A luxury advisor has shared her expert tips for introducing fees, after realising how the practice could protect both herself and her trade partners. 

Travel Counsellors’ Sara Greene began charging clients for her services in 2022, having toyed with the idea for several years before. 

It wasn’t until Covid, however, that she made the decision to request payment – a move partially driven by the unreliability of certain customers. 

Three years on, Greene’s business has only gone from “strength to strength.” The Radcliffe-based agent told TTG Luxury that she has “never been happier” with her professional life, having reached a place where clients “get and value” her personalised service. 

Introducing fees has also improved her relationships with suppliers, whom she hails as “part of the family tree” of the booking process. 

“I am very conscious that the itinerary doesn’t stop with me,” Greene said. “I’m working with suppliers, such as the DMCs and the hotels, so I make sure I am not wasting everybody’s time.” 

She recalled cases of having to tell the supplier, with whom she may have been corresponding for weeks, that bookings were no longer going ahead after customers ‘ghosted’ her. 

“I’d send bouquets of flowers to suppliers as a thank you if the client bailed, because I would just feel so terrible,” she admitted. 

After noticing it was often the same names enquiring without making the booking, Greene decided it was time to take action. She began charging a fee for all new clients as a means of screening for the ones who are “serious” about using her service. 

Her rates depend on the type of enquiry, but range from between £100 and £250 and is always removed from the balance after the booking has been processed. 

“I gauge the cost on how much work is involved,” Greene explained. “For example, if it’s a round-the-world trip, or a multi-centre trip to places like Cambodia, Vietnam or Thailand, that obviously takes a lot more time and effort.” 

Greene insists she's faced very little backlash for introducing fees, adding the decision to charge has only reinforced the value of her services. 

“After surviving those two horrendous years during Covid, I realised I had to value myself and business,” she explained. “I also think charging is a necessity in this current market.” 

Cutting the time wasters

Greene isn’t the first UK luxury travel advisor to highlight the importance of charging clients. 

Last year the founder of Minerva Private Travel, Amanda Teale, provoked debate following an interview with TTG, where she urged other agents to introduce fees to cut time wasters, insisting this would separate "non-professional agents" from more experienced travel consultants. 
 

All Teale's bookings now carry a 3.5% charge, which is non-refundable. She also charges new clients for the initial consultation (to be deduced from the booking if confirmed). 

Like Greene, Teale has received little pushback from clients for the additional payment. She also believes it has protected her financially from cancellations or delays, which are inevitable in this volatile sector. 

“Cancellations can happen at any point - it’s not just Covid,” Teale told TTG Luxury in November. “It could be natural disasters or terrorist attacks. As advisors, we need to be prepared.” 

How to introduce fees? 

While many luxury advisors want to introduce fees, Greene acknowledges the reality of doing so can feel daunting. She admits agents may fear the charge will restrict their income, deterring prospective clients or damaging relationships with current clients. This is particularly true in the UK, where only a small number of advisors request fees. 

Greene acknowledges this risk, admitting that advisors should ideally have an established business before charging clients. 

“I don’t think it's a good idea to introduce them right at the beginning,” Greene said. “I would recommend new advisors take everything they can get because you never know where a lead will take you.” 

She also urged less experienced agents to never underestimate the value of their clients, revealing that some of her “biggest referrers” have come from her smallest bookings. 

As for explaining the introduction of fees to clients, Greene believes it’s crucial to clearly communicate the bespoke nature of her service. 

At the first consultation, she outlines the behind-the-scenes labour involved, from the itinerary planning to the collaboration with her supplier partners. She also highlights her wealth of industry experience, having achieved Gold Travel Counsellor status in 2019 after more than 20 years working in luxury travel. 

“I always tell clients that, so they understand I am established in what I do,” she said. She assures other agents that the explanation of fees, which she always delivers politely, also “gets easier” the more you say it. 

Greene has no regrets over introducing charges, adding, “I am really proud of myself for having the confidence to put that down after Covid.” Since then, she has been recognised by Carrier as one of the three agents who drove £500,000 of the luxury operator’s sales in 2024. 

“I have amazing loyal clients and even my new clients that have stuck with me, I can safely say now that I am so happy with my business model – my clients get me and they value me.”

Commenting on the news of Greene's success, Matt Harding, director of franchise sales at Travel Counsellors, said: “At Travel Counsellors, our business owners are experienced travel professionals running full-time, credible businesses. Because they are trusted experts with deep knowledge, some of our Travel Counsellors, like Sara, choose to charge professional fees, while others don’t - but all are united by a commitment to providing exceptional personal service and always doing the right thing by their customers. We provide the very best tools, industry-leading technology, and a 2,200-strong global community to help them build successful travel businesses in a way that suits them, backed by a global company that truly supports them.”