To start, I will admit I had never utilized a Travel Agency before to book a vacation. However, for…read moremy family's and I Summer vacation trip to Japan it really felt like an arduous task when I tried to do research of where to stay, visit, etc. I did not know what to expect when originally coming across L & B Travel on the app Thumbtack. When I reached out I was assigned Sebastian. From the very beginning Sebastian was extremely friendly, patient, understanding and most importantly, very knowledgeable and transparent. I initially sent him over a bullet point list of what I was looking for and details of our trip. We then scheduled a short call to discuss my trip and confirm some trip details. Very quickly thereafter Sebastian provided the initial itinerary that was extremely spot on, which made me appreciate that he listened intently and captured every single detail of my trip request. I immediately felt more relaxed knowing that Sebastian really cared about my trip and wanted to get things right, right out of the gate. As part of the itinerary that Sebastian provided, it included a phenomenal package of hotel stays, flights and tours across 3 cities in Japan at cost-effective rates. Things I would 100% not have been able to find/secure on my own. Sebastian was able to get me everything we wanted in our trip and within our budget. I could not believe it! Fast-forward to once we were in Japan... We had a tour one day to Mount Fuji and the third party company that Sebastion had procured our tour from, had delayed our tour voucher and still had not provided it as of the morning of our tour. From Japan at 8am local time, as my family and I waited outside the tour bus, with 20 minutes left before the bus would leave for the tour, I called Sebastian for his help. In less than 5 minutes he called me back and retrieved the voucher from the third party and emailed it me, so we would not miss our tour. Sebastian sprung into action immediately and saved what could have been a very disappointing day, into a day my family and I will never forget in such a wonderful way! As we were getting close to ending what had been an incredible vacation to that juncture, I reached out to Sebastian as we were gearing to heading to our final city (Osaka) in Japan for our final 3 nights, asking if he could do anything about our hotel lodging as I felt our jr. suite would be too cramped for my family of 5. Again, Sebastian sprung into action immediately and was able to pull some strings and upgrade us to a larger suite that was perfect for us AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. All in all, reaching out to L & B Travel and being fortunate enough to work with Sebastian was the best thing that could have happened to my family and I with our vacation as everything turned out beautifully, as we really had the time of our lives. That being said, I recommend L&B Travel to anyone and everyone, and I recommend Sebastian to all who are looking to plan a trip. He really knows his stuff, but you get a guy who is honest, patient, understanding, hardworking and transparent, and who did all the heavy-lifting to get my trip planned successfully. I have found my travel agent and without a doubt will continue to use L&B and reach out to Sebastian for all of my future trips/family vacations. From my family and I, THANK YOU, Sebastian and L&B!!

Excellent responsiveness. Good detail, helpful advice and customized service for a complicated…read moreitinerary. Highly recommended. They were even careful to follow up and respond while I was traveling. They suggested alternatives and a way to adjust plans mid way through our travels.

After initial phone call, no one ever returned phone calls or emails. Don't waste your time and…read moremoney.

I was able to order my passport with the 15-day (business days) timeline. I received exactly on…read moreschedule. It was easy to speak to customer service to answer questions. Make sure to call them and ask when they are available for processing. For example, I called on a Monday, and they were not available to start processing new applications until the next Monday. Therefore, my timeline turned into a 4 week process instead of a 3 week process. I also thought that the price was reasonable compared to other similar services. Verified by US State Department as well based on their website.

We arrived home early Wednesday morning from our amazing trip to Southern Italy. I can't speak…read morehighly enough about the entire trip.......the hotels, private car transfers, guided tours and locations in Southern Italy were all excellent. We very much liked the Hotel Continental in Sorrento. Great location and very comfortable and scenic room. Perfect for the week in Sorrento. Also loved the Masseria Villa Verde in Fasano and the Borgo delle Pietre in Agrigente. Lovely rooms and great service. Of course, the food throughout Italy was amazing, however we had one of our most memorable lunches at Borgo delle Pietre. A big plate of sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and bread and paired with a bottle of local red wine. A very simple meal ---- entirely delicious! All of the guided tours were led by excellent guides and all private car transfers were on time (always about 15 minutes early). It was a very good decision to hire the private car service throughout our trip so we could relax and enjoy the scenery. This was a dream trip come true!

If I could give 0 stars I would... she's only in it for the money & is very unreliable if you're…read morenot going to make her a fortune. My family was very excited to work with her and invested a lot of time and effort into planning a trip with her. We were all very excited for this trip because of all the activities she offered us at first. All of the sudden (VERY LAST MINUTE) she told the family member that was planning it for our group, that "she cannot understand" them. My family member is an immigrant but has lived and worked in the US for many years and speaks perfect English. With everything going on politically it did not give us a good feeling that ALLLL of a sudden she backs out and completely wasted our time and made us feel like we weren't important enough for her. She even went ahead and made a few derogatory comments about the questions and details my family member was asking about. After talking to many other people that have traveled with her...they have NOTHING nice to say. She will get your hopes up and leave you stranded last minute if she notices you will not make her a lot of money. I would definitely not recommend traveling with her. She says she plans trips for "all over the world" but she can't even follow through for a trip within the country. VERY disappointed.

Contacted Derick and within 15min, was able to not only find me the perfect hotel but did it…read morecheaper than I could even find! I will definitely be using him for my travel needs going forward.

