How Working With a Boutique Travel Agency Elevates Your Travel Experience

In 1995, I was a stay-at-home mom who saw an ad in the newspaper about becoming a travel advisor. I took a class over a weekend, it connected me with a local agency here in the Phoenix area and I never looked back.

Before that, I sold paper for Wallace Computer Services. I tell my kids I was the original Office.

I worked as an independent contractor for 23 years. Then in 2018, I launched Susan's Travel Services with my own IATA number. Today my daughter McKenzie works right alongside me. I started this business so I could be home with my kids, so that one feels full circle.

Here's what all those years mean for you.

Your trip is planned around you

Some people love slow mornings. Others want to be out the door early. Some want adventure, and some want the best suite on the ship.

So before we book anything, we learn your style: your pace, your comfort level, accessibility, allergies, what you love to eat and drink, who's coming along (multi-gen is our jam) and the little things that make a trip feel right.

And when you're torn between 2 ships or 2 camps, I start with the same question every time: what is important to you?

Our relationships work for you

Our team has more than 40 years of combined experience. We've spent that time building relationships with hotels, cruise lines, tour operators and partners on the ground, through property visits, training and plain old showing up.

That's why our clients get recognized when they arrive, and why we can fix a problem fast. We know who to call.

As a Virtuoso agency, we can often add benefits like a better room category or extra amenities, when available. When Kurt and Randi Sue went to Kenya and Tanzania for a birthday, every hotel greeted them with a welcome note, wine and cake. They sent me photos every single time.

We save you hours

Planning a trip yourself means researching, comparing, double-checking and coordinating. Hours of sifting through old articles and reviews that contradict each other.

We've stayed at a lot of the places we recommend, so we can narrow it down fast. Then we line up the transfers, timing and logistics so the whole trip works together.

That includes travel days. The vacation starts the moment you leave home, so we build in realistic connections, VIP airport services and lounges when they make sense. And I watch your flights.

We're there when something goes wrong

Delayed flight, a room problem, a question about the plan: we make the calls so you can keep enjoying your trip.

When my client Barbara BROKE HER BACK in Tahiti, I got on the phone with our partners. We got her husband, Michael, a hotel while she was in surgery, then got them both home in lie-flat seats once she was cleared. And travel insurance paid them back in full.

We work for you. We take care of you before you go, on the trip and when you get back.

Small on purpose

We work with a select number of clients so every trip gets our full attention. Many of our clients have been with us for years. Patty and Dave, who I sent to Kenya about 5 years ago, are still some of my best clients.

We use Tern to keep every trip organized, so your itinerary, documents, payments and updates are all in one place you can check anytime.

Why clients stay

A client once put it this way: "You HAVE to call Susan. She knows all about Africa and is the best."

The trip is amazing, but it's secondary. What you're hiring is our expertise and our care.

So tell me: where are you dreaming of going next?