The decision that shapes the whole reunion
If your family decides to do Umrah then the next question is, who books it?
Two options:
1\. One Agency, One Booking for UK, US and BD.
2\. UK Family books with a UK agency, BD family with a BD agency, US family with a US agency.
This one decision will decide if your reunion is one trip or three trips, that just so happens to overlap.
The case for one agency (recommended):
A reunion experienced umrah agency:
- Booking all flights for landing within a 6-12 hour time window
- Reserves next to hotel rooms (hotel block)
- Facilitates one Bangla speaking mu'allim for the entire group
- This is a WhatsApp group that allows you to share messages and documents.
- Coordinates with three-country visas
- Coordinates with multiple other countries
- Payment for bills in GBP, USD and BDT separately
- Provides one emergency contact
Pros:
- True reunion atmosphere
- Throughout the stay the family remains together.
- One source of accountability
- Group discount available (5-10%)
- Both refund and withdrawal policies are the same for all.
Cons:
- Need to identify an agency that has experience of booking reunions
- Parents of BD children might be forced to depend on an agency that they weren't on a list of.
- A single point of failure if the agency is experiencing problems
The case for multiple agencies
UK family books with a UK agency. Parents of a BD book through a familiar BD agency. US family with a US agency.
Pros:
- Each family unit has a trusted agency they use
- Parents keep their BD parents with their local agency
- Distributed risk
Cons:
- All hotels were different (reunion was a deal breaker)
- Differences in flights (arrival times, airports)
- A difference in the mu'allim is allowed.
- No shared accountability
- Coordination headaches multiply
Real case: 3 agencies were utilized by a family of 8 (4 UK, 2 BD, 2 US). The answer is that BD parents stayed at a hotel 400m away from Haram and the family from the UK stayed at 200m. They were led by two different mu'allim who led them in different ways. The family was more busy finding each other than praying together.
How a reunion-experienced agency works
There are processes in place for diaspora families with Tour Solvers and other agencies.
1\. One coordinator: There is one individual who is in charge of the entire reunion booking. They process requests from the UK, US, and BD.
2\. Hotel block negotiation: existing relationship with hotels in Makkah.
3\. Multi currency billing: UK families can pay in GBP, US families pay in USD, BD families pay in BDT separately.
4\. Visa Coordination: processes BD MoRA applications AND USKA/Nusuk applications (UK).
5. Bangla-speaking mu'allim: Confirms one guide for the entire group.
6\. Flight coordination: Books flights into a narrow window.
7\. Emergency support: One Bangladesh hotline + one UK hotline + one Saudi local team.
How a multi-agency setup creates problems
The Hossain family thought they'd save money by using separate agencies. What actually happened:
Total time lost on coordination: ~25% of the trip. Spiritual quality of the experience: significantly reduced.
When multiple agencies works (the exception)
For small diaspora families (2-3 persons):
- All adult sons in the UK with father in BD only.
- Mother Daughter USA-BD pair.
If there is one or more agencies that can work for very small groups, it is if:
- The two agencies agree on the same hotel.
- 16% of all flights arriving the same day are confirmed.16% of all flights arriving the same day are confirmed.
- Communication is high
- Family is flexible with arrangements
But, come to think of it, it is easier for 2-3 people with one agency.
How to find a reunion-experienced agency
Look for agencies that explicitly mention Family reunion Umrah. Questions to ask:
1\. "How many reunion Umrah trips have you handled for UK + BD + US families?"
2\. "Are you looking to reserve hotel rooms for 8-12 guests?
3\. "Do you accept billing in GBP, USD and BDT?"
4\. What will be the Bangla language's status if we have one Bangla-speaking mu'allim?
5\. How will you coordinate three-country visas?
6\. If a UK family member becomes ill in Saudi what is the emergency contact procedure?
7\. "Please show me some pictures of families who have taken Umrah before?
8\. If one family member isn't able to travel, what is your “refund” policy?
If they respond to all 8 clearly with specifics then they have reunion experience. If they falter or are vague, go find another agency.
A diaspora family choosing one agency (composite)
The Aktar family. UK son in Birmingham, US daughter in Miami & BD father and mother in Sylhet (5 persons).
Their process:
Week -16: Explored 5 agencies (3 UK, 1 US, 1 BD).
Week -15: Only 20% of those in the group had a genuine reunion Umrah experience.
Week -14: Discussed 2: Tour Solvers (London and BD partner) versus another.
Week -13: why did you select Tour Solvers?
• Was familiar with 50+ reunion Umrah packages
• The price is in GBP and BDT
•Allowed WhatsApp group setup
• Organized tour to Makkah in 2020.• Supplied hotel block in Anjum, Makkah in 2020.
• Had Bangla-speaking mu'allim available
Week -12: Paid £2,000 deposit. BDT 1,00,000 from BD father.
Through trip: All went smoothly. All people in neighbouring rooms. One mu'allim. One emergency contact.
Total cost: £9,500 GBP for 5 people for 12 days. Per person: £1,900.
Cost comparison: one agency vs multiple
For a 7-person UK + US + BD reunion family:
One agency is generally 5-12% cheaper AND much better experience.
When to switch agencies mid-process
If you're using several agencies and something doesn't work out, go with one agency. Steps:
Step 1: Cancel unnecessary bookings. Try to get your money back, if possible.
Step 2: Get in touch with a tour company with experience in reunions (such as Tour Solvers).
Step 3: Give them all of your current bookings — sometimes they can take them in.
Step 4: Make up the difference (typically 10-20% premium).
Step 5: Delete all other duplicate bookings.
The sooner you buy, the less expensive. Ideally this will be done within 4 weeks of original booking, before the deposits are due.
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