As with any other product, the priceof travel can vary dramatically. The same journey — by plane, train, boat or whatever — can cost more or less depending on a wide range of factors.
Of course, prices are affected by the season — ski resorts tend to be at a premium during winter — and other demand factors.
But with price comparison as near as your computer or mobile device, you might be surprised to find exactly the same journey or stay, at the same time, offered at bizarrely different prices.
If I’m planning a particular holiday, I sign up for everything I can find online — every newsletter, every promotional email, every social media feed — that relates to my intended travel experience. (Don’t worry, you can always unsubscribe when you’re done, or you can divert them to a different profile set up just for this purpose.)
When I see something that appeals, I shop around. My normal instinct is to go direct to the service provider — the airline, hotel group, cruise line or whatever — to see if they can match or beat the third-party (travel agent) quote.
Very often they can, and going direct has the advantage of knowing exactly who you dealing with — a brand you know and, if worst comes to worst, you can pursue and sue — in case things go wrong.
If they can’t, then it’s worth digging deeper before making a booking with a company you’ve never heard of — just to make sure that you are dealing with somebody reputable. With travel agents, they should be a member of an industry body that underwrites your booking if things go pear-shaped.
My instincts may be wrong, but I don’t like sites that offer to send me a quote if I fill in a form. If they don’t have software than can directly book and confirm my room, flight or cruise, then I’m suspicious.
Tripadvisor and other sites are useful, but you have to bear in mind that those “objective” reviews can be anything but. Some are written by competing businesses or people with unreasonable grudges (and whose posts, incidentally, often make for unintentionally hilarious reading).
At the end of the day, be wary. My Dad used to say that, when driving, you should treat every other driver as if they’re an idiot. When booking online, you should assume that somebody — even the software that records your search habits and jacks up the price based on your return visits — is trying to take advantage.
Another important part is that if you are a senior citizen, travel insurance with regard to pensioners is something that is important to really take into account. The older you are, the harder at risk you are for having something terrible happen to you while overseas. If you are not covered by quite a few comprehensive insurance plan, you could have quite a few serious complications. Thanks for expressing your suggestions on this blog.