Who pays the Airfare

[+ VictorPowers]

I have had clients in the past pay for my flight and others I was reimbursed. I rarely have the client book my flight anymore, as I like to remain anonymous. However, the 2nd method puts all the risk on the escort with a cancellation. Then I suppose the mid ground (3rd option) would be to take down a deposit. Thoughts?

[MassageDrew]

I have had clients in the past pay for my flight and others I was reimbursed. I rarely have the client book my flight anymore, as I like to remain anonymous. However, the 2nd method puts all the risk on the escort with a cancellation. Then I suppose the mid ground (3rd option) would be to take down a deposit. Thoughts?

 

I think it will be ok if you do indicate that you require a deposit upfront. Clients will be more understanding about it as long as you do work it out with them.

[Scorpio]

I have had clients in the past pay for my flight and others I was reimbursed. I rarely have the client book my flight anymore, as I like to remain anonymous. However, the 2nd method puts all the risk on the escort with a cancellation. Then I suppose the mid ground (3rd option) would be to take down a deposit. Thoughts?

 

As the service provider, you have to find what works best for you and make that clear to potential clients.

 

When I used to fly people to visit, I always booked the flight and paid for it directly. No escort ever expected anything different. As for the wanting remain annonymous part, I personally would have a problem with that and most likely would not follow through with a booking. If I'm flying you in to meet for an extended visit, then I'm going to want to know your real name. Again in the past when I did this, the escorts I hired have all volunteered their identities without being asked once we had most of the details worked out for the visit.

[Kevin Slater]

Unless you're willing to share your name, you either have to front the money or he does. I'm not sure why he'd take the risk of sending airfare to someone who won't even give his real name. And I'd never buy a ticket to go see a first-time client. Even with the best of intentions, things come up, and he may feel he has no skin in the game, as it were.

 

Kevin Slater

[MikeBiDude]

IDK who used travel agents anymore (besides me on occasion) but I have had escorts contact my agent directly to book airfare, their real nam/info kept confidential with my agent, I just pay the agency.

If any travel issues, the gentleman can work direct with agency, still anonymous from me.

[+ WmClarke]

@Eric Hassan has an interesting approach to all this. Client books and pays for hotel room; he takes care of the airfare. Meet the dude next door

 

Still could leave either side vulnerable to no-show issues, but somehow it feels less risky to me.

[LaffingBear]

Ive purchased an airplane ticket in another guys name and Fedex'd it to him. He assured me he used his real name, and showed me a drivers license at a different time.

 

Thats the only guy ive ever provided airfare... although there are a few I've traveled with when they told me theyre already planning to be in San Francisco.

 

Seems to me that, except for well-established repeat situations, its not going to get past the potential for ripoff stage.

 

Do airlines sell gift cards? A non-refundable airline-specific gift card or voucher would lower my suspicions, at least partially.

[MikeBiDude]

Ive purchased an airplane ticket in another guys name and Fedex'd it to him. He assured me he used his real name, and showed me a drivers license at a different time.

 

Thats the only guy ive ever provided airfare... although there are a few I've traveled with when they told me theyre already planning to be in San Francisco.

 

Seems to me that, except for well-established repeat situations, its not going to get past the potential for ripoff stage.

 

Do airlines sell gift cards? A non-refundable airline-specific gift card or voucher would lower my suspicions, at least partially.

I've used Southwest gift cards for local travel gifts, like Las Vegas to me in LAX, etc. only requires the gentleman's email to send card info.

Yes you could get ripped off.

[MikeyGMin]

Deposits are a huge pain in the ass without both parties real names. I've only flown in escorts on two different occasions. We had already built up some rapport with our communications and neither one of them hesitated in giving me their real name. (One was much more concerned about giving his birth date becaused he had shaved so many years off his real age. )

 

Me purchasing the ticket for the escort is really the only way I'll do it. I can demonstrate how serious I am by purchasing the ticket and providing my name, and he can demonstrate how serious he is by providing his name. If the date doesn't happen and the ticket is not used, I'll be out the change fee but I want that credit.

[Kevin Slater]

If the date doesn't happen and the ticket is not used, I'll be out the change fee but I want that credit.

 

My understanding is that if the ticket is issued in his name, only he is entitled to the credit, regardless of who paid originally. Unless you call claiming to be him, he gets the credit, not you. I'm prepared to be wrong, though.

 

Kevin Slater

[+ nycman]

I would never fly someone anywhere...unless we already had a well established business "relationship".

 

Then it's pretty natural for either or both of us to take risks. In that setting I don't mind at all.

 

Otherwise? Yeah, no.

 

I'll hire you when I'm in your town or you're in mine,

[handiacefailure]

Instead of flying an escort to see them, why wouldn't a client just travel to them? They'll be paying the airfare anyway. Still would have to pay for a hotel but client wouldn't be giving out his home address or info and would get to go to a fun city. Unless it's a porn star you have a fantasy about or an established escort I'm not sure why the client just wouldn't meet some well reviewed escort in their city.

