the baggage claim number, the lost baggage report number, and a full description, including size, brand, and color, of your missing luggage. 
• Try using large baggage tags, including where you are staying and the dates on the back of the tag. That could prove helpful. 
• Always pack two nights of fresh clothing in your carry-on. 
• If you are not assigned non-stop flights abroad, seriously consider having your bags shipped directly to your hotel by one of the better luggage shipping services such as “Luggage-Free” (It isn’t) 
• Forget arriving at your pre-cruise destination one night before boarding the ship. To help avoid boarding without your possessions, start planning three-night pre-cruise stays wherever you are traveling. That extra day and night will help increase the odds that you will receive your bags before boarding your ship. 
• If you check in to a quality hotel without your luggage, tip the team at the Concierge Desk and nicely solicit their aid. They will often have contacts within the airport. Don’t forget that once your luggage arrives at your destination airport, it still has to be sent to your hotel. There are instances where you would go with a courier from the hotel to secure your luggage from customs personally.
• Keep a notebook with the dates/times of all conversations and details associated with your lost luggage. Keep all receipts and copies of paperwork in an envelope for easy access. This will be extremely helpful should you decide to file an insurance claim using your “lost luggage” or “trip delay” provisions. 
• If you have not received your bags do not immediately go on a wild shopping spree as insurance companies have very limited coverage of expenditures for replacement clothing. 
• Your travel advisor will, hopefully,  be tirelessly working on your behalf. Make certain that you send your advisor a daily status update. It helps if you work with an advisor who has a personal relationship with your cruise line’s management. Because cruise lines do not take responsibility for lost baggage, and the airlines will only deal with the entity that issued the tickets (The Cruise Line or Tour Company Air Departments), your travel advisor will likely be rather restricted in what they can do to help you. If your travel agency personally issued your tickets, they will/should get involved with their airline representatives.
• One or two of the better air ticketing specialists include assistance with lost baggage in their services. If you use one of these Flight Monitoring Services, such as Cranky Concierge, you will have an advantage as they can deal directly with the airlines and their baggage departments.
• Always pack anything that is truly important to you and all documentation in your carry-on. 
• Please try to stay calm. In the vast majority of cases, well over 90% of the time, passengers flying internationally, particularly those in Business or First Class, are eventually reunited with their lost luggage.

Q – As my wife and I work, almost continuously, on our Five-Year Travel Planning, we find ourselves drawn to the list you published several months ago of the World’s Top Fifty restaurants. Fine dining seems as good a reason to visit a country as anything else, so we are trying to use two or three in-country firm reservations to guide us in our planning. The question is how to best secure a reservation at one of the restaurants on the list.  Do you recommend that we call or, perhaps, put our request in an e-mail? Should it be addressed to the Head Chef or the owner? We would love to lock several places in Brazil and Japan in for 2026. Is there anything we should tell the restaurant about ourselves to make this all go smoothly?

A –  Good idea but, perhaps, wrong approach. The last thing a world-class restauant wants to do is try to figure out what a US caller is talking about. You have no clout with a foreeign restaurant unless you get screamed ast easch evening by someone named “Gordon”.

The last thing the really top restaurants overseas  want is a reputation for catering to tourists from the USA. It would help kill their local business. We would leave the restaurant reservation portion of your trip-planning to the overseas office used by your travel advisor to do the rest of the tyrip. The owners of your on-site offices live in-country and if the restaurant is on the “Top-Fifty” List it ios likely they have a relationship with management. Leave it to your local contact to fill the restauant in on juist how very important you are. Unless you are a blood relative of Anthony Bourdain  however, they may remain unimpressed. They hear from true VRVIP’s each and every afternoon seeking tables. 

The rule here is that any reservation needs to be made by a local, fluent speaker of the language or, in the case of the British Isles, by someone with the proper pronunciation.

There is one exception – if you are a return VIP Guest at one of the very best hotels in town, it is likely that the Lead Concierge at your hotel would also be a good source to score a hard-to-get reservation. 

May we say that being led on your travels by a desire to dine really well is an idea with a great deal of merit. But beware that that approach may keep you isolated int he more affluent, sophisticated portions of your destination. We would suggest a fifty-fifty mix of fine-dining and dining “a la local” in the countryside.