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Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use a travel agent?
Even in the age of online booking, travel agents are a great source of information and discounts. A travel agent can make sure that your trip is tailored to you, assist you in case of unexpected problems, and help you anticipate potential issues in advance.
Will I pay more if I book through an agent?
Not necessarily. If you book a holiday or flight directly with the provider, a sales profit is already built in. When you use a travel agent, that profit (which is already built in to the cost either way) is paid to an agent. So, rather than making a company worth millions or billions even richer, you support a smaller business and help them to succeed.
I have access to agent only deals which are not accessible to the general public. I will always can work with your budget, and I always focus on making sure that you get an amazing service so that you keep coming back.
Do you book group travel?
Yes! Do you have an upcoming conference for your business or student trip? Are you a group of friends or family looking to holiday together? I can handle the details and ensure that you have access to group seating, entrances, and discounts.
*Please note that any group over 9 passengers will need to pay an upfront deposit of £100.00 with increments of £10.00 per additional person.
**I do not offer holidays for large groups of single sex holidays such as hen or stags.However, I would be happy to refer you to another agency who will be able to look at this for you.
Do you have a premises I can visit?
No, I work from my own home. I offer telephone consultations, Zoom calls or WhatsApp appointments. If you live within a 10 mile distance of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire I can arrange to meet you for a more personalised service.
What is your VIP Service?
For clients who have booked for a value of £10,000 or more I offer a VIP service which consists of:
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Priority service for any amendments
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Free Fast Track security at airport
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A referral service with a thank you to the value of £100 for any bookings over the value of £8000
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Luggage tags
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Printed documentation if required, sent to you by first class
Do you have a referral service?
Yes. For my VIP clients I offer a referral gift up to the value of £120 for any successful bookings to the value of £8000 or more.
For all other customers I offer a £25 thank you gift for referral bookings over the value of £1500.
To refer someone to me, please use the 'Refer a friend' tab in the menu at the top of the website. Alternatively, please send me a screenshot of any recommendations to 07472 208479 or email info@ultimateglobalescapes.co.uk
Can you offer price matching?
Yes, in many instances I can match or improve on prices provided by other companies (T&Cs apply). All you need to do is send a screenshot or PDF of what you have been quoted elsewhere and in 95% of cases you will be pleasantly surprised with what I can offer. Your screenshot or PDF must show the hotel/cruise, dates, board basis, number of passengers, duration, room type and (if applicable) flights and luggage.
Terms and Conditions
Prices in the industry change roughly every 5 minutes, therefore I requote using the site you have been quoted from to get an up to date price and price match/beat this. The price I quote is not fixed until you have booked your holiday - if there are any changes to price before booking, your price will change accordingly.
As I offer full financial protection and reassurance for my customers, I will only consider price matching for companies who offer a comparable service. This excludes any company who are not ABTA or TTA bonded. Examples of excluded companies are primarily those who promote themselves as offering 'cheap holidays' such Love Holidays, On The Beach, Expedia, Lastminute.com, Booking.com, Destination2, Holiday Gems, Travel Republic, Sunshine, Icelolly, Travel Supermarket, Thomas Cook, Holiday Hypermarket, Cheeky Trip, Teletext Holidays.
Do you offer financial protection?
Yes, all of our holidays are ABTA protected and when you book a package holiday including flights, it is also ATOL protected.
For a summary of what the following terms mean, please click on the relevant links below:
What companies can you book with?
Ultimate Global Escapes Ltd is fortunate enough to be able to work with around 300 suppliers and tour operators. Some of these are very niche, some of these are trade only and some of these will be very well known to you.
A very small selection of our contracts are below:
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Jet2
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TUI
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Easyjet
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Co-op Holidays
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Olympic
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Cunard
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Hoseasons
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Royal Caribbean
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Virgin Voyages
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Club Med
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Kuoni
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Sandals/Beaches
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Emirates
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Solmar Villas
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P&O
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MSC
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Blue Bay Travel/Tropical Warehouse/Caribbean Warehouse
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Disney/Disneyland
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Holiday Extras
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Santa's Lapland
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Crystal Ski
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Enable
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G Adventures
What types of holidays can you arrange?
As an independent travel expert, I can book ANY type of holiday. If I can't find a package offering exactly what you are looking for, I can create one myself.
With the industry being so large, there are particular brands, holiday types and locations I specialise in but I am not restricted to these.
My expertise is around luxury, indulgent travel (generally 5 star) which includes holidays all across the globe. Whilst it is impossible to visit every country on the earth on a regular basis, I am very familiar with Spain, Italy, Mexico, Greece, South Africa, Austria, St Lucia and Dubai.
The brands I specialise in are Ikos and Sani primarily, followed with Domes, Mitsis, MarBella, Grecotel, Jumeriah, Royal Caribbean and Virgin Voyages.
I am also very familiar with travelling as a vegan and so I arrange a lot of vegan friendly holidays as well as accessible holidays for those with limited or restricted mobility. Other examples of holidays I can cater for:
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Honeymoons
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Destination Weddings
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Ski /winter breaks including Lapland
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Cruises
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Coach and train holidays
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Singles holidays
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Group tours/expeditions
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Sightseeing holidays
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Safaris
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Multi-centre
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Sporting holidays
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Family Friendly
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LGBTQ+ friendly
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Eco-tourism
What are the benefits of booking with Ultimate Global Escapes?
I think the main thing that sets my business apart is the level of attention, dedication, honesty and reliability you receive.
If you choose to book online with one of the popular holiday brands, you'll be lucky if you get to speak to the same person twice. You'll find yourself sat in queues and having to constantly repeat yourself each time you need to speak to someone. That won't be the case here - you'll only ever need to speak with me.
Do you work a 9-5 job and struggle to get things done at the time that works for you? Not a problem here - I work when my customer's need me (which is primarily evenings and weekends - even on Bank Holidays!). You've also got handfuls of way to contact me - WhatsApp, text, calls, video calls, Facebook messenger, emails, DMs on social media like Instagram etc. There's no automated responses, it will only ever be me responding to you.
Many of my clients have ended up being friends because I prioritise each query and only work on one customer at a time. Rather than just sending you the first quote I find, I spend several hours (sometimes days!) making sure that I've found the best deal I possibly can for you.
Do you charge fees?
On occasion, I do charge fees (depending on the complexity of your enquiry). If at all possible, I will produce up to 6 quotes for you free of charge (which amounts to one day's work). Anything in excess of this requires an upfront deposit starting at £45.00. Once you book, this amount is taken off your booking and I will also put an extra £20.00 towards your booking out of my own pocket.
If you have a vague idea of what you want but need quotes for several hotels or flights and this is going to go over the 6 quotes, I will ask for the deposit mentioned above.
Other situations in which I will ask for an upfront deposit are below:
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Honeymoons/Destination Weddings - £200.00 deposit
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Full itinerary planning including optional reservations - £65.00
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Concierge service (i.e. restaurant reservations, non-commissionable work to improve your experience such as organising butlers, child minders) - £150.00
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Groups over 9 people - fees start at £100.00 and increase in increments of £10.00 per person.
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Flights only package - £50.00 (non-refundable)
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Personalised brochures - £100.00 (non-refundable)
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Interactive PDF itinerary - £30.00 (non-refundable).
As a self-employed agent, the majority of my work is actually undertaken before booking and I do not receive any payment for this time. Quotes take anywhere from 2-3 hours up to 1 week and so I need to ensure that I am compensated for this time in some instances.
I do not charge the £45.00 planning fee for existing clients.