There are three types of travel sites: Open sites, blind sites and search-engine sites. Open sites operate as online travel agencies, negotiating directly with airlines and hotels. Most people are already familiar with the big names, including Orbitz , Expedia and Travelocity.
These websites search their own databases and travel-agency systems to come up with airfare and hotel deals. Blind sites, such as Priceline, operate similar databases of schedules and fares, but also allow you to bid for tickets and hotels, which might net you a lower price. The catch is you won't know the airline, departure time, or hotel name until you actually buy the ticket, so this option is only for those who are willing to be very flexible. Hotwire doesn't let users bid, but some of its lowest rates and fares are somewhat blind in that to nab the lowest fares, you don't know the airline or hotel name until after purchase. Flights purchased on blind sites tend to be non refundable, and you sometimes don't earn frequent flyer miles for flights booked on a blind site. With Priceline, you may be asked to change your departure or arrival dates, airport of departure, hotel location, or type of rental vehicle before your bid is accepted.
Other smaller travel sites out there. These don't have a comprehensive feature set, but they are often a great choice for a specific need. For rental cars, Breezenet.com has a pretty extensive selection. There are many sites specifically for deals. Site59.com is a great site for last-minute travel packages, helpful if you have a hankering for a spur-of-the-moment trip. Travelzoo.com publishes up-to-the-minute deals for everything from cruises to hotels and car rentals. QuikBook.com for its large database of hotels in Washington, New York and many other major cities. LostHotels.com specializes in small, privately-owned, unique hotels mainly in tropical destinations, and prices range from budget to luxurious.
Search engines scour more databases for best fares, while standard travel sites have more searching flexibility, especially for vacation packages. Standard travel sites also negotiate their own deals with suppliers, and they sometimes turn up cheaper fares.
Consider fees. Most search-engine sites don't charge service fees, while mainstream travel sites often charge booking fees (Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz all charge fees). Booking directly through an airline or hotel never incurs a fee, so it's always good to check directly on those sites.
Check directly with the airline or hotel before booking. Many hotels and airlines now guarantee that the lowest prices are on their websites, so if you find a price that looks good on a travel website, also check the airline's site. Remember, blind sites don't allow you to earn frequent flyer miles. Airline and hotel websites may offer bonus miles for points for booking directly on their site, as well as for using an airline or hotel credit card.
Check cancellation clauses when booking. Canceling hotel reservations made online -- either at online agencies like Expedia or at hotel web sites -- can result in fees from $25 to the full cost of a room. So, it's important to note the policies stated on each site before booking. Hotels often offer a lower prepaid rate, where a rate with cancellation flexibility can be higher.
The three main online travel agency sites -- Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity -- are used by 28% of North Americans who book leisure travel trips. Travel search engines are coming on strong too. SideStep and Kayak are spending millions on site technology because other search engines are "catching up fast, mimicking much of what makes SideStep great. Farecompare and Farecast gained cache as the new, more analytically advanced search engines on the technology block. |
