Haven't received my travel docs from my TA, when should I start to get nervous??

[TonjaE]

I am not getting married until June, but I have had 13 people (including me) that have paid in full for our trips and none of us have received any travel documents (e-tickets, vouchers for transfers, hotel stuff etc). The only thing that we have received is a receipt that has extremely limited information on it - just price, departing date and time, number of days (it doesn't even have the traveller's names listed). I have asked my travel agent multiple times over the past week and she has told me that she is trying to get them from her supplier, but that typically they aren't sent out until a month before travel. Is this a normal practice? After years of being an internet only travel purchaser, I don't know whether or not to relax or freak out over the delay. My TA has a great reputation, but I am very uncomfortable about this situation. Any advice?

[gettingmarried]

I don't think you have anything to worry about....I went to a wedding last May, paid in full in January and I got all my travel documents in April. It's usually because they don't have the times confirmed for the planes yet.

[JenniferSS]

Very normal- some suppliers send out a month before-ohers a few weeks after final payment.

 

Even with our suppliers that send out earlier I do not send the travel documents to clients until approximately two weeks prior to travel- I've found that any sooner and many people end up losing them and then it's a last minute scramble trying to get replacment docs- and no one wants to pay for overnight shipping!

 

Don't get stressed out though as the docs are really just so you have something in hand- everything is done electronically now and very, very few places ask for travel vouchers!

[TonjaE]

Thanks that makes me feel a little bit better. I do find this to be a strange practice though. My guests are projecting their anxiety onto me over this - and I already had quite a bit of my own. I just can't believe that it is not a standard practice to send them out immediately. As a TA, if you make a special request to get the itineraries from your supplier, how long would you expect it to take to receive them? And is it really that uncommon that people want their documents when they pay thousands of dollars?? <<<I guess my anxiety is still here>>> :-(

[shellk]

i know here in uk we dont get our tickets until at least 4wks before travel.the reason is obviously plane times etc etc could change so they dont actually print them until this time?try not to worry you have all booked

[stevensFiance]

Dont sress, i have never received travel documents for any trip booked through a TA until 45 days prior to take off

[TonjaE]

Well maybe I should have been more specific to say that I don't even have a copy of my itinerary. I don't have anything other than my receipt. I'm not expecting an actual plane ticket - just proof of what I purchased, you know?