What is the best travel site on the web? (i.e. travelocity, priceline, etc)?

Answer 1

I work for a travel website and Im a former airline employee and I will tell you that ALL the travel websites are traps for uneducated travelers, and yes I make a living selling to uneducated people. Booking directly with the airline is ALWAYS the best and safest way to go. I have YET to find a website that can beat most of the airlines deals. Now they have to be more competitive with the .com's. Travel websites charge booking fee's and offer some of the most rediculous routes making you think you are saving money, when you have a double or triple connection and only saving $30. In actuality you will spend that $30 on your connection buying food or magazines and in the end, wasting your time.

If you do choose a website stay away from the ones that sell you an itinerary before you see what you are getting. READ ALL OF THE FARE RULES and shop around.

These websites buy fares in bulk. These bulk fares are highly restricted and can not for any reason be changed. The airlines can not and will not touch them.

Travel agents also charge booking fee's, so they have a mark up over the tickets base fare as well. They are also responsible for posting payment, and there are many out there that are slow to post and your ticket will not be paid for by the time you check in...meaning you are up a creek. (I was a ticket agent, Ive seen it. I wont sling mud so the agencies will remain nameless, but they are major US companies as well as the small mom and pop strip mall operations)

If you do happen to find a better deal on a site, make sure it is a well known, reputable site. Make sure they are registered with Better Business, as well as any travel agency you choose. Again, READ THE FARE RULES BEFORE YOU PURCHASE!!!!! Look at the airlines you have available to the airports you are flying between. Some discount carriers like Southwest and Jet Blue do not participate with these websties, you have to go directly to their page. Go to your home airports website and find the link for airlines that service that airport then check with them. I do however recommend checking a few of the sites, Orbitz, Expedia, Yahoo, and Priceline, even an aggrigate like Booking Buddy or Side Step to compare rates...then go to the airlines website, who ever had the best fare on those sites will usually be cheaper on the airlines website, even by $15 (usually that is the cost of the booking fee, it can be a $15-$50 difference, but I have seen higher ones). You will 99% of the time fine better fares and flights. ALWAYS BOOK NON-STOP IF ITS AVAILABLE.

Educate yourself and be smart when you travel, Im glad you asked.

Answer 2

Any old website - but it depends what you want to do - and where you are. Websites are basically travel agents and essentially have the same deals as any other travel agent. They just dress things up differently. True, there are those websites that have already been mentioned, that are much better at the last minute, cheap stuff. And yes, you can combine a cheap flight from site a and a hotel from site b which is all fine and dandy until things go, as we say in the UK, a bit pear shaped. Suddenly you have all sorts of problems and you find that, once you have finally unearthed a telephone number, you wind up waiting in a lengthy queue to speak to some clueless moron on the other side of the planet who has all the charm of a traffic policeman whose dinner you have just interrupted. Beware of booking a hotel and then a flight and then a car rental. This is called split contracting and if one bit falls out you are still left with all the other bits and this can be a problem ESPECIALLY if you have to pay "up front". If this sort of travel arrangement is what you want do please still consider the good, old fashioned, (uncool?) package holiday type affair. Then if things get sticky a) you have someone to shout at and b) Are covered financially and c) If one bit goes wrong you are not left with the other bits. My advice. Use websites for simple stuff (that is from point A to point B and back) and only book flights that you are going to take in the next week or so (If a scheduled ailine goes bust, you are last in line for your money back - always use a credit card over £100) Anything more complicated, go and find a good, properly bonded high street travel agent.

Answer 3

There really isn't a 'best' one. Whenever you're pricing something you need to check them all out. The prices will varying greatly.

Generally, what I've found when I'm doing some kind of package thing with airfare and hotel, I usually end up booking through Expedia. But, lately, it's been cheaper if I get the airfare directly from the carrier and get the hotel through Priceline (if just looking for the best value) or through the hotel directly (if looking for one in particular).

skyauction.com, as mentioned by someone else, is a good site. But you need to be aware that they have a lot of fees and taxes that need to be figured on when you're deciding what to bid.

Answer 4

Expedia is the easiest to navigate and has always gives you the price after taxes, fees, and surcharges so there is no surprise unlike many other on-line travel agencies. Though, I always try them all, I usually end up selecting expedia. However, especially in the cases of lodging, after you get a price quote, call the hotel and see if they will match or offer a better rate. Hotels generally would rather deal with you directly so they don't have to pay the agency a commission, but at the least you may be able to save the booking fees.

Answer 5

I have said it before and I will say it again. My favorite vacation site is skyauction.com and the segment of auctions closing soon. Check it out. And for great deals on food check out Restaurants.com and buy $25.00 certificates for as low as $4.00 when using the special code.

Answer 6

Check out www.lonelyplanet.com
It's still the best travel site ever.

Answer 7

travelocity is my favorite and the airlines directly for best fares