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About Us
| How We Work
| Frequently Asked Questions |
Custom Itineraries
Deposit and
Cancellation Policy
Leopard Trax is an Alaska Owned and Operated Company
Leopard Trax is a division of
Alaskan Leopard Enterprises, Inc. Founded in 1992 as a marketing and
business consulting firm, Alaskan Leopard
Enterprises now operates THREE different businesses:
Because we own and operate
our businesses in Alaska, we are able to give our clients the most
accurate and current information concerning travel options. We pride
ourselves in being Alaskan experts. In operating an award
winning Bed and Breakfast, internationally recognized Tour Company, Travel
Agency, and long term Design &
Consulting firm, we have established superb working relationships with
over 450 Alaskan vendors, as well as vendors in Canada, Italy, Kenya, Tanzania, Ecuador,
Peru, and the Galapagos.
We live and work in Alaska
full time so we are available to assist both in-state and out-of-state travelers
with immediate and future planning. We operate annually with four to
six employees, and during the summer season that number can grow to over ten.
Our company
was founded with the mission to make quality travel to Alaska and the
world both easy and affordable. It's not always about money. Our philosophy is that your vacation
should be tailor-made to your personal needs. We will lend you our
personal experience and attention to make the most of your visit.
And to protect your best interests, your travel dollars sit in an insured
escrow account until there are ready to go directly to the
vendors we book on your behalf well in advance of your travel date.
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How We Work - This explains
our services.
We offer two product lines:
Package Tours and Custom Tours. Package Tours are sold as described
and priced. Custom Tours are designed for the individual client and
the price will vary depending on what is added or subtracted from our
standard package itineraries.
Whether it be a packaged
tour, or a custom designed tour, all details receive our professional
attention. When completed, your itinerary will include a full
description of each day's activities along with a list of all attractions,
adventures, and lodging. In addition, you get specific driving
directions with numerous points of interest to stop and visit
along the way. No other tour designer or operator provides so much
detail. This is a fact and we are constantly checking our
competition to make sure our claim is true.
Once we have completed your
itinerary, we forward you a printable copy of your initial plan. We then
contact you to review all of the details. When you are satisfied
that you have received all that you asked for (and even a bit more), you
give us the go-ahead to begin the confirmation process. Upon your
written authorization, we process all reservation confirmations on your
behalf and make payments to the individual vendor in full.
When the confirmation
process is complete we forward you a confirmed itinerary with individual
confirmation numbers for all of your bookings including dates,
descriptions, and contact information. All charges show on your
credit card as Alaskan Leopard Enterprises, Inc.
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Frequently
Asked Questions:
Are you
a travel agency or tour operator?
We are both. Leopard Trax is
member of the International Air Travel
Agent Network, operates both individual and group tours, and is an Alaska
reservation service. We build and plan itineraries for travelers to
Alaska and the world, and then book those events that our clients request.
We are paid commissions by our vendors. The feature that makes our
service unique in the travel industry is that we customize our client's
itinerary to their personal request.
Is your
company a brick and mortar business, or do you just advertise on the internet?
We are real people operating at a real
address. We also have associate home-based business offices
in Anchorage and in San Jose/San Francisco. We actually answer our own phones! We started
our business in 1992 as a consulting firm. Our Alaska adventure
began in 2001 as a Bed & Breakfast. Next we
expanded and developed Anchorage's only Comedy Tour venue. Our
design and consulting firm has been in business for over 15 years.
Our reputation has grown as a result of the service we pride ourselves in
delivering. The Internet is a reality of today's business and a great way to communicate with clients. Our
clients tell us that they appreciate the quality of our website
advertising. Our newest addition is our world tour company.
How does
your service work? Do you make our reservations, or just provide the referrals?
Our clients
inquire about our services by e-mail, or phone. We respond,
usually by email, with a general list of questions designed to assist us
in helping you plan your trip. Based on the answers to our
questions, we send out an initial itinerary for the vacation by e-mail or fax.
Our itineraries vary from a general plan to a very detailed vacation
depending on the client's request. Once our
client approves the itinerary, they give us authority to make the
reservations and to secure the bookings. We do all the work on our
client's behalf, make all payments in advance, deliver paid confirmations
to you, and finalize with a fully confirmed and paid itinerary.
How do I
know that your company is reputable? You are located thousands of miles
away.
