Is DIY Booking Worth the Risk?

One of the big things I have dealt with lately is the idea that it is cheaper to book things yourself. This is true and false all at the same time. Recently I have had two instances where clients have found a cheaper fare: one was an flight and one was a flight and hotel... the latter unfortunately found that sometimes if it seems too good to be true, it is.

If you choose to do it yourself, it may be good to know how in the world do booking sites work? But just remember that travel agents usually are free to work with and many times can get you a better deal.

Booking sites can get bookings three different ways.

• The first is that the booking sites buy fares. This means that they buy a clump of seats on the airplane or a clump of hotel rooms. They buy a grouping of them and get a discounted rate and then give that discount to the buyer.

• The second is that they make an ad and then submit an offer. Sometimes this works in favor for the booking site, other times, you may end up paying what the extra cost was when you go to get on the flight or go to check out. Trust me this is a big OH MY moment when it happens.

• The final way that the booking sites get you such a cheap offer is that they have contracts with certain businesses and are able to provide you with that cheaper offer. Many times you can get that SAME price through travel agents without having to scour the internet. (We do that work for you).

Now, I would love to say that a travel agent will always get you the best deal, but lets be realistic, that isn't always going to happen. A good travel agent will address this and let you know that if you found a better deal, TAKE IT! But that there are always situations that can arise when you use a third party and you need to take precautions.

As I stated at the beginning, my client had found a flight and hotel that was super cheap. The hotel was a huge luxury brand and the airfare was a direct flight. She jumped on the luxury deal after I had given her multiple quotes for other hotels and flights. I got a call at six in the morning the day her flight was leaving. She was standing at the airport check-in and was in tears. Her flight was not confirmed and she had a fake ticket. Her voice quivered as she called me to "fix it". I sat on the phone telling her that there was nothing that I could do. She got angry with me and then I told her to call the hotel that she had booked, and then to call me back. She called within minutes with what I expected, that was fake too. I guided her in letting her know to call her bank, to stop payment, yet they had already taken the full amount. $3700! Gone. She had asked the airline if they had any seats going, and that ticket would have been nearly triple what my quote initially was. She had me look up ANY hotel that was available, and the one I found was not up to her standard.

In 2019, scammers took to the internet and managed to take thousands of dollars away from travelers posing as Expedia. Some lost up to $3700 by these scammers who had the clients changing their bookings.The imposters were saying the booking site wasn't working correctly and they had to use gift cards to change their travel arrangements. Remember, you will never be asked to use a gift card to change your bookings.

Booking with Expedia and other third party companies do have their risks.

• Changing or cancelling your flight could be complicated and have you paying extra. Many places have a 24 hour cancellation/change policy, but that is not guaranteed.

• Notices of changes or cancellations may not be communicated to you. When you book with an agent, the airline usually send a call/text/or email to alert you of any changes. However, always download the airlines app to make sure you get all the updates that you would need.

• You can miss out on deals. Guess what, third party vendors are given referral fees... and you could actually be paying more.

If it is too good to be true, it probably is. We all have heard this and sometimes it is 100% true. Sometimes the flights do not include your stowed luggage, sometimes they are just whatever seats are left, sometimes you get what you pay for. This reminds me of the time we got a "great hotel" that was cheap and found ourselves in a situation where there were drugs and used needles in our room along with cockroaches. But sometimes you find that little miracle. This can happen... and a good travel agent will tell you to take it!