Subject: A Wonderful Experience on Qatar Airways Flight QR735 (Doha to Chicago)…read more On Monday, June 15, we traveled from Doha to Chicago on Qatar Airways Flight QR735. There is so much we could say about this journey, but in just a few words, we would like to say that this flight truly won our hearts. We traveled in Business Class, seated in 8E and 8F. Everything about the journey was exceptional--from the comfort and cleanliness of the aircraft to the outstanding service provided by the cabin crew. We would especially like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the flight attendants Ruchi and Parinaz. Their warm smiles, kindness, and caring attitude made us feel like family throughout the flight. Parinaz, in particular, made us feel as though she were our own daughter. Her genuine care, affection, and professionalism made our journey unforgettable. We are proud to share this wonderful experience and highly recommend Qatar Airways Flight QR735 to all travelers. The excellent cleanliness of the aircraft and the exceptional hospitality of the cabin crew, especially Parinaz, deserve the highest praise. We are delighted to give this flight a 5-star rating and look forward to traveling with Qatar Airways again in the future. Thank you to the entire Qatar Airways team for making our journey so comfortable and memorable. Sincerely, Amrik Singh & Family

Gabrielle planned our recent trip to Scotland (9 days). What an amazing trip from start to finish,…read moreit was perfect! Gabrielle put so much work into making this trip ideal for us, and connected us with a local guide who was tremendous. Gabrielle's attention to detail, and efforts to tailor the trip to our preferences really made a huge difference in our experience. All of the accommodations were an excellent match for what we were looking for ... noting that staying in a couple of castles was such a great call! We will absolutely be booking our next adventure with Gabrielle!

DC Made Our Italy Trip Truly Exceptional!…read more Working with DC was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. She asked all the right questions to understand what kind of experience we wanted, then crafted an itinerary that fit our family perfectly. Before we left, she walked us through every detail so we felt completely confident about the logistics -- and throughout the trip, she kept us informed of any updates so everything stayed stress-free. Her recommendations were spot‑on. Our flights and transfers were smooth, and every driver was early, professional, and thoughtful (the chilled water was such a nice touch). The hotels she chose were wonderful -- especially the Baglioni in Rome, which was stunning in every way. Charme was equally memorable with its charming rooms, warm hosts, and breathtaking views. The tours DC arranged were fantastic, with knowledgeable guides and well‑organized experiences, especially in Rome. We loved the Secret Food Tour in Florence most of all. Even when unexpected things came up, we always felt supported. DC's attention to detail, communication, and genuine care made this a trip we'll always remember. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone planning an experience of a lifetime!

ENJOY YOUR VACATION DON'T STRESS OVER IT!…read more After 4 hours on the computer researching the best places for my wife and I to stay for our first Greek adventure, we hadn't booked a single stay or excursion (I am very adventurous and have booked several of my own trips). We wanted this trip to be very special and we both knew we were going to need some help. I was a little hesitant at first because I don't like to do touristy vacations or book with guides or groups. Luxury Travel & Beyond was what I was looking for I just didn't know it yet. We got in touch with Antionette and we were blown away by the trip she was able to curate for us. She helped us structure the trip in the best way for the time we had and she was able to work with our budget. She presented all different options and gave us the information we needed to decide how we wanted to do our trip. She was so easy to work with and we could both feel her excitement for us to go enjoy our trip. This was my first time using an expert travel advisor and I am so glad I did. Everything about our trip was so well thought out and we felt so taken care of the entire way! It also happened to be my wife's birthday towards the end of the vacation and Antionette helped me plan several wonderful surprises to really wow my wife (I felt a little guilty even taking credit because it was so easy). Toni was in touch with us the entire trip making sure we were being taken care of and was there when we needed to make adjustments or ask for advice. Every hotel, restaurant reservation, spa experience, excursion, airport transfer, travel tip and concierge service was par excellence. Worth every penny. Worry free vacation that was tailored exactly to our liking. Go with her recommendations she knows what she is talking about! We were able to fully enjoy our 10 days in Greece. Beyond what we were expecting! Thank you Toni! 10 out of 10 will be using Luxury Travel & Beyond for our next vacation!

Antoinette Is amazing and a miracle worker...She hasbeen helping me and my family for years for all…read morethe traveling that we have done and she has always gone far and beyond. We just got back from Spain celebrating our son's birthday and our anniversary, It was magical. She is an expert and take her time to details like no other. I can't wait for our next vacation

Dustin Thrane, our agent, did a terrific job of setting up our trip to Japan and South Korea. My…read morehusband and I are in our 70's, so having the travel arrangements (including transfers, flights between Japan and South Korea, and flights from and to Los Angeles) go smoothly was a real boon. He helped us select truly lovely hotels and arranged for extra amenities, which made the trip that much more pleasant and easier. With his help, we got very good tour guides who spoke English and were quite flexible when our needs changed. Each guide was friendly and highly competent. Despite my getting sick when I was there, I still had a really wonderful time. I highly recommend Dustin and TravelStore Los Angeles. I found this company by using Yelp!

If you're talking about American Airlines credit card points then it's a joke. They don't allow me…read moreto use my points on the flights of my choice. Terrible way to lie to customers.

We had a wonderful experience with Stay Awhile in Malibu. From the booking process to check out,…read moreeverything was seamless and incredibly well managed. The home was beautiful, impeccably maintained, and exactly as advertised. Every detail made our stay feel effortless and luxurious. The team was responsive, attentive, and went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed throughout our stay. It is clear they truly care about creating an exceptional guest experience. We travel frequently and have stayed in many luxury properties, and Stay Awhile stands out for both the quality of their homes and their outstanding level of service. We look forward to booking with them again and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a first class stay in Malibu.

Great location and staff. Highly recommend. Matt and the team are top notch! We will definitely be…read moreback soon. My go to for Malibu staycation with its proximity to Nobu and Soho.