We get paid the way most modern travel advisors do: through built-in commissions from the partners we book with on your behalf.

For hotels, cruises, and many tours, the price you see already includes a commission whether you book directly or through an advisor. When you choose to book through Rewire, that commission is simply directed to Rewire Travel instead of a big online agency. You pay the same public rate (and often get extra perks like daily breakfast, resort credits, upgrades when available, and VIP treatment), and Rewire’s time is covered by the partner, not by an added fee from you.

Yes, there are situations in which we do charge design fees.. Those include the following:

• If Rewire Travel does not book commissionable accommodations on your behalf, we charge a 10% booking fee for our services. But we’ll always be up front if a booking is not commissionable.

• If you have overly complex logistics, require Rewire to communicate with a non-commissioned company on your behalf, etc., then we’ll discuss what’s fair.

Since we are an independent affiliate of Fora Travel (a Virtuoso travel agency), we get access to over 7,000 exclusive travel agency programs worldwide. Nearly every hotel, cruise line, luxury villa, and large excursion service participates, so you get the benefit of that global reach. You get the lowest available rate plus perks, and Rewire gets paid by the hotel, not the client.

This access isn’t available to just anyone, and Rewire Travel had to go through a vetting process to be granted access to Fora’s programs and partnerships.

But, not everything pays a commission. Some common exceptions include Airbnb, VRBO, and airlines. Those are not commission-paying groups typically, so we would discuss fees if applicable and be transparent throughout.

• We don’t book flights for you unless it is a bundled package with cruise, hotel, car, etc. through a major player like Expedia. In our experience it gets very complicated and people prefer to manage their own flights.

• If you have reward points/miles for a hotel that you want to use, we get it! In that case, we would charge you a 10% fee on the cost of the booking since we would not be commission eligible for a reward booking.

• If a trip is cancelled because you decide not to take the trip after it’s been planned, Rewire will calculate the time spent and charge a fee at our hourly rate.

• If a trip is cancelled for reasons not in your control (hurricanes, job loss, etc.), no fee applies. Simple as that.

• And don’t worry, we are always up front with pricing and won’t book anything without your written approval via email.