How does the fee structure work?
A flat planning fee, agreed before any work begins, scaled to the trip’s length and complexity. No markups on bookings, no commissions from suppliers.
How far in advance should I get in touch?
Four to six months ahead for most trips. Six to twelve months for complex multi-country routes or peak-season travel — Italy in summer, Japan in autumn. Shorter timelines are possible, with caveats around availability.
What’s included, and what isn’t?
Included in the fee: research, design, booking, logistics and support throughout the trip.
Paid separately: the trip itself — flights, hotels, restaurants, experiences — invoiced at cost. Insurance, visas and vaccinations are the traveller’s responsibility.
What size groups do you plan for?
From solo travellers to multi-generational families and small private groups. Most engagements are for two to six people. The largest have been family reunions of twelve to fifteen.
Where do you plan trips?
Anywhere. The strongest in-house experience is in Europe, Japan, the Mediterranean and parts of South Asia. For places where direct experience is thinner, we work with a network of local fixers, guides and drivers built up over years.
How is this different from a traditional travel agency?
A traditional agency works on commission and is incentivised toward its supplier network. Thira Advisory takes a flat fee and no commissions. Recommendations are whatever suits the trip — including hotels and experiences outside any partner programme.
Do you handle honeymoons, anniversaries, family trips?
Often. A meaningful share of engagements are honeymoons, milestone anniversaries, post-wedding family trips or significant birthdays. There’s no template; each is built from the people travelling and what they want.