Third Party Travel Sites - The Good, The Bad, and the REALLY Ugly

Use Travel Agents, Third Party Sites, and/or Booking Direct?

I've mentioned third party sites before in other posts. Some, by name. Well, this time, there will be more of that. And, examples of good, bad, and ugly.

I've traveled at least a little bit, since I was 17. I started planning my own travel in my late '20's. And, since the introduction of the internet and all of its changes, I've tried more and different strategies. I realize that not everyone is adept at searches. But, if you are, or would like to learn, and you have some time to do it, it's worth it.

The following opinions are just that. My opinions, and my experiences. I'm sure there are people who have had bad experiences with those I've had good experience with, and vice versa.  Always do your due diligence and check reviews, check with friends and relatives, and then make your decisions based on what you learn. And even after that, be prepared for anything. Be flexible.

Travel Agent 

Courtesy of ClipArtPanda.com

As I've mentioned in the past, you can still use a travel agent. I've even done that on occasion, but I find that they tend to use the same sites over and over, and don't necessarily always find the best deals. Or, the best tour operators. But, if you don't mind ultimately paying a bit more for them to do the work for you, and you either don't have time to do your own research, or have a complex, multi-city trip to plan, a travel agent can be a God-send.

That said, this post is about third party travel sites and also going direct to airlines and hotels, once you've checked the third party sites, which is what I find often works best.

Subscribe to multiple sites for alerts

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Yes, it's a lot of email. And, you can turn these alerts on and off if it's too much. But, you may get emails that get you thinking about traveling to somewhere you never thought of!

Most third party sites are general. They send you package deals and airline deals that typically fly out of New York, LA, or Ft. Lauderdale, so you have to go in and see what it would actually be from your airport. But there is at least one you can pay a small annual fee for that sends you only alerts for your own airport, as well as a free one.

I'm not going to pretend that I know all about all sites. I will just speak to those I do know about.

Some Third Party Sites That I Like

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Hotwire

They never took credit for saving our trip when a critical connecting flight was cancelled, but unless the Universe did it, Hotwire did reschedule our flight so that we were able to go to Paris, seamlessly, saving our trip. I've used them more than once, and can't complain.

Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz

I've used them all at some point or another, and often check them all.  These sites have been around for a long time. They are all limited in that they don't have ALL airlines (Southwest, I've noticed, needs to be checked separately), but when I've used them, most of the time, things have gone smoothly.

Kayak

Looks at multiple sites, so you get a barrage of windows opening. But if you can, look at them and you might find a gem of a deal.

Priceline

I can't speak to this, as I've only used them for a car rental once, and they were great. But one of my sisters has used it successfully. Again, it's been around for a long time.

Trip Advisor

I haven't booked through them yet, but I've used them for reviews and am also a reviewer on their site, so I'd use them if I find the best deal there. They also have helpful community discussions, which helped me find a different tour to Stonehenge than Viator (see below).

TravelZoo

I've been getting their emails for a while, and the deals really look good. Typically, they are package deals from other vacation package sites, and, again, you need to customize those deals to your airport. Since I've primarily used this as an alert system for flights and not for complete packages, I can't speak to that. But, I find their "heads-ups" give me ideas.

Next Vacay

I signed up for this newish service recently, and the jury is still out. For $25/year, they send you emails when there is a great deal to fly out of your home airport. You get 24-72 hours to book it directly through the airline (which I like), they just let you know. They haven't developed a way for people to ask for a specific destination, however, and this is why I canceled them. They sent me great winter deals to northern destinations, but if I wanted to go to the Caribbean in the winter, they didn't send me anything I would actually use. They are advertising heavily on Facebook, which is where I learned about them. Again, I haven't actually followed through to see if I find the same deals they sent me because none of the destinations were attractive for this time of year. I hope they develop the next stage = ability for the public to choose where they want to go.

AirfareWatchDog.com

I have started getting their emails. They show flights from your home airport, like Next Vacay, but you can choose where you want to go, and wait for the emails with the deals to go there (and other places). It's free, too. I haven't checked to make sure these deals are real and bookable yet, but if they are, this is my new go-to.

Third Party Sites to Beware Of

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

CheapOAir

If you look at reviews online, which I didn't this time (not my typical style, so I screwed up), CheapOAir has many 1 star reviews and complaints. Wish I'd looked before I booked with them earlier this year. They may give you a low fare, but they then try to charge you for everything, including seats, even seats that the airline would give you free!  And, if you don't pay them, they don't let you get your seats until 24 hours before flight, or AT THE AIRPORT!

