Questions?
The ones people ask before they get in touch — answered plainly, including the awkward ones.
Money
What does this cost me?
Nothing beyond the trip itself. We don’t charge planning fees. We’re paid by the hotels and suppliers we book through, after travel is completed.
Then aren’t you just going to book whatever pays you most?
Fair question, and the honest answer is that the incentive exists. Here’s why it doesn’t drive us: we’re paid only after a trip is taken, and our business depends entirely on groups coming back and telling other groups. One badly matched resort costs far more than it pays. If a property we’d earn less from is the right one for your group, that’s the one you’ll hear about.
Will it cost more than booking it myself?
No. You pay the same published rates you’d find on your own, and often receive amenities you wouldn’t have otherwise. We also can’t beat those rates — anyone promising to is selling something.
Do I have to collect money from everyone?
No, and this is the part people are most relieved about. Each traveler or household books and pays their own portion directly. You are never the treasurer, and you never chase anyone for a check.
Your group
How big does the group need to be?
There’s no minimum. Two couples traveling together is a group. So is a company of a hundred. What matters is whether there are enough moving parts that somebody would otherwise be stuck managing them.
What if people keep changing their minds about coming?
They will. Every group has a few who commit late and one or two who fall away. We plan for it — holding rooms where we can, staging deadlines so the group isn’t held hostage by the last undecided person, and telling you honestly when a date is approaching where changes start to cost money.
Our group has very different budgets. Is that a problem?
It’s the most common thing we handle, and it’s handled quietly. We build room categories at several price points within one property, so everyone is together without anyone having to announce what they can spend. Nobody needs to know what anyone else paid.
We have someone with mobility needs, and a baby, and a vegan.
Good — tell us all of it. Accessibility requirements, dietary restrictions, nap schedules and medical needs go to the property before you arrive, so nobody has to explain themselves at check-in or at dinner.
Can people book their own flights?
Yes, and many do. Just tell us what they’ve booked so transfers and arrivals line up. We’re happy to handle flights too, and for groups arriving from several cities it usually saves a lot of confusion.
Planning
How far ahead should we start?
Nine to fifteen months for peak-season resorts, links golf in Ireland and Scotland, and anything over twenty people. Six months works for most domestic trips. Closer than that, ask anyway — we’ll tell you honestly whether it can still be done well.
We don’t know where we want to go yet.
That’s a fine place to start, and often a better one. Tell us who’s coming, roughly when, and what you want the week to feel like. Choosing the destination is part of the work.
We already know exactly what we want. Can you just book it?
Sometimes. If it’s a group and there’s real coordination involved, absolutely. If it’s a single room on fixed dates, you’d be paying for judgment you don’t need, and we’ll say so.
Do you only do Hawaii?
No — the name is about family, not a destination. We plan worldwide. Hawaii, Ireland and Scotland, Alaska, Mexico and the Caribbean, bourbon country and the national parks all come up often, and we’re glad to go somewhere new.
Do you work with people outside Kansas City?
Yes. We’re based in Olathe, Kansas, and work with groups anywhere in the country. Most of the planning happens by phone and email regardless of where you are.
When things change
What if someone cancels?
Cancellation terms are set by each supplier, and we lay them out in plain language before anyone pays a deposit. When something changes, we handle the rebooking and tell you what it means for the rest of the group.
Do we need travel insurance?
We recommend it for every traveler and we’ll offer it to everyone. Group travel concentrates non-refundable cost, and one cancellation can affect more than one booking. It’s yours to decline — we’d just rather you decline it knowingly.
What happens if something goes wrong while we’re there?
You call one number, and so can anyone else in your group. Missed connections, a room that isn’t right, a restaurant that closed — that becomes our phone call rather than your evening.
Do you come on the trip?
Usually not — the work is finished before you leave. For larger or more complex programs, on-site support can be arranged as part of the plan.
Still wondering something?
Ask us. The first conversation is free, and there’s no obligation on the other side of it.
ʻOhana Getaways 