Book it yourself, or hand it to Jon?
A lot of travel is simple to book on your own. Some of it goes better through an advisor. Here is how we split it, the middle ground in between, and the do’s and don’ts from our own trips.
Where to book it yourself
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Who should book what
Jon books flights, stays and the pieces in between, plus cruises, rail journeys and safaris. You can book any of it yourself too. These are the cases where the difference shows.
Trips with moving parts
Several stops, flights that depend on each other, a ship that won’t wait. The person who planned it is the one you message when a flight moves.
Hotels where the rate matters
Some hotel rates are never published, and Fora advisors can book them. What that adds up to varies by property: a client who booked New York through Jon came back with an upgraded room, breakfast for two and a credit to spend at the hotel.
Points and status
If they matter to you, always book with Jon. He knows the programs best and makes sure your trip counts toward nights, points and status.
Cruises, rail journeys and safaris
The big set pieces, booked the same way as Jon’s curated trips.
The places Jon knows best
Argentina and South America, Europe and the Pacific Northwest, luxury and LGBTQA+ travel anywhere. In English or Spanish.
Anything that might change mid-trip
You message Jon. He booked it, so he is the one who can move it.
A city weekend
One flight, one hotel, dates that can move. Book both with free cancellation and there is little to lose.
Award flights with your own miles
Spending miles happens in your own airline account. Ben’s guides cover finding the seats.
Day tours and tickets
Pick ones with free cancellation and book them once your dates are fixed.
Airport transfers
A pickup booked ahead, at a fixed price, waiting when you land.
A car for the days outside town
On Curaçao a car is how you see anything beyond the hotel.
Mobile data
An eSIM installed before you fly, so the maps work when you land.
The middle ground
Jon books the trip, and you add a few extras yourself. He can book the pieces in between too, but if you would rather add some on your own, three habits keep them from clashing with his plan.
Wait for Jon’s confirmation
Book extras once your flights and hotel are confirmed, so the times you plan around are real.
Fixed times first, flexible later
A transfer depends on your flight number and landing time. Tours can wait, and with free cancellation they can move.
Tell Jon what you added
Send him your confirmations. If a flight moves, he can see what else it touches.
Do’s and don’ts for booking your own trip
What we would tell a friend, stage by stage. Where a tip comes from one of our trips, the story is linked.
Before you book
- Plan back from the one thing that can’t move. A ship, a wedding, a festival date. Everything else fits around it.
- Leave a buffer before a departure you can’t miss. Give Ushuaia two full days before the ship: flights to the end of the world run late more often than ships wait. Ushuaia
- Book a non-refundable flight before the hotel or ship is confirmed. Lock the hardest piece first.
- Rely on a tight connection between separate tickets. If the first flight is late, the second airline owes you nothing.
When you book
- Choose free cancellation on anything not yet certain. Tours, cars and many hotels offer it, and it keeps the plan movable.
- Hand the hotel to Jon if points and status matter. He makes sure the stay counts toward nights, points and status, and third-party sites often don’t count at all. On Curaçao, Bonvoy Platinum Elite and up choose between breakfast and the M Club lounge. Curaçao
- Compare prices before you compare what’s included. A fare without a bag or a room without breakfast often costs more by the end.
- Pay by bank transfer. Pay by credit card, so you can dispute the charge if something goes wrong.
Before you go
- Buy insurance that covers medical care, and evacuation for remote trips. Oceanwide requires emergency evacuation and medical cover for Antarctica. Antarctica
- Keep every confirmation in one place, offline. Screenshots work when the signal doesn’t.
- Bring a duffle to Brazil. Travel with suitcases only. It lowers the risk of your luggage going missing. Rio
On the trip
- Match the city to the day of the week. In São Paulo, keep Sunday for Paulista without cars and the antiques fair under MASP. São Paulo
- Hire a driver or a tour for long day trips. In Ushuaia: Uber in town, a private driver or a tour for the day trips. Ushuaia
- Change a booking Jon made directly with the hotel or airline. Message Jon. He booked it, so he is the one who can move it.
Not sure which side your trip is on?
Tell Jon where you’d like to go. One conversation is enough to begin.