Alaskan Leopard is a current member of
IATAN, the
Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Anchorage Alaska Bed and Breakfast Association. In 2000, our
General Manager was awarded the prestigious "Vocational Service Award for
Ethical Behavior" by the Anchorage East Rotary Club. We
annually support many local and national charities, as well as being the
primary benefactor for the Loureau School in Isiolo, Kenya. We
distribute a long list of references and organizations to which we belong
if requested.
We
recommend that you should be wary of any company that asks you for a check
or money order for your down payment on your vacation versus credit card.
Your credit card is your best form of protection against fraud.
But don't believe us, call our references:
Anchorage Alaska Bed and Breakfast Association at (888) 584-5147 or the
Anchorage Convention and Visitor's Bureau at (907) 276-4118 and ask for
membership services. For IATAN, visit
www.checkacode.com and enter our
ID: 02744711.
What type
of information will be provided to me upon my confirmation of my Alaska
trip?
Once we have completed the confirmation of all
items in your itinerary, you will receive a confirmed itinerary. It
will contain the name and contact information for each reservation and
booking we have orchestrated on your behalf including their website and
email address. Each individual vendor issues a confirmation
number or code and records our payment. We invite you to reconfirm all
reservations to your personal satisfaction. We maintain your files until your trip dates are completed. In
the event that you loose a confirmation, you can always call us for a
copy. We do not maintain brochures or rack cards...with over 450 vendors, it would be virtually impossible to
manage such an ever-changing inventory.
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Custom Itineraries
If you haven't seen the perfect tour for you, why don't you consider
letting Leopard Trax create a custom package for you?
Q. Why should I do a custom
itinerary?
A. There are lots of great reasons to choose a custom tour. Not every
visitor to Alaska is interested in the same attractions. Also, some travelers might prefer a more leisurely or more active pace
to their vacation, or have particular needs or desires that can't be met
on some of our packaged tours. Lastly, a custom tour allows the adventurous
traveler to get off the beaten path without worrying about the quality
of the attractions or accommodations. We work with only the best
vendors and innkeepers in Alaska.
Q. Why should I work with
Leopard Trax on my custom tour?
A. Leopard Trax works with over 450 different attractions,
vendors and innkeepers across the state in order to provide the widest
range of tour and vacation packages possible. In addition, our travel
consultants have many years experience both in the industry and as Alaskans.
The combination of our expertise, knowledge of Alaska and the great diversity
of attractions and accommodations available allows us to create custom
vacation packages that no other company can offer.
Q. Are custom tours more expensive?
A. A custom tour can be a huge cost savings
and is certainly no more expensive than one of our other packages
that contains comparable attractions and accommodations. Our standard packages
are intended to provide the highest value and quality to our customers
while allowing creativity in planning the vacation of your dreams. The
cost of a custom package is dependent upon a number of factors, such as
the dates, and length of stay, the size of your group, the number and type of attractions and tours you include
in your trip, the types of accommodations you choose, and the part of
the state you are visiting.
Q.
How
do I create a custom tour, or how can I get more information on custom
tours?
A. Call Leopard Trax, or send us an email; there's no obligation.
Our "trackers" will meet with you on the telephone and find out
the kinds of activities and places you want to visit Alaska. We will prepare a sample itinerary for your custom tour, and
send it to you for your review. We then add, change or delete items until
it is just the way you want it.
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We provide
additional information upon request
About Us
| How We Work
| Frequently Asked Questions |
Custom Itineraries
Deposit and
Cancellation Policy
Disclaimer
It is rare, but when it
happens, more issues of non-fulfillment by Alaskan vendors occur due to
delays in transportation than for any other reason. Weather, road
conditions, and other factors beyond anyone's control can occur.
Although we have acted as your
agent in getting each itinerary item booked, we do not have any control or
responsibility in the event that a vendor is unable to supply or perform
the services you have purchased; or when one vendor's failure causes
another to not perform. Your recourse, in the event of an individual
vendor's failure to perform, must be directed to the individual vendor
themselves.
We have no authority or power
to enforce any individual vendor to perform, nor do we have responsibility
or authority to process refunds or adjustments. However, since we
process your payment, we guarantee a refund based on each individual
vendor's refund policy. We also suggest that if there is any concern
whatsoever on your part that an itinerary item may not be fulfilled, that
you seek vacation insurance from a reputable source. Some individual
vendors offer this coverage. Ask if you are concerned.
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