The Dirty Little Secret Of Online Travel Sites

[craigt3365]

I had issues with Expedia 2 times now, and have never used them again. I've found I can almost always get the same price by visiting the hotel's/airline's website directly...and sometimes do better. Biggest problems occur when more than 2 airlines are involved. Just thought you might like to read this:

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/11/23/online-travel-mistakes/?iid=HP_River

FORTUNE -- So, what nightmare did you celebrate on Halloween Weekend? My family's was neither imagined nor fun: There had been a freakish winter snowstorm in the Northeast and many homeowners lost electricity in their homes due to downed power lines. At our house in the New York suburbs, we did fine the first night with blankets. But the next night, it was 26 degrees outside and barely 50 indoors.

We logged on to Expedia -- the largest online travel agency -- and were lucky to find a reservation at a Hampton Inn eight miles away. But when we got there, the hotel had never heard of us. It didn't matter that I had an Expedia reservation number -- I didn't have anything from the hotel chain itself. "You're the second person tonight this happened to," said the hotel manager.

It's the dirty little secret in the world of the online travel agencies. No matter how you make your reservation, you always run a tiny risk of arriving at your hotel and finding it overbooked -- just like an airline may not have that seat it promised. But there's an additional risk when you use a third-party provider like Expedia or Travelocity or a range of other companies. If its software doesn't properly hook up to the hotel's electronic booking system, you don't have the room the site claims you reserved.

[chinook]

usually due to hotel staff not keeping agent updated with room availability and not checking e-mails from agent re: bookings, I once worked in a GH in Penang to help the owner out, saw this situation many times.

[Fookhaht]

Using Agoda, I had this very situation happen in N. Bangkok. I arrived, and there was no payment or reservation recorded. They refused to honor the print-out I had brought with me. Fortunately, they had a room, but I had to pay again. Neither Agoda nor the hotel refunded my extra night's money. Last time I used either.

[Genericnic]

Using Agoda, I had this very situation happen in N. Bangkok. I arrived, and there was no payment or reservation recorded. They refused to honor the print-out I had brought with me. Fortunately, they had a room, but I had to pay again. Neither Agoda nor the hotel refunded my extra night's money. Last time I used either.

That is the reason I always book using a credit card. Never a problem getting a refund in situations like that.

David

[BKKdreaming]

Same happened to me last trip, room paid for , showed them printed receipt but no record on hotels computer ,

I had to pay again for the night and bargain down the price to what I paid already ,

In the morning they "found" my reservation and refunded my room payment , but what would have happened if I did not change money at the airport and had nothing to pay with the might before ?

And of course this is after 20 plus hours of flights etc

BK

[h90]

Never had any problems with Agoda. Often I try to book direct and almost always they refuse to give me the same price as Agoda....so I have to go back to Agoda...

Airlines I always booked direct.

[geriatrickid]

The issue with the online webengines is that they give preference to the airlines that pay additional fees to have their fares pop up first. Sometimes the best fare airline doesn't even show up. An example of this is EVA on Expedia. The EVA website will sometimes provide a better airfaire. Airlines will sometimes run promotions with the websites. For example, Vayama typically has the most expensive airfares between Thailand and North America but I snagged a deal that was about 10% less expensive than my usual deal on Orbitz . You have to check out the engines and use different departure times.

Here's my method for getting the best airfares;

1. http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ This gives me the published routes and airfares.

2. Kayak: To get an indication of the website prices.

3. Then check Orbitz, and Vayama

4. For reassurance, I have a quick look at expedia and rarely travelocity. Typically, these engines are always more expensive.

I also check out the newcomer webjet the Australian bucket shop that has some amazing deals for asia at times. The only problem is that the flights don't always match up with the best routings.

5. Before booking I check the airline website to see if there is a seat sale or promotion. I was shocked that a recent booking to Hong Kong was cheaper with Thai Airways (about 1000 baht) than the online websites.

The one advantage of booking on the airline website is that you can book seats at the same time. Often the promotions offered to the online travel websites are not the best seats. For example in the great deal I landed on Vayama, I had to contact the airline to book my seats. . Also, some of the promotions may not give FF points.

