Booking Discount Air Travel Reservations Online
Cheap Flights, Hotels, & Car Rentals at Expedia, Orbitz, & Others
Oct 27, 2009
Whether shopping for a car, opening a new line of credit, or simply holiday gift buying, one can find what she is looking for on the Internet, the largest mall on the planet. For substantial purchases, no one should commit to buying without first committing to some serious research. Why should shopping for cheap air travel be any different?
It shouldn't. But with so many websites claiming to have the best flight deals online, which ones can be trusted? How can one be sure he is getting the best air travel deal available?
Simple. Just compare and contrast. Below is a list with descriptions of some of the more popular, trusted websites. None are perfect; all have failed customers, like any other business, from time to time. Usual complaints include their failing to send confirmations to hotels or poor/slow customer service in correcting errors. However, they all have fairly consistent track records and are worth the potential savings. Plus, the so-called "big three" (Travelocity, Orbitz, and Expedia) have dropped their flight booking fees, apparently indefinitely, although other fees may apply, should be listed up front, and should be included when determining overall value.
Travelocity
Made famous by a "Roaming Gnome," Travelocity offers discount flights, hotels, and car rentals, or any combination thereof. One can even book cruises and activities. Booking is simple. Travelers enter their intended travel plans. Travelocity then provides several prices and flight options (e.g., varying departure times, nonstop vs. connecting flights).
Travelocity Pluses:
- Business Traveler's Section — Travelocity offers corporate travel management services, which includes automated, customized bookings and 24/7 customer support.
- Easy Booking/No Airline Booking Fee — Flights, hotels, and car rentals are easily reserved with a little typing and a few clicks of the mouse.
- Travelocity Guarantee — Posted on its website, Travelocity guarantees that "if you find a qualifying lower rate for travel booked with Travelocity we'll not only refund you the difference between what you paid and this lower price, but also give you $50 off a purchase of future travel." Amongst other promises, Travelocity also states: "Everything about your booking will be right, or we'll work with our partners to make it right, right away."
Orbitz
Orbitz is an equivalent competitor of Travelocity. Like Travelocity, Orbitz offers business air travel management as well as easy-to-use online booking for hotels, air travel, car rentals, cruises, and activities. One can also book tickets to certain concerts, sporting events, comedy shows, and other events at Orbitz.
Orbitz Pluses:
- Price Assurance — If a customer books a flight or prepaid hotel on Orbitz and another customer later books the same hotel or flight for less, Orbitz will automatically mail the first customer a refund.
- No Airline Booking, Hotel Cancellation, or Hidden Fees — Flight booking fees are gone. Orbitz will not charge hotel cancellation fees either, although the hotel itself may require a fee. All fees are included in initial search results.
- Low Price/Low Fare Promise — If a traveler books a room or flight and finds the same itinerary for less on another site (within 24 hours), the difference is refunded. For flights, travelers may receive a $50 voucher toward future travel arrangements.
Expedia
Expedia is another equivalent competitor. It may be the most user-friendly site, though reviews of all three suggest that accessibility may be largely based on user preferences. It equates to Travelocity in services offered.
Expedia Pluses:
- Best Price Guarantee — Expedia's best price guarantee is a sweet deal. Consumers who find a better deal on nearly all flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, activities, and rental cars will not only get a refund but, like Travelocity's guarantee, will also receive a $50 travel coupon. The catch? The better deal, again, must be found within 24 hours of booking with Expedia.
- Fast, User-Friendly Online Booking — Consumers can have their flights, hotels, and rental cars booked in the time it takes to read this article.
- Rewards Program — Expedia's rewards program, called the ThankYou Network, offers points to those who book their travel arrangements through Expedia. Enrollment is free. Reward points can be used for travel or a host of other options (e.g., gift certificates, merchandise, or even cash). These points accrue in addition to reward points offered by hotels or airlines.
Hotwire and Priceline
While the big three are great places to research cheap economy and business air travel, discount hotels, and accessible car rentals, they do not always offer the best deals. Enter Hotwire and Priceline.
Hotwire is similar to the big three's websites. It offers similar travel options, an easy-to-use booking system, and customer support. However, perhaps because Hotwire does not offer as many perks as the others, its prices are often lower. Conversely, Hotwire has stricter cancellation policies.
Still, one might find the best flight deal into Las Vegas on Expedia, while the cheapest air travel to Vancouver may be on Travelocity. Likewise, she could find a greatly discounted hotel in Paris on Orbitz, while the lowest hotel rates for Cancun may be on Hotwire. The point is — travel rates continuously fluctuate, and rates on all sites should be thoroughly researched and compared before purchasing. When one determines the lowest rate offered, it's time to go to Priceline.
Priceline offers something the others don't (besides its spokesperson, William Shatner). Priceline offers the opportunity to name one's own price. A good strategy is to take the lowest rate obtained from the big three sites or Hotwire and undercut it on Priceline. For example, if Expedia is offering round-trip, United Airlines travel to Orlando for $300, why not bid $250 on Priceline for the same itinerary? $200? The worst that will happen is that Priceline will decline the offer, and the traveler will buy from Expedia.
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