Private Travel

Free Offers on Lindblad South Georgia/Falklands Expedition

Darin Jensen — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:22:55 +0000

Lindblad Expeditions—a leader in adventure cruising and a Private Travel trusted partner—is offering several promotions on its South Georgia & The Falklands expedition departing October 17, 2011, for bookings received by April 30, 2011.

Available promotions include:
- Five complimentary days in Buenos Aires & Peninsula Valdés (home of the southern right whale)
- A discount of up to $2,000 on select cabin categories
- Complimentary one-way charter airfare from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires

Private Travel can book the cruise above for you at the same rate as booking directly with Lindblad or National Geographic. Private Travel can also book any custom pre- or post-tour excursions that may interest you or an entirely private program if you prefer.

For more information about the cruise featured above or any others offered by Lindblad or other suppliers please call us at +1.801.938.7000 or send us an email. Upgrade to unforgettable with Private Travel & Lindblad Expeditions.

Video: Around the World in 2000 Pictures

Darin Jensen — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 22:47:58 +0000

Director Alex Profit takes us around the world via photos of Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York and London.

To upgrade to unforgettable in any of these destinations please contact us. For more information about Mr. Profit visit http://www.alexprofit.com.

Private Travel Averts Anniversary Cruise Disaster

Darin Jensen — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:23:37 +0000

Private Travel charges a fee—currently $40—to issue airline tickets. You may wonder what would compel you to pay $40 for something you can readily book online yourself. A fair question—especially if you have never had a flight delay or cancellation. To respond I’ll share a client experience from early February that showcases perfectly how Private Travel can save your vacation when the airlines seem determined to ruin it.

On Friday, February 4 at 10:22 AM I received an automated phone call from an airline advising me a client’s flight from San Francisco to Dallas scheduled for 3:05 PM that day had been cancelled and the airline had rebooked him on the same flight the next day, Saturday, February 5. The problem with this was my client—let’s call him Nate (not his real name)—was continuing to Santiago, Chile, and needed to be in Santiago on Saturday, February 5, to embark from nearby Valparaiso later that evening on an anniversary cruise with his wife.

I immediately called the airline and was advised by the automated prompt of a 32 minute hold time. So, I called Nate on another line to discuss options. He was also on hold with the airline. As we talked I brought up availability on my ticketing system and noticed there was an 1:15 PM flight from San Francisco to Dallas with 4 seats available that would give Nate enough time to connect to his Santiago flight (which—luckily—had not been cancelled). I quickly pulled two seats out of inventory—one for Nate and one for his wife—and put them in his reservation which is something that only a travel agent or airline agent can do. It can’t be done by a traveler at an airline’s website or at an online travel agency’s website.

By the time Nate and I reached agents at the airline there were no seats left on the 1:15 PM flight. If I hadn’t pulled two seats out of inventory when I did Nate would have had no other option than to fly to Dallas the next day and thereby miss his cruise embarkation. Nate had declined insurance (another no no that we’ll discuss another time) for his cruise and if he had missed the embarkation he would have been financially responsible for flying from Santiago to the next port of call to join the cruise a day late. Can you imagine a worse start to an anniversary cruise?

Luckily, by purchasing his air from Private Travel, Nate was able to leverage our air expertise & get two of only four remaining seats on an earlier flight which he otherwise could not have obtained. We saved his trip, a potentially sizable hit to his pocketbook, and maybe even helped his marriage.

Lindblad Offers Three Free Days in Costa Rica

Darin Jensen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:57:00 +0000

Lindblad Expeditions—a leader in adventure cruising and one of our Private Travel trusted partners—is offering a free three-day extension to the Monteverde Cloud Forest on select 2011 departures of The Panama Canal & The Wonders of Costa Rica when you book by March 31, 2011.

