Using Online travel agencies

What OTA do you use? Expedia or similar? If it works for you and you get the savings you're looking for, then why not? Obviously the usual caveats apply (dealing with a third party, etc.). There's nothing wrong with working within your budget constraints and selecting a method where you can save money. But the way, what is "TA"? Actually the forum is pretty biased (IMHO) in favor of direct hotel bookings with a pretty strong dislike/distrust of third-parties, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't follow what works for you.

From the number of sad stories that show up on the trip advisor forums, I would say you were lucky!

I am sure that these work for people some of the time. However, when something goes wrong or something needs changing, things fall apart quickly. The consumer can't contact the airlines directly but must go through the OTA. The quality, availability, and reliabity of the OTA customer service seems to vary quite a bit by provider. Some seem to abandon the customer completely.

When you use an OTA you add an additional layer between you and the provider.

You will get better on-line service by booking direct with the airline, like advance seat selection. Not surprising you save money with OTA as TA (Travel Agent I assume) has a powerful incentive to quote you the high priced options. High commissions are how they live.

Thanks Agnes. TA is travel agent. My resume of travel isn't as extensive as many on this sight so I don't have miles accrued, loyalty rewards, etc. I used Travelocity for Madrid trip and paid for hotel and airfare what I would have paid for airfare alone.

I used Travelocity for Madrid trip and paid for hotel and airfare what
I would have paid for airfare alone.

Sounds like it works for you then (albeit based on a limited number of data points). Just know the pros and cons of each approach. I would say that, as you get more "seasoned", you'll discover that you can actually do just as well by booking things a la carte (hotel and flight separately) and, in the process, you may find some hotels that are a bit more "atmospheric" (for lack of better words). The one difference is that packaged bookings largely involve brand name or business hotels (and some boutiques), which are just a subset of the entire inventory of hotels. Smaller, mom and pop type hotels are less likely to negotiate with third-parties and become part of the "package", except on sites like www.booking.com (but the latter are not package deals, they are "hotels only" deals). I am not sure if you got a flight with decent or acceptable connections, but I assume you did.

Bottom line: if you're happy with the air fare and the hotel you're getting and you're fine with limiting yourself to their package, then there's really no issue. I just used www.hotwire.com (I think they're owned by Expedia or Priceline now) to book a domestic hotel recently and saved in the range of 30% (I compared multiple sites to determine this)...I'm fine with the risk-reward tradeoff. You may end up with a "turkey" sometime and then you may sour on the OTAs, but until then, nothing wrong with staying the course. Just be very aware of the trade-offs...most unhappy people are those who get caught off guard and they are the ones posting the nasty reviews.

I think the simpler the trip, the easier it is to use a TA/OTA. Savings are due to high volume of sales. If you wanted to visit a number of small towns, I think you might do as well or better on your own.

I used Travelocity once and dealing with a flight change (by the airline) was a headache. I do it myself now.

I normally use a travel agent for overseas flights, and book hotels directly using information from the RS guidebooks. If I decide to buy cancellation or baggage insurance for a particular trip, I also get that from the travel agent. My travel medical insurance is covered by my retiree plan so I don't have to deal with that.

I use Kayak website to find the lowest airfare or lowest hotel cost. Then, I go directly to the airline website or hotel website to book. It is very rare that you pay a higher fare booking direct with the airline or hotel.

While I have used online travel agencies, I MUCH prefer to book directly, especially air travel. The inconvenience of managing a mangled reservation at accommodations is just that, while fixing flights that don't meet the reservations is a larger headache. Attempting to contact a knowledgeable person at an online travel agency while in an intermediate airport and then resolving the matter could be most challenging. Booking directly with airlines and experiencing a problem mid-route is far easier to repair by visiting a customer service counter.

Bill, it depends on what level of hotel you are using. Smaller, less expensive family-run hotels, such as the kind Rick Steves recommends, are easy enough to find and book on your own. But it does take some research to make decisions. Travel Agents generally are most familiar and comfortable with booking you into larger, business class, chain hotels, since that is what they know. I am guessing OTAs are also looking only at hotels with which they have a business relationship.