When you book through them, they don't let you go directly to the airline! They don't want to give you the airline reservation code for your flight. When I asked, I was refused. They want you to do everything through them, then charge you! 

Their "chat" feature kept me waiting for over half an hour at a time, for answers, and then the answers were not complete. A total waste of time. So, I tried calling them multiple times. Whenever I tried to get anything asked or done, they gave me the runaround. I'd end up saying goodbye, and then calling back and trying another agent. They make everything time-consuming and a lot harder than it needs to be, so it must serve their purpose.  I'm sure most people don't have the time to mess with them and just go along with whatever they try to make you do. Or they just don't question that there are better ways to travel than with this site.


Although technically they are a U.S. based, New York (or Las Vegas?) company, all of their actual reps are in India. One of their own reps told me they are all in India, when I tried to get to a U.S. based manager. There are none. Trying to charge me for what should have been free seats was my last straw. After having to deal with them and their shenanigans for a while, and getting upset, then I did the research. I'm not sure how I did it now, but I managed to get my actual airline booking number and went direct to the airline, where I stayed for the duration, thankfully cutting these clowns out.

The airline people were wonderful once I was able to get to them, and gave me great seats, FREE, as well as baggage, and good travel tips to boot. But CheapOair put me through a lot before I managed to get around them. STAY AWAY! They are doing a significant amount of TV advertising now, so they are obviously making money on an unsuspecting public. BEWARE!

Not to be confused with CheapAir, which is based in Denver, CO, and which I haven't yet used.

OneTravel

This is owned by the same company as CheapOair, and I think they have the same kinds of reviews. According to the Fareportal website, they also own a travel agency in New Jersey called Travelong, which existed prior to being purchased by Fareportal. I would never use any of their companies based on my experience.

Viator

This is not for airline travel, but for tours once you're there. Frankly, I haven't liked most of the planned tours I've taken because they rush you through everything and the guides have mostly been bored or rebellious. My first experience with Viator was planned by a travel agent (this seems to be a lot of agents' go-to tour company). The agent set up one tour with Viator. If it hadn't been us, I'd have thought I was watching a Monty Python sketch. The guide was obviously unhappy in his job, and he took it out on us, rushing ahead of elderly and disabled people, putting us on a water taxi instead of a tour boat on the Thames (then going to the bar), talking very fast, and not answering questions, instead, he was sarcastic and snippy. I complained when we got back, but nothing happened. I tried them again on my own for a tour in Paris, and again had issues that could have been avoided. So, I now try to find alternatives if I want a tour at all. Since we don't like to drive in foreign countries, sometimes we have to take a tour in order to see a site that's important to us. I just try to find the ones with the best reviews. Since I'm sure Viator is also a third party, they don't have quality control of the tour itself. So, whenever possible, I try to go direct and avoid the third party whenever possible.

Check the Third Parties, then Book Direct

As mentioned at the top, I like to use the third party sites as a way to find out which airlines are discounting, then I go to that airline's site to see if I can find that, or a better deal. And, yes, often, it's better direct, on the airline's website. I find the flight numbers I want on the third party site, then search out the flight on the airline's site. I've mostly used this strategy for domestic flights. But, why not for international? If anyone has experience with this, let me know. Please note, generally, the airlines don't give the same discounts if you call rather than use their website.

For hotels, there are some that will give you a better rate if you book direct with them instead of through third parties.

Here's an example:

Star Hotel B&B, courtesy of their website

We went to London early in 2018. Whereas the third party site we used for the flight was awful, I used a different strategy for the hotel. I did a number of searches, looking for the kind of hotel we like. Usually, that's a smaller hotel, not one of the big names. There was one hotel that kept showing up - The Star Hotel. It's not in the center of London, it's in the suburb of Hammersmith, but convenient to the Underground. It's not near Hyde Park like my previous trip there. So, not as convenient. But, the hotel I stayed at before had poor customer service and had very small rooms. So that's why I was looking deeper.  Rather than just believe the third party sites, I went direct to the Star's website. I found that it was owned and operated by a family. Check. The reviews had given me clues of what rooms to request. They had our dates. AND, their website stated that they prefer people to book direct. I emailed the proprietor, got more details, then booked the room direct. It was a noisy area with a fire station right down the block, but all of London is busy. It's like trying to find a quiet street in New York City. This was, at least, a suburb, so not as crazy. It was a nice area to walk around, and I wish we'd done more. The proprietors were great. There was a grocery store literally across the street and down an alley, so we could get club soda, beer (much cheaper than a pub, and we're not really bar people), etc. The restaurants in the neighborhood weren't fancy, but they also weren't as expensive as in the heart of the action. And, after all, this blog is about traveling for less, yes?

