ADOPTION TRAVEL

You’re adopting a child Congratulations! What a terrific and exciting time in your life. Your head must be full of questions. well we at Pearl Travel are ready to answer those questions and assist you with your travel needs. Our staff of dedicated agents knows what you need. Whether you are traveling for the first time or are on your exciting second journey to pick up your child we can help. Before you call us if you want to do some research yourself we have some pointers for you.
1. Calling the airline directly:
You will most always have a choice of airlines flying to your international destination, frequently you won’t know which airlines service you end destination due to code sharing airline partners. Call your favorite airline but don’t rely on them telling you the best fare. They can only tell you the best fare on their airline and code share partners. We do recommend you call your favorite airline directly when redeeming your frequent flier miles, using special vouchers and generally need a special service
2. Calling a travel agency:
Calling your favorite travel agency is always a good idea. Your know them you trust them and you can get a general idea of prices and schedules. A travel agent will be able to pull all available flights to your destination on one screen and give you a pretty good idea of possible options from their view point. There are many types of travel agencies; some are non-specialty leisure travel agencies, some are agencies that specialize in one or several areas of the world, some are corporate agencies specializing in business travel. Make sure you know what kind of agency you are talking to.
3. Buying your ticket on the Internet:
There is nothing wrong with buying a ticket on the Internet, but it might not always be the best idea to do it for adoption travel. The majority of Internet based agencies do not offer the kind of personal service that is so very important when planning your adoption travel. You are more likely to have unforeseen events when it is imperative that you speak to a live person. This person should know what your travel plans are and be able to respond to you with a timely answer. Internet sites may get you a low price on you international tickets but if you have to change or adjust your travel at all you will have a very difficult time getting a live person to help you especially from the country you are in.

After you have done some of the above research we ask you to find a travel agency that is most qualified to assist you. Some things to think about when you choose your agency. Does the agency specialize in adoption travel? Do they work with adoptive parents on a regular basis? Does the agency offer adoption fares and special one way adoption fares for children?

A typical travel agency not dealing with adoption travel requests on a daily basis will not be able to provide you with specific information about your destination and will not have any special adoption fares. It also helps for your travel agency to be able to help with all other travel-related issues: getting a passport, visa, travel insurance, assist with hotels in country, arrange for transfers, etc.

The special needs of the adoption travel market require our agents to be creative in planning your itinerary. Our knowledge and experience of working with staff at various adoption agencies allows us to assure that all components of your trip match with your needs both locally and overseas. Our office staff is available to you 24 hours a day 7 days a week you will always speak to an employee of ours not some 24hour reservation center that does not know your special needs.

Our extensive knowledge and experience of the travel industry allows us to work closely with the airline industry, Carlson Wagonlit Travel as a group has an extensive and close relationship with major airlines that gives us opportunities for special support.

We strive to find you the very best possible fare for you particular needs offering Lowest available published fare, special adoption only fares (some available only through our contracts), and wholesale fares. We pay special attention to routing and travel needs and most importantly give you informed choices.

Travel Request
Your have your dates and it is time to travel! It doesn’t matter whether you have 2 weeks or 2 days we can do this. Here are some things to keep in mind as we plan you trip.

• Children of all ages require a ticket. A child under 2 years of age can travel as a lap child and will be charged approximately 10% of a one way ticket plus taxes. A child over 2 is required to have a seat.
• There are some restrictions on what countries can be transited when returning to the United States with a child. We can advise you on this.
• Once an itinerary is agreed upon payment can be made via check or credit card.
• We send a copy of the ticketed itinerary to you and your adoption agency
• Most tickets today are electronic and hard copies are mailed directly to you, any paper tickets are shipped overnight to you.
• When changes to your itinerary happen we are here to assist you in making those changes. You simply have to contact Carlson Wagonlit Travel 24 hours a day 7 days a week to begin the change process. You will be completely informed of any and all costs associated with the changes.