Ten Reasons to Book Your Next Flight with Private Travel

Darin Jensen — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 05:07:13 +0000

Human Interaction. Talking with a real person is more intellectually engaging than finger tapping with a computer screen.
One Stop Shop. Private Travel can check all commercial airlines quickly and efficiently to find what’s important to you whether it’s the lowest fare or first class lie-flat premium service between New York & LA. (Private Travel doesn’t make one penny from the airlines thus has no incentive to sell one airline over another.)
Common Sense. Private Travel knows you would rather connect via Phoenix than Denver or Chicago in the dead of winter to avoid potential weather delays. Private Travel also knows you prefer non-stops over crazy connections when—for example—you are traveling with children. And—speaking of children—Private Travel knows you would rather depart at 10am than 6am (unless you love to get up in the middle of the night—and we know you don’t).
Intuition. Private Travel knows you meant London, England and not London, Ontario. Unless of course you meant London, Ontario, in which case Private Travel knows that, too. Or at least Private Travel knows to ask for clarification.
No Stress Connections. Do you need to connect your international overnight flight arriving at the international airport to a charter flight departing from the domestic airport and then figure out how to get to the right port to catch your cruise? No worries! Private Travel does this all the time complete with someone to meet, greet and help you every step of the way if you prefer.
BFF. Private Travel, like a true friend, remembers important stuff like which frequent flier numbers work with which airlines, aisle not window, vegetarian instead of chicken or beef, and always puts you as close to the front as possible because someone once told you it’s safer than the middle or back of the plane. Private Travel truly is your best friend forever.
Saved Seats. Private Travel will confirm your seats when you book your flight so mom, dad, junior and the twins can sit together instead of spread out across the entire airplane. Unless, of course, you don’t want to sit together. Private Travel can make that happen, too.
SOS. Private Travel is accessible after hours in an emergency. Really accessible. As in if-necessary-someone-will-get-out-of-bed-and-fix-your-problem accessible. One call and Private Travel will help solve any travel dilemma (such as how to get around a gigantic volcanic ash cloud smack dab between you and your summer vacation) without forcing you to be on hold for hours. In fact, Private Travel doesn’t even have the capability to put you on hold. We’re that serious about helping you. Additional fees may apply if your problem is super complicated.
Fickle Friendly. Private Travel can cancel and refund a ticket within 24 hrs of purchase for a $45 fee. That’s right. If you purchase a ticket Monday and change your mind Tuesday Private Travel will give you your money back if you call before the end of business (less the $45 ticketing fee & the $45 ticket cancellation fee). This is not a voucher but a true refund to your credit card. Woohoo! $45 is a lot less than a $150 airline change fee.
No Second Chance. This is your [insert super important once-in-a-lifetime event here]. Do you really want to be stuck in the airport on hold with the airline because your flight was delayed/re-routed or worse? Isn’t happiness and peace of mind worth $45?

March 17 update: Still not convinced? Click here to learn how Private Travel helped a recent client rebook his flights and avert a major vacation disaster.

To have Private Travel book your next flight please send us an Air Request.

Hotel Monaco: Salt Lake City—$95. Denver—$135.

Darin Jensen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:34:17 +0000

Need a place to stay in Salt Lake City or Denver in April? Hotel Monaco is offering sales in both cities through April 30, 2011 including overnight valet parking for one car.

Salt Lake City is $95 + tax for Friday-Sunday night stays and $197 for Monday-Thursday night stays. Denver is $135 for weekend stays and $188 for weekday stays. One caveat: you must book today, March 10, 2011. Call or email Private Travel now to book!

The Azores in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus

Darin Jensen — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:25:11 +0000

Zegrahm Expeditions—a Private Travel Trusted Partner—has a few cabins remaining on its Azores with Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Canary Islands, and Madeira expedition scheduled for May 04-20, 2011. From the Zegrahm website:

We follow in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus as we take on this Azores expedition, including a Canary Islands tour. Step ashore on the Rock of Gibraltar; delight your senses in Moroccan bazaars; and set sail for the Canaries, Madeira, and the splendid Azores. We spend two days in Morocco, visiting legendary Casablanca, Agadir, and Taroudant, often called “Little Marrakech.” Then, we bring true meaning to the term “Azores adventure travel” by navigating interior volcanic crater lakes, hiking into an unearthly cavern on Graciosa, and exploring the wild volcanic crater of Faial Island.