We saw just about all that we wanted to from this vantage point. And, it was more relaxed.

I had a similar experience domestically, with a motel in Colorado Springs, where they prefer (and charge less) if you book direct. This is probably not true in general, but if you think about it, they hotel probably has to give up some percentage of the booking through other sites. Why not reward those consumers who come to them directly?  I hope I'm not getting anyone in trouble by revealing this, but it's worked for me.

Be Flexible

So, there are some search tips. The most important piece to this travel puzzle, is flexibility. Always be open to alternatives. Try different sites, always check lots of reviews, ask around. As always, we look for the best deals, but also weigh that against the reviews. Enjoy!

Boomer Travel Confessions and Fundamentals, Part Two

Planning, Booking, and Packing - Whew!

Pixabay

I thought it would be good to concentrate this post on some planning tips. Hope you find this useful and worth a bookmark for later! Please bear with me while we get through the mechanics. I promise more fun later, when we get into actual trips and observations.

Booking A Trip

Andy and I are not the kind of people who book a whole trip in advance, racing from one site to the next with no flexibility to rest or change plans based on what we learn along the way. We are not "If This is Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium" travelers (if you don't know the reference, look up the 1969 movie with Suzanne Pleshette and Ian McShane!). If you are, you'll find my blog too loosey-goosey, I think. One of my sisters, for instance, just came back from a completely planned 10 day trip, with a private guide. But, frankly, she can afford that, and doesn't mind the structure. I did that kind of trip once. Never again! 

Travel Agents

I know that travel agents still exist, and in 2014, the group I went with used an independent agency. Most of what she did for this bulky group was fantastic, and if you are traveling with a group of people to go independently or on a tour, this is a good way to offload at least some of the time it takes to book hotels, flights, and tours.  I've noticed when I've used agents, they tend to use Viator for tours, however, and I personally haven't had good experience with that company on two different occasions.

So, if it's just my boyfriend and me, I now prefer to book the elements myself, checking out different options for what they include, the reviews of the tour, when they leave in the morning (we are not early risers!), and where they start and end. Ultimately, your time and level of confidence in your own ability to book elements of a trip will determine what you do. Just remember, vacation is supposed to be FUN! So, if you're not smiling and can afford it, look for what you can do to offload some of your planning.

Remember, this blog is about saving money, and I always find I get better rates when I plan elements myself.

Online Third Party Agencies or Direct to Airline/Hotel (i.e. Kayak, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc.)

I tend to look at several of these over a period of days or weeks to look for the best airline and/or hotel deal. However, I've heard and experienced that they insert 'cookies' and can incrementally raise the prices they show you (they know your computer unless you clear your cookies between searches - if you don't know how to do this, I'm sure there is another blog somewhere on that!), if you don't want to clear your cookies between searches, use more than one computer!  And, it's good to sign up for their pricing alerts, as well. Perhaps they'll offer a better deal if they don't hear from you for a while.

Sometimes, while multiple windows are open, I see a good rate on one of these third party sites for a particular airline. I'll also open a browser window and look at what the airline is selling that flight for. Sometimes, it's cheaper to just go direct to the airline or hotel. In fact, on our recent trip to London, the hotel actually preferred that we book direct, and guaranteed that we would not see a lower price. By booking direct, you save them fees and hassle. And, you can communicate with them directly with any questions about the area, transportation, etc.  I felt like I already knew our last host before we arrived! By the time we left, we both felt as though we had a new friend.

                                      Third Party Sites: Potential Problems to Watch For

Up until my most recent trip, I'd had excellent experience with third party sites. In fact, last year, when our initial Delta flight was cancelled due to weather issues all over the country, it appeared as though Hotwire took it upon itself to re-book us. Delta said it wasn't them, so they assumed it was Hotwire. Delta didn't want to book us again until the day we were to get back!  So, whoever did the re-booking, thank you!  We had to wait a few hours and we were re-booked on Air France from Delta, and that was a God-send. If it wasn't for Air France, we'd have missed our connections because, again, of weather delays.

