Over the past three weeks, the entirely California-based Arbiter Travel Co. team has been moving through a collective grief shared by too many. The unimaginable devastation from the Los Angeles wildfires has left us shattered, desperate to help, and entirely consumed with heartbreak for our friends, clients, neighbors and strangers.

For those who haven’t spent much time in LA, it might be difficult to fully grasp the enormous magnitude of what has happened here. Los Angeles is unlike most major metropolitan cities – it’s actually a county by any other standard. A collection of smaller cities, each one unique, with its own communities, infrastructures, and tens of thousands of homes and businesses. When you hear on the news that the Pacific Palisades and Altadena have burned, it’s not just small neighborhoods or “parts of town” – it’s entire towns, gone in a matter of hours.

And yet, despite its vastness, the patchwork that is LA remains tightly knit. Everyone here has a direct connection with at least one person, family, or business whose entire world was destroyed on January 7th and 8th. For those of us who were spared – who still get to sleep in our own beds and come home to our irreplaceable treasures – the loss still feels deeply personal; and, quite literally,
too close to home.

Our collection of cities-in-a-city has rallied together in a remarkable way. At a time where nothing can be said or done to undo the fires, we all feel an overwhelming need to do something, and we’re all trying to help – as if that next donation, heartfelt text, or box of clothes might be the magic fix that undoes the flames.

As a travel company, hospitality is what we do. While nothing we offer can replace what’s been taken, we’ve spent the last three weeks working to place families in temporary housing where they can feel even a small sense of “home” after losing theirs. (Mission impossible, but we try.)

Beyond that, we have struggled with how to respond in a way that feels meaningful. We are acutely aware that it is an immense privilege for families who have just lost everything to even think about traveling. But for some, the idea of creating new memories or stepping away from a place that now feels unrecognizable may offer some solace.

In an effort to help, and for those who are ready and able to take some time away, Arbiter Advisors will waive all 2025 planning fees for any families impacted by the LA wildfires. Whether it’s a night away next weekend, a summer break living abroad, or a destination to start new holiday traditions, we will take care of every single detail to make it perfect.

We hope this small gesture might allow families to have something to look ahead to, to find moments of joy, create new traditions, or simply breathe again. Nothing will ever be enough, but we will continue to try.