nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Considering Pavlus to book our next trip...any thoughts?

billybowlegs

We have always booked directly with Tauck and never had any issues. A friend mentioned they use Pavlus and when I did a little review they appear to be the #1 Tauck private booking agency. The quote is identical to Tauck except it includes a $150/person gift card of choice. So a three hundred dollar difference. If using Pavlus, am I still able to see my trip detail on the Tauck personal page and make my selections/give details using the Tauck site? Make payments on the site, receive documents from Tauck directly or does all this go through Pavlus.

Adding extra hassle for $300 gift card may not be enough to make a change. Any thoughts...pros/cons??
I always book our airfare so that is not a factor.

Thanks!

Comments

Smiling Sam

Way in the past when I used a travel agent for booking a Tauck tour all communications with Tauck had to go through the travel agent. The required middle man was why I haven't used a travel agent in over a decade.

MikeHenderson

I use a travel agent and haven't had any issues. I don't think I've had to go directly to Tauck so I don't know if they would put you off.

When Tauck sends info, it goes to me and to my travel agent. She always forwards her emails from Tauck to me so I receive it twice.

I doubt that Tauck would refuse to talk to you if you called them (if you were using a travel agent).

billybowlegs

Thanks for the info!

OurTravels34

I use a travel agent too. and also have not at any trouble either when I inquire snout my trip(s).

British

In the past, people have not gotten information passed on from their agents, so that’s interesting. I’ve met people on tours who say this too and especially when you are expecting things like duffle bags and they forget to send them etc. I knew Pavlus was the top agent but I’ve always booked direct with Tauck.

Ken from Vegas

I used to use Pavlus when they offered a much larger rebate for booking through them. Tauck made them stop. They typically take a day or more to return your calls.

Smiling Sam

Way back when I booked a couple of Tauck trips through an agency that offered 10-15% rebates on Tauck trips. Like Ken said, Tauck made then stop.

PureLuxury

Based on a recent booking with others who used the services of a travel agent to book their tour-- Tauck required they contact their travel agent to make any changes. This was as recent as two weeks ago.

British

Also. What can the gift card be used for?

BKMD

Also. What can the gift card be used for?

A gift.
(sorry couldn't resist)

billybowlegs

They say you can choose from many merchants. Had I gone with them I would have just gotten Amazon cards. But 300 didn't seem worth the middle man hassle so I just booked direct again.

PF606590

what's the benefit of using a TA. We've used Tauck directly 11 times and it has always gone smoothly

MikeHenderson

Smiling Sam - Way back when I booked a couple of Tauck trips through an agency that offered 10-15% rebates on Tauck trips. Like Ken said, Tauck made then stop

If they could give the guest 10 -15% rebates, it tells you how much Tauck pays the travel agents.

Making your reservations directly through Tauck saves Tauck some money, I suppose. They have to pay the people on their staff who handle your reservations.

I don't travel only with Tauck so a travel agent works best for me. If I was a Tauck-only traveler, I might deal directly with Tauck.

British

For years you could use Amex points to get $500 or $1000 vouchers for Tauck tours. We used this a lot and back when tours were much cheaper so it was a big chunk of the price of the tour.

SandyFeet

I have booked directly with Tauck, and I have also booked through a travel agent. I prefer the latter. Five years ago when the world shut down I was on the Elegant South Africa trip. Two couples left the trip in Joberg. We continued on to Vic Falls and finished the tour. My travel agent worked her magic and got us home on March 17 after United cancelled our flight. We were one of the last flights out of Joberg. If I had used a travel agent on my last trip to Namibia I would not have had such a difficult time when United cancelled not one, but two, planes out of Newark Everyone needs to do what is right for themselves and their circumstances. Happy Trails!

sevenseas

I agree that Tauck limits what a TA agent can do. BUT, Pavlus does seem to offer a substantial amount back to you in certain circumstances. If you book air through Pavlus Air, it can lead to a nice refund back. So when considering how much airfare costs if you book yourself, get a quote from Tauck, or use miles, there is another dimension to the equation if you get a Pavlus Air quote for comparison, and then factor in the refund back.

JanP

I booked a trip thru Pavlus for Tauck’s Spain and Portugal in October. My main reason for using them rather than going directly thru Tauck was because we are extending our trip to include 4 days in Barcelona. I thought it would be easier if a knowledgeable TA could recommend an itinerary and assist in making arrangements. The TA did help identify an appropriate Barcelona hotel, but I did all the rest in terms of deciding where to go, what to see, etc. I doubt I’d use a TA in the future. The booked tour does appear on my Tauck account page, so I am assuming I can make payments on that site.

British

Jan, I’d love to know if you can pay via the Tauck page, I would have thought it would have to be all via the TA as that is who you have your contract with. I’ve never used a TA. For air, we rarely book it with Tauck these days as mostly we have to pay in advance now. We generally find booking with American Express Plartinum concierge service gives best choice and price.
I do have a good example. We are going on a Croatia trip with friends, not with Tauck. Amex got us flights, it’s not easy getting decent flights there. Our friends used their regular Travel agent and the agent could not find the flights we had, which had only one plane change, not two. We had to tell our friends to tell their agent and eventually found them. Recently the timing of our flights changed by an hour and their agent did not inform them.