Beware of the third party sites you choose, though. I never knew until I had a bad experience on our most current expedition.  This time we used CheapOAir.com, part of Fareportal, who also owns OneTravel.com. It's not just me, check reviews. They make the whole process more difficult, have lousy customer service, and charge you for things you wouldn't have to pay for through other entities. Personally, I'll never use them again.


Again, sometimes the best fares are direct through the airline. When you're looking at the listings, if it says it's one airline, but "operated by" another, check the fare for the actual airline that is operating the flight. Chances are, the flight will be cheaper, and you'll experience less hassle overall.

Reviews 

There are companies who pay people who haven't even used their services or products to put up good reviews. So, read the worst ones, not just the best ones, and look for the consistent stories. On Amazon, I look for the verified purchasers, hoping they are real. But this makes us all more responsible, I think.

In the end, however you decide to book your trip, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. I like to post reviews on TripAdvisor and Google primarily, but you might have your favs, as well. Help other travelers with your experience. Good reviews help those who treated you well, and warn other travelers about the bad actors.   Reviewing helps us all.  But don't just do it for spite. Before writing a negative review, please try to work things out with the company offline. You might be surprised that things get resolved to your satisfaction.

Insurance

I know that not everyone has had good experience with trip insurance, but as mentioned in my previous post, it saved my shirt in 2011, so I always get it now. Check www.InsureMyTrip.com to compare some rates, but also check the individual insurers' sites.  And, read the fine print. Different policies cover different aspects. For instance, if you want pre-existing medical conditions covered, you need to book it within a certain period of time after you book your flight, usually 2-4 weeks. And, if you want 'cancellation for any reason,' that's harder to find than it used to be, and more expensive.

Know Something About Where You're Going

Books and Audio Tours

I generally buy a Rick Steves book. It might be a small quick peek at sites, or it might be a more involved book. But for me, he has good explanations and tips. And, you can download his audio walks. I used that in Vienna and found it very helpful.  There are others, of course. But I suggest actually going to a bookstore and looking through what they have to find what resonates with you, rather than ordering online. Then read through it in advance, and make a top 10 list of the sites you for sure want to see. Some of them require booking well in advance. We found that out the hard way about the Eiffel Tower last year. The lines are long there, so without a skip the line kind of tour, generally booked well in advance, you'll spend a day there.  Ultimately, we like to stay flexible, so we don't book more than one or two things in advance.

Of course, there are also travel programs you can watch on PBS or YouTube. We watched YouTube videos teaching basic French phrases before we went to Paris, and watched several PBS/Create Network shows to get a feel for what to expect and what we might want to visit.

Check the official website for the place you're going

I generally do this anyway, but it was also a tip we picked up in a class. www.VisitLondon.com is the one for London. There are also sites for England overall. Same is probably true for other cities and countries. There could be discounts for what you want to do, events you can incorporate into your planning, etc. Here is the Visitors Guide for Los Angeles.

Discount and Skip the Line Cards

Some are worth it, some are not. In Paris, if you plan to visit museums, and sites like the Arc de Triomphe or Notre Dame, we found it of immense value. We purchased the Paris Museum Pass, as it covered what we wanted to see. There is also one called the Paris Pass, which covers more sites, so it all depends on how much you want to do in a day, counting the transportation. We saved money and also skipped a lot of lines. It doesn't help with the Eiffel Tower, but most other known sites and some you didn't know make it invaluable. A comparison of the two cards is here: www.archaeology-travel.com

The card for London expected you to see a LOT of sites each day for it to be worthwhile, so our hotel advised against it, and we agreed once we checked into it. Since most museums in London are already free and aren't that difficult to get into, it just wasn't worth it for us. If you have kids, it might be a different story. Every city is different.  You can order in advance in most cases, or find out the best place to pick it up upon arrival. Generally, you can get them at the airport.

Hotels

I admit, we go a lot by gut when we look at hotels online. We try to save money and look for a bit of charm, so try to stay away from the chains. We look at Airbnb, and several travel third party sites. We don't just look for cheap, but also for what they include, where they are, how far from transportation, and read a lot of reviews. We've done well so far. I find that not staying in the center of the city, but within easy train distance, works well for us, and gives us a bit more for the money than being in the center of the action.

