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Dear Mary: Is it acceptable to go to bed before my guests do?

Mary Killen Mary Killen
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EXPLORE THE ISSUE 19 April 2025
issue 19 April 2025

Q. I am a self-employed travel specialist, concentrating on holidays in Asia. Friends (and even friends of friends) plague me asking for tips on flights and itineraries. Then they go online and book direct instead of through me. Sometimes I have spent hours putting the holiday together for them. How can I politely say ‘no’ to people seeking such one-way favours?

— M.B.,

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