Booking flights for a tour

My wife, Joan, and I travel all the time, and on some of those trips we use tour companies, but we also fly independently and book tours once we arrive at our destination. We find either option acceptable, although I suppose it does depend on one’s comfort zone.

Even when we book a tour, we tend to book our own flights, because we both are “Platinum Medallion” frequent flyers with Delta (multiple years), fly 100,000 miles a year and have “Million Mile” status with the airline. I have found that there is more flexibility if the flights are handled on my end, separately from the tour.

We always travel at least three days ahead of any tour in Europe, Eastern Europe and South America. It gives us time to ourselves and an opportunity to visit places where an individual tour may not stop, plus there are no worries about weather-related problems or arriving late.

We always stay at the hotel where the tour will start and request that the tour company book two or three nights for us at their negotiated price. I have not found a company that will not try to accommodate us on that request.

Yes, we have to pay for a transfer, if the tour’s originating point is somewhere other than the hotel, but in the overall cost of the trip it is insignificant.

In many cases the tour company will tell us that, once the tour is finished, we will also have to pay for our transfer back to the airport or other destination from which we departed, but in no situation, to date, have we paid for a transfer back to the hotel or departure airport. The tour company wants to maintain a good relationship with us and will do everything possible to make our trip end on a happy note. I wouldn’t give it too much thought!

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of travel insurance on any trip, be it one with a tour operator or one that is independent. I do not like the added expense of purchasing the insurance through the tour company, but it is very important to be insured in either situation.

In addition to the tour company’s recommended travel insurance, we also carry, through American Express, their “Travel Delay Protection Plan,” “Premium Car Rental Protection Plan” and “Travel Medical Protection Plan” for $100,000 each. It is a great way to supplement your primary sources of insurance.

For the American Express “Premium Car Rental Plan,” call 800/338-1670 for information. For the “Travel Medical Protection Plan,” call 800/297-2900. Obviously, you must be a cardholder with American Express to access these benefits, but I am sure there are other major cards which offer the same global protection.

As travelers, we have been very fortunate to obtain the flights requested and the itineraries we’ve wanted. If we book the flights well before the tour and give a day extra on the return, we are okay. Generally, the flights we book ourselves are shorter, plus, of course, we can choose the airline we want and, at the same time, obtain frequent-flyer miles.

ANDY McCONNELL

Holliston, MA