These days, growing numbers of travelers – as many as three out of five – go online to research and book trips, industry experts say. And many Web sites, including the so-called “Big Three” online travel agencies – Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz – are getting easier for consumers to navigate. Each charges a service or booking fee.
Among the hundreds of other Internet travel Web sites, Travelzoo has become a favorite for its fresh list of Top-20 hot deals e-mailed each Wednesday to more than 8 million subscribers.
Increasingly, savvy travelers are learning that it’s often a good idea to deal directly with individual airlines or hotels; some of the best rates can be found on airline Web sites, such as South west.com, or hotel chains such as Starwood.com or Marriott.com, which guarantee best rates. Better package prices may be available from the Big Three, however, thanks to large-scale price-bundling on hotels, flights and rental cars.
For some consumers, shopping around on the dizzying array of online travel sites is time-consuming and frustrating because of frequently shifting prices, apples-and-oranges comparisons and the myriad choices and decisions involved. It’s hard to know, for example, whether to be patient and wait for rates to drop, or to pounce on a price that seems good at the time – since many good Internet deals sell out fast.
Often, experts say, the best online bargains are won by travelers who have flexible travel dates or who can book last-minute trips.
Top 3 all-purpose sites
www.expedia.com: Known for its choice, flexibility and deals on hotels (both domestic and international), this also is considered a good site on which to arrange multi-stop flight itineraries.
www.orbitz.com: With an inventory of more than 455 airlines, this smooth, easy site is a great first stop for checking and comparing airfares. Orbitz also offers international lodging options and 22 car rental companies.
www.travelocity.com: There are choices galore on this multipurpose site that’s gaining a reputation for selection and deals on cruises. Check out the dream maps function in the flights section for amazing deals.
Best impulse sites
www.travelzoo.com: Known as the Internet’s largest publisher of travel offers and specials, this is a fun, get-up-and-go site whose weekly “Top 20” e-mail list of hot deals culled from more than 300 travel companies generally is so good you hardly can afford to stay home.
For example, last week’s list featured a quick-selling $99 each-way winter fare from Detroit to the Bahamas on Spirit Airlines and a tip that lowest fares generally are for midweek travel.
www.site59.com: Last-minute travelers sometimes get lucky on this get-out-of-town site that offers discounts on weekend trips for “anywhere but here.”
Bidding sites
www.priceline.com: Flexibility and knowledge of going rates pay off on this bidding site where travelers name their price for discount airfare and other travel elements. The catch is uncertainty: you don’t know before you buy exactly what times you’ll be flying. However, consumers may opt to choose specific flights for higher rates.
To research and compare prices across many sites, it is best used in conjunction with www.biddingfortravel.com or www.bookingbuddy.com. Also, try fare-searching at Priceline’s sister site, www.lowestfare .com, where you can compare ticket prices without having to make a bid or buy anything.
www.skyauction.com: Bid for bargains on places you never realized you wanted to visit.
Source: Susan R. Pollack at detnews.com