Paris: We found a small hotel off the beaten track in an upscale residential area that doesn't even show up on the main Paris tourist map that you get, which offered breakfast for a charge. However, quickly, we found a wonderful Patisserie around the corner, so we saved by going there for pastries and sandwiches. The hotel was a nice walk to a couple of different Metro stations and bus stops, and not far from the best view of the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadero. And, the price per night was less than most others we looked at. Hotel Nicolo. We were attracted by the picture of their courtyard, which, frankly, was too cold to sit in, in the shade, in April! I'm sure there are others you can find using this strategy. If you don't need a pool, a gym, or to be in the center of the action, this strategy could work for you, too.  Also, book well in advance. As it is a small hotel, it sells out, and prices go up as you get closer to your departure/it fills.

London: Using the same strategy as Paris, we found a little hotel b&b called the Star Hotel B&B by doing online searches. It includes breakfast. The street was louder, but it, too, was not in a district shown on the typical city map, but easy to get to the city and to attractions. It had its own charm, and was recently remodeled. Like most European hotels, the rooms are small.

We looked at Airbnb, too, but noticed that many of the rooms we liked had comments about the hosts canceling on the visitors just days in advance of trips, so we didn't feel comfortable doing that in London. I don't know what's going on with Airbnb in London, but we also saw an article about unhappy hosts. So, until they figure that out, we will stay away from Airbnb in London.

Getting Ready To Go Out of the Country - Packing and More

Getting ready for a big trip is always interesting. My boyfriend and I are quite different in how we prepare.  I am a list-maker. I add to it, change it, share it with him, and start packing well in advance. I use the packing bags that remove air and therefore let you fit more into the suitcase. He, on the other hand, says he's going to start a week out or so, but generally packs in the last two days. He folds and rolls his clothing up in such a way that they don't crease and it all fits. I don't know how he does it. Between us, we generally, get everything packed! 

1. If you're flying overseas, obviously, remember your passport, and it should have, as I understand it, at least 6 months remaining before renewal. I'm no expert on that, so check for your individual circumstance.

2. Remember to bring your phone, computer, etc. cords, and at least adapters for the country you're visiting. Generally, unless you're plugging in your toothbrush or hair dryer, your electronics plugs should be set for 120-240 already, but check. If need be, bring a converter. There is a difference. Check with your hotel to see what might be needed. I bring a couple of adapters, a converter, and at least one power strip, as we have several items to plug in. You can find which plug to get on several online sites or go to a travel store.  I just found this site that looks good for distinguishing between plugs, here.

3. Phone Plan/Getting Around - I find that having my smartphone on these trips is invaluable for one reason...Google Maps!  Generally, the cheapest way to get around cities is with public transportation (more on that by city). If you want to get from Point A to Point B in a city like Paris or London, put your destination in Google Maps, and you'll generally get several options that include walking, trains, busses, or driving, with how long it should take to get there. Perfect!  In order to use this, however, you need to have a data plan for your phone or tablet.  Both AT&T and Verizon have flat rate daily plans that allow you to use your phone exactly like you use it at home. This is what we both do. But it needs to be planned in advance. I've had problems on landing with AT&T, but Andy's Verizon plan works perfectly as soon as we arrive.

3. Medications - Don't forget to put these in your carry-on.

4. Spare Undies - When Air France lost my luggage last year, and I didn't pack spare clothes, my 92 year old mother was quick to reprimand me. Always pack a day or two worth of undies and spares in your carry-on!

5. Those gallon sized bags for carrying on liquids. I found recently, that they are much stricter overseas than they are here. We've carried bigger bags all over in the States, and even when we went to Paris, but in London, on our return, they made us throw things out if they didn't fit in THEIR bags. So, even if you think you have TSA Pre or something like it, that can get thrown out over there.

6. Xrays and Airport Security when you have Joint Replacement, etc.
Frankly, just plan to spend more time getting through security. My U.S. Representative was no help when I explained that we were delayed repeatedly when it's clear my boyfriend's knee replacement sets off the airport scanner. He just said to carry a card from the doctor. We tried that at first, but it seemed that it made things worse. I don't know if this is a training issue for the TSA or what. But we just explain it before going through the scanner, and they'll do what they do. They always frisk him, and delay him. If anyone has any ideas on how to get the TSA to understand that Boomers often have artificial joints that set off the equipment, please share what you've learned. We can't be the only ones who experience this.

When we traveled home from London was just days after the U.S., France, and England bombed Syria, so they were being more careful even than normal. You never know what might come up.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to give you as much as possible up front. You'll probably see some tips repeated later, but perhaps you'll want to bookmark this post for an overall plan. Hope so.

In Service,

Sondra