https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/travel/travel-mistakes-tips.html
Not sure exactly what category this article best suits, since it includes more than transportation. I find it one of the better- written travel articles, and one that we can easily bookmark and attach when folks ask about third- party flight bookings.
Hopefully it can be opened.
I am posting the same link as a "gift" in case anyone runs into a paywall. Unwaddeth thy panties!
Thanks to both of you for sharing. I agree it is well-written. I particularly liked the section on allowing enough advance time in your schedule to deal with irregular operations by airlines if you have a set event.
If you spend any time at all on Tripadvisor, almost daily, you see some sob story of somebody who found a great deal on Bubbasdiscounttrouble.com and is now completely screwed. They are out money - have reservations that don’t work, etc. There is no cheap airfare fairy and if you can’t find the airfare on an airline website, do not hit purchase
The airlines are no longer doing discounts for consolidators, etc. they don’t have to in this day of Internet.
My fav was make sure it's not your fault first, those are the rules, and have a heart for the guy that might be worse off than you.
I remind myself to be humble, we all can make mistakes or fall prey. Nonetheless I've never understood the ease at which many so willingly turn over large sums of money with little to no due diligence, or understanding of what they're buying.
My own personal rules have been primary sources take precedence over secondary sources, do my research and due diligence. Book direct and do not insert middlemen between myself and the service providers. Read the T&Cs and understand what I'm paying for. They've served me well.
Thanks for calling out attention to that article!
Honestly, it sounds like a lot of advice distilled from forum posters here! Don't use middlemen and allow yourself some flex time for important events! I think "we" often want to say "Are you sure you are right" but sometimes leave that up to the poster to find out.
...Bubbasdiscounttrouble.com...There is no cheap airfare fairy...
Carol hit the nail on the head. The aricle cited confirms what many have advocated for years; use the internet to do research, but deal directly with the airlines and hotels. Much easier to deal directly with the vendor than dealing with a secord or third party operation using a contracted out phone bank.
Seth Kugel is one of my travel heroes, going back to when he wrote a regular column as the "Frugal Traveler." His advice is spot on.
While it's true, as a few have pointed out, that similar advice has been shared on this forum (and others) frequently in the past, the fact that he has gotten many emails from readers (in his capacity as the "Tripped Up" editor for the NY Times) suggests that it's worth reminding people of these things.
And his suggestion that polite emails are often all that's needed to resolve a situation is smart. And sometimes perseverence is also necessary. I recently had an issue with Turkish Airlines that they struggled to resolve satisfactorily. (I was in Egypt, planning to go to Israel, when the war started. I had a return flight from Tel Aviv, and when I had to change it, they charged me $2500 USD.) It took a while, including multiple calls to their customer service number and multiple messages via their customer feedback online form, but they finally got it resolved. And there was no middleman involved.
It's always interesting to me that people who make the common mistakes, such as booking through the middleman that turns out to be a scam or renting an RV through a company that has hundreds of complaints, don't find the travel forums until AFTER they've been screwed. I've see so many people on here and the TA forums that are first-time posters who come to complain about how their trip was "ruined". Why do so many people fail to find the forums while they are making plans, saving themselves headaches and loss of money?
I have a question about booking through a middleman. The article specifically references someone who booked flights through their Chase travel card. I literally just got that same travel card with the plan to book upcoming flights through them and get 5x points. My first time trying a travel rewards card. We'll, crap. So then how do others use their travel rewards cards, if you need to book travel through them to get the rewards?
I imagine it's one of those things that 99% of the time, everything will work out fine. But that 1% will suck big time when it doesn't work out.
Overall I'm happy with the Chase travel visa and have found them to be very responsive if I need to call. I like the feature where my husband and I can transfer points between reward accounts. I usually use Chase rewards for hotels, as they have cancelable hotels, ( which obviously cost more points.) British Airways Avios hotel bookings usually have non- cancelable policies.
My daughter uses Chase visa rewards for flights - not sure if she has ever had to change anything, I've never heard any complaints.
Safe travels!
Good article (thanks for gifting the link, Estimated Prophet!). I do love Seth Kugel - like Lane, I read him for years when he wrote the Frugal Traveler column, and like all of his advice is spot on. And as Pam noted, many of us preach the same thing day after day.
Pat, maybe you should retitle it to say, "First time travelers, read this!" 😊 And I'm only half-kidding.
Both Chase and Capital One do give extra perks buying through their travel portals. So far, I have only done hotels and that has worked well. I am hesitant about flights because I really like being able to deal directly on those.
I NEVER book flights with third party vendors, just the airlines.
First, I check Kayak.com for flights, the book with the airline. Sometimes there are cheaper options with vendors or even an airline (that I don't wish to use). I use Delta unless the difference in cost is significant.
Second, I book whole tours with tour companies like Gate 1 or others if that is what I wish to do.
Third, if we traveling on our own, I book B&Bs or hotel based on location, reviews and cost. I am with IHG for Holiday Inn and more hotels, so I may use them or my Chase card for points. Sometimes, I do use Booking.com if the price savings is significant over the hotel. Also, if I pick the Hilton hotel, I am with Hilton Honors and book with them.
For day tours, I try to book direct with the company, but sometimes with Booking.com or Viator.com
Mardee, you have a great sense of humor!😉
Just plug a flight into Google flights and then look at the purchase options, why would you risk a few bucks
