Michael and John, I can only speak for a few trips that I've done with industry help. 3 years ago, I took my severance package from a large Fortune 100 company and spent some of it on a trip to south island NZ for some stellar trout fishing. I went through an outfit called Frontiers Travel out of Pennsylvania. They advertise occasionally on the fishing shows on ESPN (though I'd heard about them from others well before seeing any advertising). They specialize in flyfishing adventures around the world. I can speak very highly of them and my arrangements, as it was quite customized with substantial input from the client (me). I went for 3 weeks and fished 4 different spots all around the island. I also took a side journey to the Great Barrier Reef for 1 week to do some scuba. Being customized, I'd call it a hybrid between DIY and a package deal. It was pricey, but included everything (except food, booze and incidentals). I had accomodations in very comfortable hotels and B&B's, full-day single-person guides for 11 days of fishing, rental car and round trip airfare. All totalled (with incidentals, food and booze) it was just under $10K US.
As you say, time is money, and if you don't use a guiding/travel service, you have to do the research yourself, and you risk some pretty expensive errors - especially if the trip is overseas. These services more than make up for their costs by substantially reducing these risks. The NZ trip was, by far, my most adventurous and expensive; I've hired guides and bought guided trips around the PacNW and even down in New Orleans. I've had good ones, and bad ones. I've also put together my own trips and with those, I've had a mixed bag of results. I think the bottom line is: If there's any way you can afford to do it, go with a reputable outfit, and listen to their suggestions. They're survival is based upon repeat business, so they tend to know what they're talking about. Everyone has anecdotes involving a trip they've paid for. Everyone's got a horror story, and conversely, they undoubtedly have had great trips as well. My NZ trip was worth every penny. I didn't get a bargain, but I came away very satisfied, and would do it again in a heartbeat (anybody got 10 grand they want to front me?!) John, I'm not sure if I'm answering your question. Are you asking about whether it's worth it to go with a big outfit like Kaufmann's or Orvis, or are you asking the mechanics of how they price their offerings? My wife is a travel agent, and though it's not the same thing as an outdoors outfitter, there are some parallels worth noting: There isn't much money to be made through booking tickets and reserving rooms; the airlines and hotels have slashed their commissions to travel agencies dramatically. Along that line, it's easy to click the mouse and find great deals on these more utilitarian aspects of your trip. But it's not the flight or the hotel room or the rental cars we flyfishers remember. It's the trip to the beat, the time on the boat, the quality of the guiding, and the results of the trip that we remember. I think this is where the outfitters excel and are worth their premiums. Sorry if this rambled, and John, I'm even more sorry if I didn't answer your core questions. I agree that there should be more response from the board (it's been awfully quiet of late). Hey!!! anyone out there???? Tight lines and loose drags... Sean Michael Santangelo wrote: > I haven�t seen any response to this note to date. I know we have industry > people on the list. These shops provide travel services. Is profit and the > cost of customer service something to be ashamed of? > > I think the question is a legitimate one. We all support this industry with > set pricing. Wouldn�t information on how things work be in order from those > on this list that are in the industry? After all, lack of price competition > subsidizes shops that otherwise may not be able to compete with the > economies of scale of larger stores. Imagine what would happen if they were > allowed to sell the same items as pro shops at discounted prices. > > Also, I�m sure I�m not the only one on this list that does DIY trip. They > have saved me money and provided flexibility. For example, I achieved > better then a 30% savings on a recent trip to Christmas Island. However, > DIY trips also require research (time is money) and sometimes the cost of > outfitting (going to AK for example). That means that the trip risks such > as botched travel arrangements and/or equipment loss are my own. > > I look forward to reading responses from others on this issue. > > Mike > > -----Original Message----- > From: John Rowley [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 7:00 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: DIY Trips > > Does anyone have any idea what the percent take is by booking agents > (Orvis, Kaufman's, etc. etc.) for booking lodges or guides? If a person > was to apply directly, make their own travel arrangements, and what ever > else is needed, could any money be saved? Has anyone tried it? Pros? > Cons? > > John Rowley
