The Right Level of Support
Whether you need one hotel recommendation or want every detail handled, there's a way to work together that fits your trip.
Choose your level of support
Four ways to work together. Every number here is quoted to you before you commit to anything.
| Service | Cost | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| JB's VIP Desk | Complimentary | Travelers who already know where they want to stay and want the booking placed through my partnerships for added perks. Cruises are booked here too, at no fee, including group sailings |
| JB's Shortlist | $99, credited toward full planning | Travelers who want a vetted set of options rather than a full itinerary |
| JB's Signature Journey | From $350 per week of travel | Full end-to-end trip design, multiple components, on-trip support. Scales with complexity |
| JB's Curated Services | Custom, plus $50 per person to ticket flights | Requests outside the standard packages, including private aviation, yachts, group blocks, points strategy, and flight ticketing |
Custom itinerary design, including multi-country routings, honeymoons, group trips and safari planning, carries a planning fee that reflects the hours involved. Flight ticketing is $50 per person on cash fares, and that covers a 24/7 support line you call directly plus any changes I handle for you. Award redemptions are searched instead of ticketed, at $150 per person, the only fee on them. Full detail on the air side is in why book your international flights with a travel advisor, and on fees generally in What Does a Luxury Travel Advisor Cost?
I know what you're probably thinking…
why do I need a travel advisor?
You can book a trip yourself. Between the booking engines and a few hundred blog posts, everything you need is already out there.
But you don't need a CPA to file your taxes either, or a lawyer to read a contract. You could learn the tax code. You hire someone because your time is worth more than the hours it would cost you, and because an expert catches what you would miss.
Travel works the same way. You can spend three weekends with forty browser tabs open, reading contradictory reviews and playing logistical Tetris with flight times. That doesn't mean you should.
Then there's the part nobody plans for. A flight cancels. A room isn't what was promised. Booked on your own, you're on hold with a call center at 2am, telling your whole trip to a stranger while your vacation burns.
Book with me and you skip that entirely. I already know every detail of your trip, and I'm already fixing it. Most of the time you'll hear from me before you've noticed anything went wrong.
The perks are the easy part: real money back on trips you were taking anyway, through partnerships that only work if you book through me.
JB's VIP Desk
Already know exactly where you want to stay? Don't book it online alone.
This service is complimentary because my partner hotels take care of my commission, so the VIP treatment costs you nothing.
What's Included
- No added fees: you pay the exact same rate (or better) as booking directly with the hotel.
- JB's insider perks: complimentary breakfast, hotel credits, room upgrades and flexible check-in, subject to availability.
- Logistics handled: I manage the entire reservation, confirm your preferences, and make sure the hotel knows a VIP is arriving.
- Direct support: if something goes wrong during your stay, you have me in your corner instead of a generic customer service chatbot.
JB's Shortlist
Finding the right hotel can take hours of endless scrolling and guessing whether the location is right. Let me handle the guesswork.
What's Included
- 3 tailored property options: hand-picked hotels, resorts, or boutique stays matching your specific vibe, sent as a digital lookbook rather than a list of links.
- Side-by-side comparisons: clear breakdowns of room types, pricing, locations, and amenities.
- JB's insider perks: the same amenities as the VIP Desk, attached to whichever option you choose.
- Booking handled: once you choose your favorite, I place the reservation and confirm every detail with the hotel.
JB's Signature Journey
Design fee varies by trip complexity
If you want every detail designed, vetted and managed from the moment you leave your house until you return home, this is for you.
Milestone celebrations, multi-stop bucket-list trips, family getaways, honeymoons. You show up. I handle the rest.
What's Included
- Complete custom itinerary: a daily plan with hand-picked accommodations, transit, local experiences, destination tips and country entry requirements.
- Logistics and transportation: stress-free management of flights, private transfers, trains, or car rentals.
- Curated dining and activities: tailored recommendations and secured reservations for top restaurants, private tours, and must-see excursions.
- JB's insider perks and VIP status: VIP recognition at every property on your itinerary, with amenities attached through my global partner network.
- Pre-departure and in-destination support: direct support before you leave and throughout your entire trip, so any unexpected schedule change gets handled.
Most trips look the same. Yours won't.
Start Planning Your JourneyJB's Curated Services
Fee varies by request
Don't see a package that fits your trip? I can still help. I take on standalone bookings, complex logistics, and the kinds of travel that don't fit a standard plan.
What's Included
- Premium and business class flights: expert routing assistance and booking logistics for long-haul commercial flights. Cash-fare tickets carry a $50 per person ticketing fee, which includes a 24/7 support line you call directly and any changes I handle on your behalf. More on how this works in why book your international flights with a travel advisor.
- Private aviation and yachts: chartering for private jets, helicopters, and luxury yacht excursions.
- Cruise and all-inclusive bookings: sourcing, vetting, and securing the right cruise lines or luxury all-inclusive resorts. The booking itself is placed through my VIP Desk and carries no planning fee, including group sailings.
- Group trips and wedding blocks: coordinating hotel room blocks and group travel dynamics for stress-free gatherings.
- Points redemption optimization: strategic guidance on maximizing your credit card points and airline miles, including finding award availability, managing transfer partners, and booking high-value premium cabin redemptions. An award search is $150 per person, with no $50 ticketing fee on top, because you redeem the space in your own loyalty account.
- Bespoke travel consultation: standalone planning services for unique destination logistics outside my traditional packages.
Your Journey, Simplified
We Connect
A short discovery call or message exchange where I learn your travel style, dates, budget, and vision for the trip.
Agreement & Fee
You sign a travel planning agreement and pay the planning fee (if applicable). This locks in my time and kicks off the design process.
I Design
I research and build a custom proposal, hotels, flights, transfers, and experiences, using advisor-only rates and perks.
We Refine
We review the proposal together and adjust until it's exactly right. Once you're happy, I handle every booking.
Support
Changes and support, before and during your trip. I'm your point of contact for anything that comes up.
Frequently Asked
Does booking through you cost more than booking the hotel myself?
No. You pay the same rate you would find on your own, and sometimes better. My partner hotels pay my commission, which is why JB's VIP Desk is complimentary. The perks that come with it, breakfast, upgrades and credits, are added on top at no charge to you.
When would I pay a planning fee?
At step two, when you sign the planning agreement. Nothing is charged before that, and the number is quoted to you first. Hotel-only bookings and cruises carry no planning fee at all.
If I start with the $99 Shortlist and then want full planning, do I lose the $99?
No. If you upgrade to JB's Signature Journey, the $99 applies toward your planning cost.
What happens if something goes wrong while I am travelling?
You contact me directly rather than a call center. On a Signature Journey I am your point of contact from the moment you leave until you are home. On any hotel booked through JB's VIP Desk, I take it up with the property myself.
Do you book flights?
Yes. Cash-fare tickets carry a $50 per person ticketing fee, which covers a 24/7 support line you call directly and any changes I handle for you. Award redemptions using your own points are searched rather than ticketed, so the $50 does not apply. An award search is $150 per person and is the only fee involved, because you book the space in your own loyalty account.
Do you book cruises?
Yes, and there is no planning fee. Cruises are placed through JB's VIP Desk, including group sailings.
Where to Go From Here
Destination Guides
Itineraries and guides for Tanzania, Patagonia, Iceland, the Caribbean and more, with the properties and timing I actually recommend.
Browse the guides →Budget Translator
See what a real trip costs at your number before you commit to anything.
Try the tool →Points Calculator
Work out what your miles and points are actually worth on a premium booking.
Run the numbers →