What a Travel Agent Wants You to Know About Travel Credit Cards

First off, I am not, nor will I ever be, a financial advisor. This is not financial advice. Please don’t take financial advice from travel agents, as a general rule, that’s not our specialty! As such, I am not going to try to sell you any one particular card. Instead I want to talk a little bit about different perks that are offered by travel credit cards so you know what to look for. Generally, Aida’s Adventures Travel recommends that you use a credit card to pay for hotels and rental cars when possible, so you can avoid unnecessary holds on your debit card. If you need a card anyway, you might as well get one that gives you some free stuff! And if you have a few credit cards, you might have some of these perks at your disposable already and don’t even know it!

Rental Car Insurance

Some travel credit cards offer complimentary secondary rental car insurance if you pay for your rental car with the card. Generally, secondary insurance comes into play after your regular car insurance, but you should check with your credit card to see what their particular terms are. If you already have a credit card that offers this for free, you might as well use that card for car rentals if you can.

Perks

If there is a particular brand that you are loyal to, such as a hotel brand or an airline, it might be worth looking into if they have a credit card and what perks it might offer. For example, I have a Marriott branded card that gives me discounts and perks at Marriott properties. Some airline cards even offer perks like free bags. Just watch the annual fees and make sure you will get your monies worth. And be careful of places that offer things like “1% back on all *insert company name here* purchases,” as you can probably find a card that offers that perk everywhere, not just with that particular brand. If you can find a card that offers say 2% back on all purchases, that’s a better deal even if it’s not branded with your favorite cartoon character. Most of my clients are not loyal to any particular brand, and if that’s the case for you a general travel card might be a better fit.

Foreign Transaction Fees

If you travel overseas a lot, you should look into a card that waives foreign transaction fees. Some cards add up to 3% in fees every time you swipe your card! That adds up really fast!

Cash Back

Lots of travel credit cards offer cash back. I’ve seen everything from 1-3%. Just watch for annual fees and make sure you’ll get your monies worth.

Travel Insurance

Some cards, usually with super high annual fees, offer some basic travel insurance. If you travel a lot, they might be worth investigating. Our agency can also sell you an annual travel insurance plan in the $200-300 range, which might be a cheaper option, and obviously would not involve having your credit pulled.

Miles

People who are very savvy might be able to save a ton of money by utilizing miles rewards programs. But I want to give you a few warnings. Miles programs rules can be confusing and complicated, and there are often lots of dates to watch. I think that *most* people would be better off with a cash back option than a miles rewards program. Especially because those miles rewards programs have you locked into spending the rewards on travel, whereas with cash back cards you can generally spend it however you want. However, if you’re really savvy, travel a lot, and have the time to watch expiration dates, then a miles rewards card might be right for you. Just make sure you do your due diligence! And look into cash back cards too, it’s always nice to have the flexibility to use the cash back money for anything instead of just travel.

No matter what make sure you are always checking with your individual credit card program to for rules, coverage, expiration dates etc. Every card is different! I know from experience that a lot of my clients don’t know that this travel perks are out there, so I wanted to give a basic overview so you know what to look for, and hopefully these tips will save you a few dollars on things you’re planning to buy anyway. That’s money you can spend on souvenirs!

My Favorite Personal Items and Under Seat Bags for Flights

With baggage fees and carry on fees increasing, it’s smart to take full advantage of the free personal item that pretty much every airline lets you bring on board with you. I do a lot of long weekend trips, and I very frequently travel with just a personal item. It saves me money on baggage fees, and it saves me time at the airport too since I don’t have to wait at baggage claim. Plus, since I’ll have my bag on me at all times, I don’t have to worry as much about my bag getting lost or stolen.

Two notes, some airlines call them “personal items” some call them “under seat bags.” The terms can be used pretty much interchangeably. Make sure you check with the airline you’ll be flying with on the dimensions allowed. If your bag won’t fit under the seat, you could end up having to check it. Simply googling “name of airline” and “baggage policy” should get you the dimensions. There generally is not a maximum weight on personal items, but again, check with your airline. Under seat bags, as the name implies, have to fit under the seat in front of you, so they have to pretty small. Think like a small duffle or a backpack. Ok, now that we have that out of the way, lets talk about the bags I use!

This duffle bag is my favorite of all my personal items. I’ve had it for 3 years now with no damage. It can hold a TON of stuff. I’ve actually gone back and bought it in several other colors since I got the first one. And at around $25 or so, it’s budget friendly too. (Price varies based on the print you pick). It also has convenient side and front pockets for holding your little things or things you might want access to during the flight.

Now that I’m a mom, I’ve been wanting to go a little more hands free with my personal item. After all, I need all the hands I can get for toddler wrangling! This backpack has been great. It has a water bottle pocket, and a pocket for my laptop. It held a lot of stuff, thought admittedly not as much as the duffle bag. Still, if you want to go hands free, this backpack is a great choice!

If you want an under seat bag on wheels, then something like this is a great choice! Some people can’t or don’t want to carry a bag through the airport, which can make small bags like this Samsonite a good option. Just a note though, be extra vigilant about the dimensions if you go this route. A duffle bag or a backpack lends themselves to a bit of “squishing” if needed to get the bag under the seat. A bag like this, because of the way it’s constructed, generally can’t be “squished” to fit if you’re just a little over.