I prefer to deal directly with hotels, rather than a third party. However I do sometimes use a travel agent for booking complicated airline, even though I've never seen them come up with a fare or package that I couldn't find myself on-line. I used OTAs for a couple of domestic trips, and was not happy with them resolving problems that came up (flight changes, hidden hotel fees).

I use Kayak website to find the lowest airfare or lowest hotel cost.
Then, I go directly to the airline website or hotel website to book.

Not sure how that works with airlines, but there are problems with that approach to accommodations.

For example, finding the properties own website. There is a Gästehaus in Berchtesgaden in which I have stayed twice in the last few years. In response to an earlier question on this website, I went to look up information on a search engine. I didn't remember their exact URL, but I knew the name and specified Berchtesgaden, the Gästehaus wasn't listed on the search until page 9. I had to go through so many search pages with multiple listings by Tripadvisor and booking websites that I almost gave up.

The booking website know how to manipulate the listing to get in ahead of the properties actual website. And no wonder. The first listing, a major booking company, was charging more than 10% more than the Gästehaus charged if booked direct.

The second problem is that if you only use booking websites to find places, you are limiting yourself to less than half the accommodations in a lot of towns, those places that charge more and can afford the 15% or more commission that the booking websites charge.

It seems to be a better deal on sites like Travelocity if you are staying in one city. I am consistently finding hotel and flight combos to many European cities that are cheaper than the flights themselves that are listed on airline sites themselves.

Are the cities first-tier cities (Paris, London, Rome, etc.) and are the hotels exclusively business brands? There are folks here and there who write to the forum that they took a package deal somewhere where having a car is actually a liability because trains are a better way to get around. So, some packages may work and some may trap you with a low price but an itinerary (or amenities, like a car) that don't necessarily make you better off. If it's just a stay in a big city, then it may be a great deal since big cities can be expensive.

Pricing Rome in January(we like to travel offseason when possible), and am finding chain hotels combined with airfare in districts like the Vatican or Prati for about $1000 per person. Not trying to sound like a commercial but it seems almost too good to be true. Don't want the hotel or airline to treat me like a second class customer for using an OTA but for an 8 night trip to Rome, the OTA seems like the best deal.

I use an online travel agent for booking cruises and have been happy with them - but I search myself then call them only to book what I've already picked.

I book my other trips myself, there are plenty of good sights to search for deals. I figure out what works best for me then book it. Only I know whether I'm willing to add a connection to save a couple hundred dollars or how much extra I'd pay for a direct flight. I've never felt an agent makes the same choices I would and really doesn't care to try.

I also book everything seperately, flights, lodging, cars, because I explore my options then make choices about each one.

I'm horrible on rewards programs, since I search for the best deal each time. I have a ton of rewards cards that never stack up enough points. On the other hand, if you took my savings and added them up, they'd likely more than compensate for someone's free hotel night or free flight (subject to restrictions).

Don't want the hotel or airline to treat me like a second class
customer for using an OTA but for an 8 night trip to Rome, the OTA
seems like the best deal.

They're not going to treat you like a second class customer, you just have to accept the possibility of hiccups and dealing with a third party...but for a low price, I would deal with that possibility. Did you say you use Travelocity? Can you share some sample hotels and flights you came up with (do they have more than 1 connection)?

Agnes, just now found one for Vatican district, Jan 16-25 staying at Best Western Spring Hotel, flying Delta out of Tulsa, connecting in Atlanta, then to Rome for 900$ per person. Finding similar ones in other parts of Rome. Never been to Rome so still learning where to stay. I imagine going out of DC it might be even cheaper.

When I am researching prices for hotels and flights, I will do that on a site like Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity or Trip Advisor. I always book flights through the airline, but I will book hotels through an online site if their price is a significant savings.

I have had reasonably good experiences using online sites for booking hotels. I almost always find a cheaper price that way, but I only book hotels that I have tried to research or have had recommended to me.

(I did try Priceline. Once. Ages ago. I did not enjoy the experience, but it might work well for others.)

Note that news report stated that this was for DOMESTIC flights, not international.

International flights will drop and rise though the summer and fall as different airlines push certain routes and the other majors match them. For example, i just this week found and jumped on a round trip on Lufthansa between Philadelphia and Amsterdam for under $490, this was half or less than anything else I found there, and similar fares for this route were in their alliance partners United and Air Canada.