Booking Your Next Trip with Points? Know This First

Fora Advisor Kerry Boyd

If you’re like us, you love racking up credit card points and accumulating airline miles to score deals on your next vacation. Really: who doesn’t love free travel, right?

But we’ve got news for you: just because you’re booking your next trip on points doesn’t mean you don’t need a travel advisor along the way. In fact, having a Fora Advisor by your side is essential to make sure that you’re still getting the best quality experience, even when your trip has a big clearance sticker on it. Oh, and did we mention booking with a travel advisor is free?

Here’s the scoop on how to use a travel advisor to maximize your next points vacay, so you can be treated like the VIP you are.

Ready to travel? Connect with Fora to plan and book your getaway today.

Use your points wisely

First thing’s first: it makes a difference where you use your points, so spend them wisely! TLDR: Use your points for your flight; skip them for your hotel.

When you use credit card points from a company like Amex, your booking is considered a third-party booking — so you can say goodbye to personalized touches (more on that later).

Fora Advisors, on the other hand, have personal relationships with the hotels, so they get you a better room and ensure you’re treated like a VIP. Trust us, once you stay in a hotel through a travel advisor, you’ll never want to go back.

So, where to use your points instead? Many travel experts agree that points are best spent on flights and other transit. Seats are seats, and your place in line is the same whether you use cash or points to book. 

If you want the best travel experience possible, use your points on your flight — but save your hotel booking for where it matters.

Embrace the personal touches

Hotels love when you book with a Fora Advisor. Why, you ask? Hotels pay a much smaller commission fee to a Fora Advisor than they would to an online travel site. As an added bonus for putting the profits back into the hotel itself, hotels hook up Fora travelers with the same (or better) perks compared to brands like Amex.

Beyond the perks you get when booking with Fora, you’re benefiting from an actual human doing the booking, and ensuring your stay is as special as possible. Your advisor will add the personal touch to make sure you’re extra cared for, whether that’s emailing the hotel and letting them know about your dietary restrictions or a special occasion coming up, or arranging a customized welcome amenity in your room.

Save your time & energy

Fora Advisor Fallon Alexandria

Your finance-minded elders said it best: time is money, right? So, why spend all your time on hold waiting for a call center rep? Or wasting your vision on hours of blue light trying to find something other than a flavorless top-10 list rated by a bunch of people you don’t know, and who don’t know you, either?

Your Fora Advisor isn’t just another person with a three-ring binder: they’re a travel expert who will collaborate with you to plan your dream trip, complete with insider recs and local intel. Think of it as your own personal travel therapist or stylist. They’ve got all the up-to-date knowledge about new hotels and drool-worthy restaurants, and they know exactly how it’ll fit your unique style, too.

Image courtesy of The William Vale

Plus, they get the benefit of being part of a community of hundreds of other travel-loving experts, so they’re always up to speed on the latest info. Love 19th-century history and staying at historic properties? No problem. Traveling with two small children and need to arrange for an early check-in? We’ve got you covered there, too. Your Fora Advisor can take care of all the things.

And, if by the unfortunate chance that something with your trip goes wrong… You’ve got an actual person to help you sort through those details. Here’s an example: A client of Fora Advisor Amy Haefeli booked a stay via Amex Travel at a five-star city hotel. In her words: “and oh boy it was a mess.” The hotel had deleted the room reservation without cause or warning, and Amex (a call center, might we add) couldn’t help.

“In the end I had to re-book a room myself and everything worked out,” said Amy. “But phew… this snafu shows how it's always better to use a travel advisor even as an Amex card member.”

Know that the hotel staff will have your back

In a world of automations and technology, it seems like getting a real connection to a human is harder than ever. That’s where your Fora Advisor makes all the difference.

Because travel advisors spend time getting to know the places they’re recommending, and cultivate relationships with Fora's preferred partners around the world, there’s a good chance that your Fora Advisor already knows the hotel management team personally. These relationships mean you can forget feeling like a number. You’ll be at the top of the management team’s list and know you’ll be cared for, always. That’s what the spirit of hospitality has always been about, right?

And of course, while our advisors’ proverbial rolodexes are impressive, we don’t expect them to have every hotel manager on speed-dial. That’s where our community comes in. Thanks to Fora’s decades-long industry relationships, advisors will have support & advocacy from hotel and travel suppliers worldwide. Plus, they can always source expert advice from other advisors in our community app.

Make a difference for a small business owner

Fora Advisor Brit Healey

Not only does booking with a Fora Advisor save you money, but you can feel good about supporting a small business — this business being the advisor themself. Rather than spending your money via a corporate engine like Booking.com, you’re helping a small business owner thrive. 

Our Fora Advisors are full-time parents, teachers, anthropologists, project managers, even students. Your Fora Advisor could be your neighbor, or another parent from your kid’s soccer league. They’re building businesses of their own because they get a rush out of booking incredible trips for others. When you book with them, you’re directly supporting their dreams and their careers. That’s no small thing.

And remember, working with a Fora Advisor is free, because our commissions come from the hotel, not from your pocket.

So, what are you waiting for?

Totally customized experiences. The same perks you expect from Amex, but with an actual person helping you out. Time — and money — savings. Supporting a small business owner. AND you can still use your points? Really… it can’t get any better than that.

Curious to learn more? Learn what to expect from working with a travel agent. Or connect with Fora to plan and book your getaway today.