Jessica Griscavage has been in the travel industry for 20 years, turning her company Runway Travel into a leading boutique agency known for highly personalized experiences.
Runway Travel Co. is a full-service, luxury travel agency specializing in customized travel itineraries and personalized service—as well as a proud Virtuoso member, and partner of TravelWits, a one-stop planning and booking tool for non-Virtuoso hotels where you will receive my preferred benefits and assistance with your travel plans.
What are your travel specialties or areas of expertise?
Family Travel, FITs, Cruises, Europe.
What inspired you to become a travel advisor?
My passion for travel inspired me to experience various types of travel, so I can truly find the best fit for my clients. I love expanding my knowledge of destinations and experiences to include things like iconic cities, diverse cruises, villa rentals, dude ranches, escorted groups, and incredible beaches, to name a few. I loved the freedom of exploring Italy with no set schedule on my villa vacation. Still, I also appreciated the stress-free nature of seeing the National Parks with an organized tour group. It’s my goal to match the perfect destination and product with my client, and I especially love family travel! My greatest pleasure is creating memories and special moments for my clients.
Traveling with my family has been some of my favorite moments in life. My son had his passport at four months old and has enjoyed everything from skiing in Deer Valley to cheese making in Italy to whale watching in Alaska. It has been so fun and an honor to show him the world as we get more globally connected. If I could give a young family advice, I would tell them don’t give up traveling with their kids. I want to be an example to my clients that travel can remain a part of life with children and aging parents.
If anything, the last two years have taught us that life is short and precious. This sentiment has taken on so much more meaning…” I travel because I’d rather look back at life saying, “I can’t believe I did that” instead of “If only I had.”
What is your most popular travel destination among clients?
The world is wide open! We’re selling everything—from South America to the USA, across Europe, and even Japan. Australia and New Zealand are also making a strong comeback.
What’s the most valuable tip or trick someone has shared with you that makes planning family travel easier?
Listen to your clients carefully. Hear what they are really looking for to include pace of trip, destination, budget. If I don't understand something, I’ll repeat it back to them. Also, honesty. Families try to fit in way too much on a trip. You have to remind them that they are traveling with children and they go at a different pace.
What is one website, platform, database, or other tech tool you consistently use when planning family travel?
Using Axus to create an itinerary is key—it keeps communication open, helps everyone stay on the same page, and makes it easy to spot what’s missing or needs to be added.
Photos courtesy of Jessica Griscavage.
