Where did all the Service Go?

Online Discounted Vacation suppliers can be very appealing and hard to stay away from. Websites like CheapCaribbean.com, Travelzoo.com and even Expedia or Travelocity offer amazing and sometimes too good to be true vacation deals. They lore you in with headlines such as "Jamaica: $299 for 5 days all inclusive plus flight!", but after you add taxes and fees, transfers, flight from the city you actually live in and choose dates that work with your schedule, you're now looking at upwards of $800 per person. Even so, that's still quite a deal! So where's the catch? The resort pictures look nice, the room category is garden view but you're okay with that. So what's missing? One simple word. Service.

Basing your vacation decisions mainly on price is very risky business. I'm not saying any vacation you book through a discounted supplier will turn into an episode of "When Vacations Attack", but the odds are exponentially higher. You can't argue the fact that online searching is the #1 way to get the best deal available, but are you really willing to give up the personal service and peace of mind, just to save a few bucks?

Let's start with the hotel selection:

On Your Own: Have you ever tried looking for an all inclusive resort in Mexico? There are hundreds! And at first glance each one looks just about the same as the next, so you'll probably end up going off of how pretty the pictures look on the website combined with the cheapest price. Or worse yet, you'll get so overwhelmed with all of your choices you'll settle on a resort by playing ini mini mini mo.

Did you know? Resorts know how you booked, and know how much you paid for your room. Believe it or not, the service you receive will often be less than the person one room over if you booked through a discounted supplier and they did not.

With JetSetPilot: By contacting a travel consultant like JetSetPilot we'll be sure to choose a resort that fits your needs, and at the same time we'll keep your budget in mind. We get to know our travelers, what they enjoy and what is important to them in their vacation. This allows us to weigh flight and resort options, and can even lead us to recommending a completely different vacation destination that our clients end up enjoying even more!

Did you know? Resorts want travel agents to continue sending their clients to them, therefore we often have access to those little extras you otherwise wouldn't be offered on other online travel sites, and we pass these offers along to you! In most cases we can get you a room upgrade, concierge service or spa credits all at no cost to you.

How about flight schedules?

On Your Own: You've heard great things about the island of Antigua in the Caribbean and check out a few of the popular online booking engines, Expedia and Orbitz, you find the best price and a decent hotel and book it. But how do you know if you got the best available deal/option? If you don't follow the travel industry news closely, you may not know that American Airlines (AA) only sells their tickets in two places online. AA.com and Priceline.com. You also probably did not know that AA is the 9 times out of 10 the best airline to get you to Antigua, which most likely means you overpaid for your vacation.

Did you know? When traveling internationally your name on the airline ticket must match your passport exactly, including middle names. Most airlines don't let you change the name after you book and it can be a huge pain to try and fix, especially without the support of an agent or consultant.

With JetSetPilot: We have the scoop on all major airlines, how to get the best flight options and unlike the Online Suppliers, we have no problem booking you that AA flight with the resort we previously decided on earlier in our consultation. We're also are up to date on all travel related news including new regulations on passports, carry-on, baggage fees, etc. We save you time, energy and stress by providing you with everything you need to know to make your trip as smooth as possible.

Transfers or Travel Insurance?

On Your Own: Almost every discounted vacation supplier offers some type of transfer service and travel insurance, but how do you know if you can count on them? We heard and read about countless unhappy customers who were stranded at airports when their transfer service didn't arrive and others who were denied refund of their trip when they had purchased "cancel for any reason" insurance.

With JetSetPilot: We only provide our clients with reliable and trusted transfer companies and insurance companies. Our cancel for any reason insurance, truly is cancel for ANY reason. No questions asked. And if there is ever a problem with any of the services we include in your vacation, we're here to make it right. We'll be on the phone immediately to rectify any unlikely issues you have along the way.

Did you know? Want to take a private car or even a helicopter transfer to your hotel? Sure, we can do that! Try researching companies to get you the private transfer of your liking and it could take hours of browsing websites and checking reviews. Or leave it to your travel consultant and we'll take care of it in the same amount of time it would have taken if you went with the standard group van.

Still think saving a few bucks is worth the risk? Booking online is accessible and convenient, but next time you begin planning a vacation think about what you are really getting when you book this way. You may save money, but you certainly aren't saving time or peace of mind. As the old saying goes… you get what you pay for.

First Class All The Way To Mexico!

Great friends of ours, Russ and Katy, honeymooned at the Excellence Riviera Cancun Resort in Mexico 2 years ago and decided to return for their “babymoon” this winter, as Katy is expecting their first child this coming June. Brian and I were looking for a quick getaway, part vacation and part research, so when Russ and Katy opened the invitation for friends to join them we jumped at the chance!

We were looking forward to our winter getaway for months, and as travel agents we highly recommend Excellence Resorts for honeymoons and adult couple/friends vacations, so we were especially excited to experience firsthand their Riviera Cancun resort.

The week before our vacation was a busy one, both work related and otherwise, so when it was 2 days before our departure it was an unexpected surprise when I received an email from our airline, US Airways. After much jetsetting to Europe this past summer and fall, I became a US Airways Preferred Silver Member. One of the benefits of a preferred member is starting 48 hours before departure if all first class tickets aren’t sold, US Airways will upgrade their preferred members and their travel companions. Lucky for us, my email confirmed we were in fact upgraded! Russ, also a preferred member ,was upgraded as well so on Saturday morning dressed in our best we all enjoyed a first class flight with a breakfast and cocktails, and arrived in Cancun by 10:30am.



Our transfers were provided by American Express, and finding them in the crowd of people and other transfer companies was no trouble at all. There were clear signs, friendly agents, air-conditioned vans that weren’t packed to the brim with people.

Excellence has a total of 4 resorts throughout Mexico and the Caribbean. We stayed at the Excellence Riviera Cancun Resort, and the experience was absolutely amazing! Champagne upon arrival, a smooth check-in, and in Russ and Katy’s case they had chosen a room category which included their Excellence Club so they enjoyed VIP check-in and a virgin Piña Colada for Katy :). By 1pm we were all enjoying the cocktail of the day and sun at the bar by the main pool.



The resort had a total of 6 pools with your choice of quiet and serene or loud and exciting. Either way, there was always a chair or pool floaty available (although some people hoarded the floaties). Daily activities included water aerobics, volleyball, and poker to name a few. Personally, I preferred a nice mojito and a chair that was actually located in the pool.

The food top notch! A lot of all inclusive resorts do not have food to rave about, but each and every meal we had was fantastic including the daily breakfast buffet. Restaurants did not take reservations so often there was a wait, but that’s okay because it gave us an excuse to grab another cocktail! The last night we enjoyed a 5 course meal at the onsite Hibachi restaurant.



We didn’t have to leave the resort until 11:30am the day we left, so we were able to soak in some last rays of sun and enjoy a stroll down the beach. We were upgraded to first class again, this time on a 757 which has the seats that actually recline with the foot rests. The meal wasn’t as great as our breakfast on the way down, but I’m not complaining!

All in all a fantastic vacation, and Excellence is here to stay on our list of recommended all inclusives in the Caribbean or Mexico. The service is amazing for everyone, regardless if you're celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary or just celebrating escaping the winter weather back home!