[simon43]

For all the major online booking agents that I use/used for my Phuket hotel, (eg Booking.com, Agoda.com, Wotif.com, Expedia, Hotels.com etc) - it is a condition of the contract between hotel and agent that if the hotel indicates room availability to the booking agent, then the hotel MUST honour a customer booking for that room, even if the room is not actually available, due to hotel management oversight or duplicate room booking occurring on different booking web-sites at the same time.

If the hotel has failed to update their room availability with the online agent, or has failed to check for new guest bookings, then that should be their problem, not yours. You can remind them that they must honour the booking and that their contract with the online agent could be cancelled if you complain to that online agent.

Overbookings can occur, and under these circumstances I've had to move the guest to another nearby hotel of similar standard - at my expense.

Simon

[thrilled]

Ya have to be careful.thats why to always use A credit card not A debit card.

[anto909]

Happened to me last year in Koh Samui. Booked a hotel with ebookers, paid with credit card. Printed off the ebookers confirmation. Arrived at hotel, no booking. Never heard of us. Had to call ebookers customer service who then spoke to the hotel owner, Luckily the hotel wasn't very busy and we got the room we had 'booked'. The hotel were great but I now email hotels to make sure they have our booking.

[endure]

I booked a room with booking.com in Bangkok. They required my credit card details to reserve the room but I paid the hotel directly when I arrived. Booking.com didn't take any money off me at all.

[craigt3365]

For all the major online booking agents that I use/used for my Phuket hotel, (eg Booking.com, Agoda.com, Wotif.com, Expedia, Hotels.com etc) - it is a condition of the contract between hotel and agent that if the hotel indicates room availability to the booking agent, then the hotel MUST honour a customer booking for that room, even if the room is not actually available, due to hotel management oversight or duplicate room booking occurring on different booking web-sites at the same time.

If the hotel has failed to update their room availability with the online agent, or has failed to check for new guest bookings, then that should be their problem, not yours. You can remind them that they must honour the booking and that their contract with the online agent could be cancelled if you complain to that online agent.

Overbookings can occur, and under these circumstances I've had to move the guest to another nearby hotel of similar standard - at my expense.

Simon

You're an honorable hotel owner. Fantastic! Unfortunately, not all are like you.

I was at the front desk of a Holiday Inn in Malaysia a few years ago. Wanted a room, rack rates were all that were being offered. Staff said I had to book online with their site to get the deals. They allowed me to use the computer next to the front desk and I got a rate that was 50% off the rack rate. Crazy.

I booked a room 2 years ago here in Thailand with one of the major sites. Great rate. Hotel manager told me next time to just call her and she would meet or beat any price I could find online. Many times, calling directly will get you a great deal. But obviously, not always!

[Chivas]

For all the major online booking agents that I use/used for my Phuket hotel, (eg Booking.com, Agoda.com, Wotif.com, Expedia, Hotels.com etc) - it is a condition of the contract between hotel and agent that if the hotel indicates room availability to the booking agent, then the hotel MUST honour a customer booking for that room, even if the room is not actually available, due to hotel management oversight or duplicate room booking occurring on different booking web-sites at the same time.

If the hotel has failed to update their room availability with the online agent, or has failed to check for new guest bookings, then that should be their problem, not yours. You can remind them that they must honour the booking and that their contract with the online agent could be cancelled if you complain to that online agent.

Overbookings can occur, and under these circumstances I've had to move the guest to another nearby hotel of similar standard - at my expense.

Simon

All well and good Simon and no doubt you are absolutely correct, but using that approach with Thai receptionists will immediately render them deaf and dumb. We've all seen it in various situations, where loss of face is occuring....

[peterdes]

hello

I must say ,I have used Agoda many times and never had any problems and always and only in Bangkok with differant hotels

The price that you can get there is not to find directly with the hotel (I thry many times)

I am travelling a lot , for work and for holiday -- always Thailand Agoda booking - paying with Visa credit card

I stay with what is good , changing is not always better

take care

peter