We get it. It’s lots of fun to browse the web for luxury properties and hotels.
You envision yourself waking up in a gorgeous king-sized hotel bed to the gentle rustle of palm trees in the breeze, or sipping cocktails half-submerged in the infinity pool watching the sun set over the bay. Then you find that perfect property that really wows, and it’s tempting to click ‘book now’ right then and there.
But did you know that by booking accommodation this way – separate from the rest of your journey, that is – you could be doing yourself a great disservice? One that may cost you much more time and money in the end.
Flights and accommodation should be booked together
Often, the most difficult aspect of booking rewards travel is getting the best flights. It can be tricky, complicated, time consuming and even costly to book with points if you don’t have the right background knowledge. That’s why our clients trust us. We specialise in finding and booking the flights our clients really want using their points. That’s no big secret.
Once the flight is booked however, some may think it’s better to then book their hotel on their own, separately. That’s not always so.
Here are 2 important reasons why you should have us book your accommodation along with your reward flights.
You get the same great rates
Sometimes our clients take matters into their own hands by booking their own hotel through sites like Expedia, Booking.com or Wotif. They enjoy browsing through the hotels and think they’re going to avoid a price markup by doing it themselves.
We want to be very clear – The Well Connected Traveller does not add a price markup to accommodation bookings. The best price you see online, whether it’s through a booking site or on the property’s own website, is the same rate you will pay by booking through us.
“But how can you do that?” you may be wondering. “How do you make any money?”
Booking sites like those mentioned above charge the hotel or property high percentages for every booking made via their platform. Sometimes up to 20%. If you book a week long family stay at a property for $10,000, the property pays up to $2,000 of that amount to the website just for facilitating that booking. If we make that booking for you however, we receive what’s called a ‘trail commission’. That’s what keeps us in business and keeps us working for you!
As for our own booking fees? They represent excellent value for the peace of mind and top notch care you will receive in return. Which brings us to the next reason why you should ask us to book your accommodation:
You will be stress free if anything changes
These days, booking travel comes with a bit of uncertainty. Border restrictions and last minute flight changes create the potential for stressful, time-sensitive situations. It’s just something travellers must adapt to going forward.
Drastically reduce the potential for stress, panic and hours on hold by asking us to book your accommodation while we book your reward flights. Doing it separately means the itinerary becomes disjointed and introduces possible points of failure. Imagine a last minute flight time shift which then affects your airport pickup arrangements, pushes your check-in time forward by 12 hours and makes you unsure if you’ll get to your business meeting on time. That can mean a lot of places to contact in the hours leading up to your departure. That eats up your valuable time.
If we have visibility and control over your whole itinerary, we will manage all the contacts, emails, time shifts and rearrangements for you as it happens. Even while you’re in transit. Then we simply inform you of the changes we made on your behalf, so it’s all sorted without you lifting a finger. If we didn’t book for you though, there’s not much we can do to help at that point!
Our team at The Well Connected Traveller can also be reached around the clock via What’s App, so if anything goes awry on the fly, you have access to us immediately – all at no extra fee.
This applies to cruises and tours too
While we have spoken mostly of accommodation here, the same applies if you’re planning to book a cruise, tour, hire car or event venue as part of your trip.
Handing the full itinerary management over to us means you travel worry-free. Our service is for those who are short on time and require their life, business and travel to flow with ease.
Plus, hotels and properties want to take care of our clients and provide deals, upgrades and perks where possible to encourage repeat business. If one of our clients has an exceptional stay at a hotel, you can bet we will recommend it to another! This is how we build relationships with the best luxury properties and provide our clients with the opportunity for great value and amazing experiences.
that’s Why you should book flights and accommodation together
So go ahead! Have fun browsing amazing luxury properties, tours and cruises online if you wish. But when it comes time to book, leaving it all in the hands of our advisors at The Well Connected Traveller will ensure your journey is seamless from beginning to end.