SandyFeet

Tauck expects guests to pay on the Tauck webpage/site whether the guests are using a TA or not.

OurTravels34

I have had the same travel agent for well over 20 years. She is worth her weight in gold, platinum and silver. I have been in quite a few situations while traveling that I called her or that I needed her expertise because of flight changes or flight cancellations. I don’t want do this while traveling. During the pandemic, she was able to get me all my cash back from the flights I had booked; not airline credits that I didn’t know if I was going to use. There are ways TA’s can do such things and more. I have made changes to my future trips even when my TA has taken over my reservation. I have paid Tauck directly through the online paying system for my trip also without the assistance of my travel agent. I do not know what commission Tauck gives a travel agent. She is worth it to me.

Noreen

We have used a TA for many years now and we are so pleased and thankful for her. She works for Bon Voyage travel in Tucson. She is amazing and as we travel a lot it is so nice to have someone take care of all the details from beginning to end.

sevenseas

I have an upcoming Tauck trip, and my TA, Pavlus, handled the payment - I did not have to go through Tauck. And the charge statement shows the payment being with Tauck. Additionally, a week before the payment due date the Pavlus team reminded me about the upcoming payment, and confirmed what payment source I wanted to use.

As for booking air yourself versus a TA, always be clear whether the TA is booking direct with an airline, or via a consolidator. If the latter, they may be quoting only what the consolidator has, rather than all that is available. Airlines pay little or nothing by way of commissions, so unless a TA tacks on a booking fee, as some do, the consolidator route, where they can build in some profit, may be more attractive to a TA, even if not in the client's best interest as far as overall options. Recovery of a refund for a missed flight, etc.... can be difficult if they went via a consolidator, as can be changes if problems arise during travel.

MikeHenderson

As for booking air yourself versus a TA, always be clear whether the TA is booking direct with an airline, or via a consolidator. If the latter, they may be quoting only what the consolidator has, rather than all that is available. Airlines pay little or nothing by way of commissions, so unless a TA tacks on a booking fee, as some do, the consolidator route, where they can build in some profit, may be more attractive to a TA, even if not in the client's best interest as far as overall options. Recovery of a refund for a missed flight, etc.... can be difficult if they went via a consolidator, as can be changes if problems arise during travel.

Is that ever true. If you get a consolidator ticket the airline will not help you - they tell you to go back to the consolidator. And good luck trying to call a consolidator and get help.

Always make sure your ticket is arranged directly with the airline.

AlanS

Also booking with a consolidator or even Tauck often results in you earning less than expected miles/points because the consolidator and sometimes Tauck fares are often classified as (unadvertised) discounts and if you read the airline's fine print . . . Been there, done that.

MCD

I use a travel agent to deal with Tauck. I authorize her to make payments for me and she does so.

British

There are times when we call Tauck instead of using their web page to pay final payment. If we are trying to maximize points with a couple of different cards, we call and ask to split payments between cards, like to keep status.

terrilynn

We've done it both ways and find our AAA TA is much easier.
We have NOT used Pavlus, but many on the Facebook Tauck site use them and like them.
When our Xmas market river cruise was cancelled a couple yrs ago due to COVID, our AAA TA knew about it and called us a few days before Tauck called everyone to tell the people on the cruise. I posted about it on these forums several days before anyone else had been notified.
Our AAA TA handles everything fast and we don't have to do anything but give her our CC.
We do book our own flights as we usually extend on both ends of the tour.
We get AAA discounts at hotels in Europe, perks for using AAA, etc -- so for us a TA is easier, more cost effective.
You certainly won't go wrong booking straight with Tauck if you don't have a good TA. I can't speak for Pavlus, but we love booking thru a TA.

Sealord

I have a couple travel agents. I’ve used TA’s for Tauck trips twice, and twice I had problems. The second one was not the TA’s fault, and he tried to help, but we were beyond outside help and rescued the trip on our own. I let the TA handle our trip only when I see an ‘upfront’ advantage to doing it that way. There are sometimes discounts that are only available through a TA. All of the others we do on our own cuz we are often more knowledgable about our tour companies than the TA’s. I’m not a shopper but I shop trips and TA’s.

mfrancis

I personally like booking with Tauck not a TA. You can call and speak directly with a representative who often has access to details from TD’s about itinerary specifics. They can also put you on hold while they check with other departments to answer any questions you may have. I use a Pavlus TA for other travel such as ocean cruises.

kfnknfzk

I agree with mfrancis about booking directly with Tauck, but also understand the benefits of using a travel agent if you travel with other companies and modes of transportation. We have been Tauck loyalists for a long time; they have pertinent information on file including our preferred airlines and seats, so booking through them is easy, fast and efficient. Besides, I find it delightful to chat with them. Again, it is very much a personal choice.