field notes
Articles
Published figures and plain answers about charging for travel planning, from an advisor who still quotes her own fee to every client.
What travel advisors actually charge
My average planning fee per client, every year from 2012 to 2025 — from $0, to $75, to $597, including the years it went down.
What a travel planning fee actually is
The four models advisors use, what separates a fee from a commission, and the four things a planning fee is not.
Commission is not compensation
It is discretionary, paid by someone who is not your client, and only when a booking happens. Four things it structurally cannot pay for.
What travel advisors do that nobody ever sees
A booking takes minutes and leaves a record. Everything around it takes hours and leaves nothing — which is why it gets valued at nothing.
Can you charge fees under a host agency?
Usually yes — but it is your host's answer to give, and the questions worth asking are more specific than “can I charge fees?”
How much do travel agents charge?
Written for travelers rather than advisors, and meant to be sent — what the fee pays for, and why it is not added to the price of your trip.