To date there are 18 major online travel booking websites. Some travelers prefer to use a brick and mortar travel booking agent because they want that personal touch. Others find the online process so much more convenient. The savvy traveler has their favorite site to use, but what if you are new to the process? How can one possible choose the best one? Lets take a look.
When you start out looking for a travel booking site, keep in mind the internet is a big place and anyone can say anything they wish, whether it is the truth or not. Some review sites have stories written by real travelers who had a real experience, but they can also be written by people working for the competition. Travel review sites really try to keep their reviews genuine, but sometimes a troublemaker will put a ‘scam alert’ on the message board. Many times a scam report going around the travel forums will end up being completely disproven shortly after being posted.
So how do you get a real review? The best method is to use an independent service that does the research for you. Places like Consumer Reports, Top Ten Reviews and many national daily newspapers do annual reviews on a multiple of industry service providers. With the advent of the internet, it has become increasingly important for these research companies to get genuine information out to the public, only because they are completely independent and have a duty to be unbiased. The Better Business Bureau is also a good source of authentic information. While they do not do industry wide research, they do publish details on complaints made against a company and if the complaint was resolved to the satisfaction of the customer. A company’s BBB rating carries a lot of weight with the consumer, as it is based entirely upon customer opinion.
What services are important? More specifically, what services provided by an online travel booking site are important? First of all, the options for booking are pretty crucial. Users will want a site that is logical and easy to use. Support should be easily attainable in multiple ways, such as via phone, chat, or email. Providing additional information about the destination is a very nice feature to have on a booking site. Weather reports, security updates, travel advisories and maps are things that a good travel booking site will offer.
The one thing every consumer wants is a good price. Airline ticket prices and accommodation fees fluctuate immensely, so an online travel booking site needs to be very up to date on the changes. If the airlines suddenly drop their prices, the website needs to show the change immediately. Otherwise the customer is left with inaccurate information that could end up changing their whole travel plan. Additional fees are also a great factor to consider. Some travel booking services charge extra fees for a paper ticket, an itinerary change, refunded fares, airport shuttles and a host of other things. On top of that fee, sometimes the airline will charge a penalty as well. Be sure to check the policies before booking so you know exactly what to expect should an issue arise.
Frequent flyer miles are a popular way for people to subsidize their airline ticket cost, but not all travel booking sites recognize them. Also, not all sites allow you to earn points on your ticket purchase. Travel insurance is always important when you are going abroad. Some booking sites offer insurance and some do not. Often travel insurance can be purchased through your car or house insurance provider.
The moral of the story here is do not believe everything you read on review sites or the travel forums. To make the best choice in an online travel booking site, use independent researchers like those listed above. They will provide an unbiased and thorough report on the service so that you can make an educated choice.