Great Advice Mark! I learned my lesson from using Expedia last fall.. Not to mention hidden fees with 3rd party bookings.

I use the 3rd party sites to just find places, then book direct if the price is the same or cheaper

Never had any problems with 3rd party websites, always pick free cancelation

A thousand percent this! Better for the traveler, better for the company providing the service. Wins all around.

Really good advice. Last October we booked a room in Luxembourg near the Airport with check in time until 9PM. We got there at 8:30pm and couldn't check in. Couldn't get ahold of anyone so we had to spend the night in the airport. Never was able to get out money back because my son used a 3rd party app.

The absolute truth. However, I have heard that if you are taking a cruise, it is better to go through a dedicated cruise travel agent as opposed to booking directly with the cruise line. Why? A good cruise TA will have knowledge of the line, the ship, your needs and desires, and is better equipped to run interference if things go wrong. I'm not a cruiser, but this makes sense to me.

Just booked with a hotel directly as I always do and even though a rewards member I got a cheaper rate with hotel directly.

I worked at the front desk of a few hotels and booking sites charged $30 over our rate to book a room and often made mistakes in their bookings. We did not authorize them to list us on their sites and they did anyway, and they paid Google to list their site above ours when guests searched for our hotel. If you do use a third-party site, be very careful to choose one that is ethical!

@barbaracarr17

2 ай бұрын

You are so right. I was severely burned by this. I'm sad for the hardworking people at the hotels who are also hurt by this practice.

A problem with booking through an airline is connecting flights through other carriers that aren't provided, especially for international flights that have no direct flights. Registering with the hotel, directly, is a good idea, especially if they have apps.

yeah, I booked via Expedia once...go to the hotel and they had no record of the booking. I was lucky they had one room left.

Booking directly with an airline will also give you the extras of their benefit program. So make sure you give them your frequent flyer number during booking 🙂 I got confronted with a cancelled flight last December, called the airline and was immediately rebooked. Got to my final destination just 2 hours after my original arrival time 🙂

We booked our 2018 trip to Munich through the airline with a hotel, was a great experience and due to a hurricane coming they contacted us and flew us out earlier to Germany in case the airport had delays or closures on our original date. Using them again for this years trip.

we went through hell with the third party experience. it was a car rental in England in January and they still are not refunding.go direct even if it costs $20 more it will be way cheaper if there is a problem.

I tried to book directly, but it was WAY more expensive because Expedia gave me a package deal. My car rental, I book directly because my work gets me a 25% off deal. I also have a big group and airbnb gives me more space for less $. Hotels in the UK rarely have room for over 3 people (adults). You have to book two rooms.

Always good to be reminded of this. Thank you!😊❤

Thanks for the advice 😊❤

We have a travel guru that we've used now for 3 international trips. We're making our 4th trip in the summer of '25 and I keep thinking it would be less $ if we did our own booking. There's just so much to plan when we might be going to 5-6 countries in one trip! I'm not sure I'm up for the challenge!

Good advice, thanks!!

Great advice!

I use booking's pay when you get there option and I've never had an issue. Esp if you can't pay right away. So that's another option esp when you can cancel for free before arriving.

I agree, always book directly hotels and flights, it’s always a better choice.

Great advice Mark. I never book a hotel except directly. I have called non chain hotels that are on apps in Asia to see if they will match the price and they usually will as they get less money from the app. I have booked a few crazy airline deals that were probably mistake fares just for me with the expectation I may have to eat the ticket. So far I've been lucky but the prices were just crazy cheap.

Very, very true 👍

Good advice. I'll do it when I become rich and avoiding slight inconveniences with a low chance of occurring is more important than saving money

Vicenza!

So true

I got burned by booking with one of those third-parties, who went bankrupt before the trip. And as they were a foreign company, I had no way to get my money back! Screwed!!!

Only reason we book through Expedia for flights is due to my husbands credit card points, otherwise I would probably book direct too! But thanks for this advice, I’ll definitely look into that for hotels :)

Yes! A few years ago in Australia my wife was injured and we had to cut short our trip. We'd bought great airline fares through a third party and got no help at all from them. Quanta's reps were unable to help because of the third party so we ended up buying return fares for well over what our round trip cost had been. Never again will we not go direct with the airline. On another note Booking charges what I would consider a very high percentage from the host for their service. I was told 16% once and 18% another time from small hotel / apartment owners.

Great Advice! I lost $1000 booking flight through a 3rd party to Turkey

Facts

I’ve never used third party booking and I never will. Booking directly from the hotel/airline website gives me peace of mind.

@stevenporter863

2 ай бұрын

How to book directly through airline? If call them there is a premium for just talking to a real person. Then there is connecting flight issues, which may be through another airline.

@petek5523

2 ай бұрын

@@stevenporter863 I go right to the airlines website, but I almost always fly with the same airline and fly direct whenever possible.

@SBmasta441

2 ай бұрын

@@stevenporter863 The airline's website.

❤❤❤

Especially with airlines as the price difference is negligible. Expedia does try to work with you, but I agree that it's another layer.

@rebeccatelgenhoff3540

2 ай бұрын

Expedia is very crooked, from what I learned when using them. If you have a problem they won’t work with you unless you put a lot of pressure on them.

Trains:book directly through the rail company-not 3rd parties like"Trainline". Found out the hard way..

Only problem with booking hotels abroad is they may not have an English site or a well translated one. Also, each hotel website has their own booking process to figure out. I like using just one booking site (Agoda) because the steps are easy and the same all the time. And they clearly state the cancellation policy and I can cancel directly from the site or app. Flights I always book directly with the airline though.

@johnnytx45

2 ай бұрын

You also will be paying, usually, in their currency, and that will require you to alert your credit card company of the charge so it will go through.

But how do you feel about 'package holidays'?

FFM is where it's at. 😆

You also pay 3 to 4 times more booking direct with the airlines! This is coming from a former airline employee.

@jbbb7418

2 ай бұрын

Hotels are different.

Often its cheaper to go directly. They will price match most times.

What about if you always choose free cancellation option with 3rd party apps? 🤔

Have never been to the New England States and we are going at the end of summer right before the fall, mainly New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Can you or anyone recommend things to do that will be amazing but won't break the bank? Planning on visiting Portsmouth,NH, Salem and Boston, Mass. Places to eat as well as stay away from. Thank you!!

@VanceWorldTravel

2 ай бұрын

Boston... the Freedom Trail. It's totally free. If you manage to get to Maine, go to Bar Harbor, walk on the bottom of the ocean(free), and visit Bar Harbor National Park (small fee).

@rese7878

2 ай бұрын

@VanceWorldTravel oh my gosh thank you so much for this. We will definitely look into these especially the Freedom Trail. May go into Maine, but just not sure how far in from those areas. Thank you again for this information!😊

@jocelynwoltersworld

2 ай бұрын

We have a bunch of videos on that area of the country. Just search Wolters World and MA, NH etc and you'll find lots of info. Loads of hiking, gallery browsing, soaking up the atmosphere is easy and free.😊

@rese7878

2 ай бұрын

@@jocelynwoltersworld thank you! I've watched the one where I believe he's in Boston on a lawn, but that's it so far. I will definitely look the rest up. Thank you again!!

BINGO! Just learned this IN PARIS. ♥ THANKS!