One final tip before I let you go! Even though you will have the bag with you at all times, I still suggest putting a luggage tag on your personal item. Just in case you do end up needing to check it for some reason, or needing to stick it in the over head bin. A luggage tag might also come in handy if you need to leave your bag at luggage services at your hotel before your flight home. I’ve had this set for 4 years and they have held up just fine!

What to Pack in your Walt Disney World Day Bag

Walt Disney World can feel super overwhelming the first time you go. There’s tons to do, tons of advice articles, blogs, youtubers, etc. all telling you how to get the most out of your trip and what to pack. And you can spend a bunch of money buying it all, only to not use half of it. It can be so overwhelming! I tried to cut through all the noise and pick out a few of my favorites, things you really will appreciate having.

  • An Umbrella Stroller, which is a a great alternative to renting a stroller, especially for longer trips where those rental fees can really add up!
  • A Backpack or Fanny Pack to haul your stuff around the park. (A note on fanny packs, some people, especially plus sized people, find that the fanny pack gets in the way of ride restraints)
  • Battery Pack for your phone (don’t forget the cords!)
  • Emergency Ponchos– Florida means surprise rain showers, so yes you really do need these!
  • Ziploc Bags– for keeping your electronics dry on water rides, or in the surprise rain storms (see above)
  • Sunscreen
  • Pain Reliever
  • Pepto Bismol (or the stomach medicine of your choice)
  • Band Aids– Walt Disney World’s free first aid service will fix you up if you have any serious boo boos, but it’s nice to not have to trek across the park for every blister.
  • Cheap Sunglasses– don’t bring your favorite sunglasses in case they get lost or crushed

I’ve Never Used a Travel Agent Before, What Can I Expect?

Trying anything new can cause some anxiety, so let us calm your concerns. In this post, we’ll go over what you can expect when you decide to utilize our agency.
The first step is to contact us. All of our contact information is at the bottom of our website, feel free to contact us via whatever method you prefer, it doesn’t matter to us! We’ll ask you some questions like: when and where would you like to go? What’s your budget? How many travelers and their ages? What amenities are important to you? Then we will put together 2-3 custom vacation ideas for you to review.

If you don’t like any of the ideas we sent you, that’s ok! It happens a lot! Let us know what you liked and didn’t like, we’ll take your feedback and update our recommendations to more closely reflect what you’re looking for. We want you to have a great time, you won’t hurt our feelings we promise!

If you like one of the ideas we sent you, Great! We’ll go over the payment schedule, cancellation policies and answer any additional questions you may have. Then we will collect all the information we need to book your trip, which may include things like the travelers full legal names and birth dates. We’ll also collect payment for any deposits required. For your security, our agency does not run credit cards directly. So your billing statement will reflect the name of the supplier we booked through, for example Marriott or The Disney Travel Company. We’ll let you know what to expect. 

Next we’ll discuss travel insurance with you and whether or not that’s a good fit for your trip. If you do decide you want insurance, don’t wait to buy it. The sooner you buy it, the sooner you are covered against any unforeseen events. 

We’ll be in touch about any updates to your itinerary.  We’ll also be in touch to discuss final payments if you didn’t pay in full when you booked. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask, that’s what we’re here for!

If you have any questions or concerns during your trip, you can call or text us for advice or help. Arguably this is the best part about using an agent, if you need anything we’re just a text message away. 

Why You Should Use a Travel Agent

It’s a phrase I hear a variation of all the time. “I can’t believe there are still travel agents around with the internet. Like why would someone book with you if they can just book it themselves on *insert name of website here*”? There are lots of good reasons to still use a travel agent, even in the internet age! Just because you CAN do something on your own doesn’t mean you should!

It’s Not as Expensive as You Think

Most Travel Agents, Aida’s Adventures included, don’t charge any fees for using their services! Travel Agents work on commission, and the travel agent commission is already built into the price. So, if you don’t use an agent, you’re paying for a service you aren’t’ using. 99% of our clients DO NOT pay any additional fees to use our services!

There are some limited situations where we might choose to charge a fee. If your itinerary is especially time consuming or your group is especially large, we might charge you a “plan to go” fee. A “plan to go” fee is money that is paid to us upfront and then is applied to whatever package you decide to book, typically at the time of final payment. That fee is meant to compensate the travel agent if you end up not needing our services, as large groups or especially complex itineraries can take a long time to plan!

Believe it or not, sometimes Travel Agents will save you money! We know lots of different ways to save a few dollars here and there and that adds up! Sometimes we have access to group discounts and other promotions that aren’t available to the general public. We also know which upgrades are worth the investment, which can save you money in the long run. Finally, we can prevent potentially expensive mistakes, like not having enough time to clear customs and missing your flight.

No Hold Music

If you use our services, you’ll never have to listen to hold music! If you need to make a change, have a question, or run into a problem, we’ll always be a phone call, text, or email away. Plus, you’ll have an advocate on your side to help if you need it.

We Know Stuff

Travel Agents are typically frequent travelers, and we have our finger on the buzz of the travel world. Want to know which restaurant at Walt Disney World are best for romantic dates, or how to hire a babysitter at Universal Orlando Resort? We have the hook up!

Support Small Business

Finally, hiring a Travel Agent is a great way to keep some of your travel dollars in your community. If you book your trip through *insert name of website here*, that corporation gets the Travel Agent commission portion of your travel dollars. Our business is a proud part of the community, we make regular donations to local charities, I bet your favorite travel website can’t say the same!