Private Travel can book this trip (or any other Zegrahm or Eco Expedition trip) for you at the same rate as booking directly with Zegrahm. Private Travel can also book any custom pre- or post-tour excursions that may interest you or an entirely private program if you prefer.

For more information about this exceptional opportunity please call us at +1.801.938.7000 or send us an email.

10 Reasons Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance

Darin Jensen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 23:43:39 +0000

We are happy to announce that Private Travel is now licensed to sell Travel Guard travel insurance to residents of Canada and the United States. Even if you purchase your trip directly from another travel company or directly from a supplier such as an airline or cruise company—you can still buy travel insurance from us.

Travel Insurance protects you and your travel investment. It can reimburse non-refundable deposits, rebook flights and hotels, help refill a lost prescription, help replace a lost or stolen passport, give a medical referral or even evacuate you if required.

You may be wondering if travel insurance is really necessary. Consider these 10 scenarios:

You have to cancel your trip due to an unexpected event such as bad weather, an illness in the family, involuntary job loss or the financial default of your airline, cruise line or tour operator.
You have to return home early due to an unexpected emergency such as an illness or death in the family.
Your luggage is lost or delayed, forcing you to purchase necessary essentials or prescription medications.
Your sporting, camping or adventure equipment is damaged or stolen.
You become ill or injured and learn that your health care plan doesn’t cover you outside the U.S. or Canada.
You need an emergency medical evacuation due to an accident or sudden illness.
You run into flight delays and miss a portion of your trip or cruise. This almost happened to one of our clients in February. His flight was cancelled by the airline but we were able to find him two of the last four seats on the only remaining flight that day. If we had not been able to find him a replacement flight he would have missed the first day of his cruise and would not have been entitled to compensation because he hadn’t purchased travel insurance.
You have to evacuate your resort due to an unexpected hurricane or storm.
Your passport is lost or stolen leaving you stranded abroad.
Your rental car is damaged leaving you responsible for the repair costs.

Why Travel Guard?
There are many competing travel insurance companies in the market. We chose Travel Guard for the following reasons:

We have personally experienced Travel Guard’s claim processing several times and each time have been impressed by the honesty, integrity and friendliness of its claims processors.
Travel Guard is not a fly-by-night operation. It has been in business since 1982 and is a worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance solutions. Its extensive portfolio of travel coverage and emergency assistance helps thousands of travelers around the world every day.
Travel Guard operates the platinum card concierge services of a prestigious US credit card company whose card members pay hundreds of dollars per year in membership fees. Most Travel Guard policy holders get access to this concierge resource as part of each policy at no additional cost.
Travel Guard allows Private Travel to offer multiple travel insurance plans with varying coverages to allow you to find a plan that fits your needs. Many other travel companies and tour operators only offer one travel insurance plan that frankly might not offer the coverage you need or want.

For a quote or to purchase a policy please visit http://private.travel/insurance/, click on one of the Travel Guard images on this page or click on the “Travel Insurance” link in the footer of every page of this website.

Cruise Greece & the Dalmatian Coast

Darin Jensen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:11:20 +0000

Private Travel partners with reputable tour operators to provide unforgettable experiences around the world. One partner—Lindblad Expeditions—is a leader in adventure cruising. Lindblad just advised us it has a few cabins remaining on its May 12 & 22 departures of Under Sail: Greece to the Dalmatian Coast on the 44-guest Panorama including stops in Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia.

Video: Heli-Skiing: The Reality of Dreams

Darin Jensen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:48:14 +0000

Do you lie awake at night dreaming of powder, mountain peaks, helicopters, adrenalin and untouched glistening snow-covered wilderness? If so, this latest video from the masters of heli-ski & heli hike—Canadian Mountain Holidays—will not disappoint.

To learn more about heli-skiing and heli-hiking with Private Travel and Canadian Mountain Holidays please contact us.