 

I would never send an escort a deposit unless it's someone I played with many times (and I would hope in that case they would have trust in me not to cancel). If I was paying to fly them to me I'd rather buy the ticket. First of all I would just use miles and if they cancel on me I wouldn't be out anything as long as it was in 72 hours, they would just redeposit them. If I was paying and they didn't show up I would just be out the change fee

 

Since I have so many miles maybe I should use them to fly a hot escort to me LOL

[MikeyGMin]

My understanding is that if the ticket is issued in his name, only he is entitled to the credit, regardless of who paid originally. Unless you call claiming to be him, he gets the credit, not you. I'm prepared to be wrong, though.

 

Kevin Slater

Could be. I'm fortunate that I haven't had to put it to the test, but I did assume that it was my credit card and my frequent flyer account so it was actually "my" ticket.

 

My closest experience is buying a ticket for a friend in Costa Rica to come visit (not a working boy.) I had some firm plans for us with some sunk costs. So when he had a work conflict, we decided that another friend would come up and go on the trip. Friend A was not allowed to change the name on the ticket to Friend B because it had been purchased with my credit card. I had to make the change and pay the change fee.

 

That could have been United's policy or just a hard time they were giving these guys since they are Costa Rican.

[down_to_business]

Could be. I'm fortunate that I haven't had to put it to the test, but I did assume that it was my credit card and my frequent flyer account so it was actually "my" ticket.

 

My closest experience is buying a ticket for a friend in Costa Rica to come visit (not a working boy.) I had some firm plans for us with some sunk costs. So when he had a work conflict, we decided that another friend would come up and go on the trip. Friend A was not allowed to change the name on the ticket to Friend B because it had been purchased with my credit card. I had to make the change and pay the change fee.

 

That could have been United's policy or just a hard time they were giving these guys since they are Costa Rican.

 

 

From personal experience, the only time the credit goes back to you is if you used frequent flyer miles or if you booked a 100% refundable/changeable/cancelable flight. If you purchased the flight (even with your own credit card) regular, any credit (if their own cancellation policy grants any) goes to the named passenger. They then usually have one year from the original purchase date of the ticket to use any given credit for that exact named passenger only. I believe these "new" refund/credit policies were established around the time of the Patriot Act. I have no idea how foreign carriers work (i.e. Qantas, British Airways, Lufthansa, etc.)

 

Personally, I would never send a deposit. I also believe that if an escort who I am going to host and willing to assume all the risk by booking him a flight, will not return that trust to me with his personal information needed to book that flight... then that is not an escort I want to hire.

[spkr100]

The few times I have done this, I have reimbursed the escort, either separatelyl or as part of his overall fee.

[+ VictorPowers]

I've used Southwest gift cards for local travel gifts, like Las Vegas to me in LAX, etc. only requires the gentleman's email to send card info.

Yes you could get ripped off.

It's just a matter of where the trust lies. Either party needs to trust the other to some degree. In my experience, the most common has been reimbursement + fee given at the same time

[Rudynate]

Instead of flying an escort to see them, why wouldn't a client just travel to them? They'll be paying the airfare anyway. Still would have to pay for a hotel but client wouldn't be giving out his home address or info and would get to go to a fun city.

 

I used to think that, but there is the disruption created by the travel. For the most part, in the present era, I find that long-distance travel is an unpleasant ordeal to be avoided at all costs. And in my business, I bill by the hour, so travel, unless its being covered by a client, creates many occasions for lost time. I traveled to see an escort exactly once. When I realized all of the hidden costs involved, it became obvious I would rather the escort incur them than me. There is a guy that I am considering flying to me. It will be a first. It's sort of like the difference between hiring a caterer when you give a party, and doing all the work yourself. Not long ago, I threw a party and had it catered. It was fun from start to finish -planning the party, researching caterers, hiring the caterer, etc. On party day, the only thing I had to do was shower, get dressed, show up and have a nice time and write a check when it was all over. I'm hoping that flying an escort to me will be similar.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Personally, I would never send a deposit. I also believe that if an escort who I am going to host and willing to assume all the risk by booking him a flight, will not return that trust to me with his personal information needed to book that flight... then that is not an escort I want to hire.

 

This. Any escort worth his salt would agree. Trust is a two-way street.

 

Calculated leaps-of-faith in life can often result in great experiences.

[LookingAround]

Could be. I'm fortunate that I haven't had to put it to the test, but I did assume that it was my credit card and my frequent flyer account so it was actually "my" ticket.

 

My closest experience is buying a ticket for a friend in Costa Rica to come visit (not a working boy.) I had some firm plans for us with some sunk costs. So when he had a work conflict, we decided that another friend would come up and go on the trip. Friend A was not allowed to change the name on the ticket to Friend B because it had been purchased with my credit card. I had to make the change and pay the change fee.

 

That could have been United's policy or just a hard time they were giving these guys since they are Costa Rican.

I don't believe it matters who paid for the ticket. The refund goes to the passenger and not to anyone else.