Why Use a Travel Advisor
Lorraine Travel vs. Online Booking Sites.
The same flight, the same hotel, the same cruise — planned two very different ways. Here's exactly what changes.
An honest comparison
You can book a hotel in three clicks.
You cannot book a relationship.
For straightforward weekend trips, online booking is fine. For honeymoons, family milestones, luxury cruises, multi-stop journeys, Four Seasons stays, and trips that actually matter — the gap between booking online and booking with a senior advisor is significant. Here is exactly what it looks like.
| Experience | Lorraine Travel | Online Booking Sites |
|---|---|---|
| Who works for you | A senior advisor — paid to represent you, not the supplier | Algorithms and call centers paid by suppliers |
| Personalization | Itineraries hand-built around your tastes and pace | Auto-generated packages and rate filters |
| Hotel upgrades | Confirmed Preferred-Partner perks at luxury hotels | Rare or never |
| Daily breakfast at hotels | Included at Preferred-Partner properties | Charged separately or not at all |
| Resort & spa credits | Typically $100 per stay or more | Not available |
| Cruise suite upgrades | Available through Signature Travel Network | Standard public rates only |
| Cruise onboard credits | Yes — applied automatically | Rare and limited to promotional periods |
| Specialty restaurant reservations | Pre-secured, including hard-to-book tables | Self-service or unavailable |
| Private guides & drivers | Hand-picked, city by city | Generic third-party marketplaces |
| Off-hour museum access | Available where it exists | Not offered |
| When something goes wrong | A direct line to your senior advisor, 24/7 | Chatbots, hold music, foreign call centers |
| Trip protection guidance | Personalized recommendation | Generic upsell at checkout |
| Accountability | A single human, by name, for your entire trip | Diffused across multiple suppliers |
| Confidentiality | Discreet, by long-standing practice | Data sold and re-marketed |
| Years in business | Lorraine Travel — since 1948 | Most platforms — under 25 years |
| Family-owned & operated | Yes — privately owned since 1948 | No |
| Industry affiliations | Signature Travel Network · ASTA · Hickory · Four Seasons Preferred | None comparable |
| Cost difference for you | Usually identical or better — with significantly more included | Less included, no advocate |
Three Quiet Differences
Where it really matters.
Advocacy
When a snowstorm closes JFK at 11 PM on a Sunday, an online site sends you to a chatbot. We send you back to your hotel. The difference is not theoretical.
Access
A suite at Le Sirenuse in August. A balcony cabin on a sold-out Explora Journeys voyage. A table at Sushi Saito. Some things are simply not available through a website.
Accumulation
After 77 years, we know which hotels actually deliver, which cruise itineraries fall flat, which seasons are best, and which suite to ask for at every Four Seasons in the world. That knowledge is not for sale.
The Cost Myth
"Aren't travel agents more expensive?"
In nearly every case, the rate you pay through Lorraine Travel is identical to — or better than — the public website rate. Luxury suppliers pay your advisor a commission for booking with them, at no extra cost to you. We then layer added value on top: upgrades, breakfast, credits, and the quiet advocacy of a real human being.
For complex itineraries — multi-stop, multi-country, custom experiences — Lorraine Travel charges a modest planning fee, quoted in advance. It is consistently outpaced by the value of the perks and access we secure.
Begin Your Journey
Compare a real itinerary.
Send us a trip you're considering. We'll show you exactly what changes — line by line.