Online travel booking sites

[PapaBear]

Which ones tend to be the best? I'm planning a trip for my son's family day weekend in boot camp in Kentucky. So far, it looks like Orbitz is the best and easiest. Flight, rental car for 4 days, and motel for 3 nights for around $600. I looked at Price Line, and I don't understand the whole "name your own price" Thing. What standards do you use in naming a price? Are there any other sites that you like better?

[underdog]

kayak.com

They check everywhere, including all of the discount sites.

I've never found a lower price than using kayak.com.

[CruelCircus]

I never use Priceline for flights, b/c you can't control when you fly, but it's great for hotels and especially rental cars. Not sure what you mean by "what standards." You just submit a price that's lower than you can find at a place like Orbitz or Expedia, and see if you can get it.

I use hotels.com a lot. They seem to have a lot of good deals, and hidden bargains.

[PapaBear]

kayak.com

They check everywhere, including all of the discount sites.

I've never found a lower price than using kayak.com.
I just tried it. It's kind of confusing, but I like the concept. I'm going to look more into it tomorrow. I can't actually book everything until Monday night. What was confusing was trying to get flight, car, and room quoted as one price. Orbitz made that part very easy.

[PapaBear]

I ended up going for Orbitz. Got the flight, 3 nights at Best Western right by the airport, rental car, trip protection, and a one day pass for Six Flags (that's where my son wants to spend his free weekend) for $555. Not too shabby.

I was a bit surprised about the carriers, though. I haven't flown since 1988, so I just picked Delta. Turns out, Delta really means the first leg will be on Freedom Airlines, and the second leg on Chautauqua Airlines. THOSE PLANES BETTER HAVE JET ENGINES!!!

[boosterp]

I ended up going for Orbitz. Got the flight, 3 nights at Best Western right by the airport, rental car, trip protection, and a one day pass for Six Flags (that's where my son wants to spend his free weekend) for $555. Not too shabby.

I was a bit surprised about the carriers, though. I haven't flown since 1988, so I just picked Delta. Turns out, Delta really means the first leg will be on Freedom Airlines, and the second leg on Chautauqua Airlines. THOSE PLANES BETTER HAVE JET ENGINES!!!

:lol::lol:

I have been a member of Trip Advisor for several years and always start there.

[underdog]

I was a bit surprised about the carriers, though. I haven't flown since 1988, so I just picked Delta. Turns out, Delta really means the first leg will be on Freedom Airlines, and the second leg on Chautauqua Airlines. THOSE PLANES BETTER HAVE JET ENGINES!!!

I think Freedom are Jets. Chautaqua, on the other hand, any time I've seen one of those planes, they've been puddle jumpers. Good luck.

[PapaBear]

I think Freedom are Jets. Chautaqua, on the other hand, any time I've seen one of those planes, they've been puddle jumpers. Good luck.
I just checked them both. Neither have any prop planes in their fleets. They are almost all some Brazilian plane with a history of zero fatal accidents. Whew... Freedom does use a Canadian plane that has had some problems though.

[~Katja~]

Which ones tend to be the best? I'm planning a trip for my son's family day weekend in boot camp in Kentucky. So far, it looks like Orbitz is the best and easiest. Flight, rental car for 4 days, and motel for 3 nights for around $600. I looked at Price Line, and I don't understand the whole "name your own price" Thing. What standards do you use in naming a price? Are there any other sites that you like better?

believe it or not, this year I found bookit.com to have the best rate over all of them for my trip back home... from farecompare to kayak...
sponsors do actually rule sometimes, no matter how annoying the commercial.

[BlackSpider]

believe it or not, this year I found bookit.com to have the best rate over all of them for my trip back home... from farecompare by kayak...
sponsors do actually rule sometimes, no matter how annoying the commercial.

No wonder it's cheap, you have to row the whole way there.
Spend some money and get a plane ticket...

[underdog]

I just checked them both. Neither have any prop planes in their fleets. They are almost all some Brazilian plane with a history of zero fatal accidents. Whew... Freedom does use a Canadian plane that has had some problems though.

Hmm... I haven't worked at the airport in a year, and I drink a lot, so I'm probably just mis-remembering Chatauqua Airlines.

Although, anything that would name itself after Chatauqua County New York cannot be any good.

(that's just a joke, my wife informed me she flew them from NYC to Buffalo once and it was a fine flight. She said they started the flight with a prayer, though. That's just weird.)

[Jujubees2]

Hmm... I haven't worked at the airport in a year, and I drink a lot, so I'm probably just mis-remembering Chatauqua Airlines.

Although, anything that would name itself after Chatauqua County New York cannot be any good.

(that's just a joke, my wife informed me she flew them from NYC to Buffalo once and it was a fine flight. She said they started the flight with a prayer, though. That's just weird.)


My brother-in-law flew for Chatauqua. The fly regional jets (the small 40-60 seaters).

[drjoek]

I have used Expedia for years to book travel. Prices and availability were always the best. I agree about using Trip Advisor for researching destinations.

[topless_mike]

make sure you shop around.

we went on vaca back in feb, and an actually brick/mortar Liberty Travel was $300 cheaper than Orbitz/Travelocity/ etc..

[~Katja~]

I have used Expedia for years to book travel. Prices and availability were always the best. I agree about using Trip Advisor for researching destinations.

I have found orbitz to be cheaper on fares and fees, until I tried bookit for the first time.
The thing is if you use comparison sites like farecompare or kayak they will give you the rates for the same trip at most possible travel sites and you will see the difference.

I would not book the flights, car and hotel in a packaged deal, you probably will have more choices and free upgrade options if you book them separately.

Enterprise and Budget are great for cars, and hotels.com is good to look up a hotel in certain areas, make sure to look up the hotel you choose directly and see the rate they offer on their site, you sometimes save on fees that way.

Depending on the destination and departure airports, some airlines don't publish their rates on any of the travel sites and are available on the airline's site directly only.
(like southwest, jetblue for example)

[Contra]

I just booked a hotel in NYC for a weekend on HotDeals.com. Staying at the millenium Hilton, I save over 300 dollars compared to booking diectly with the hotel. Its the best deal I've ever gotten.

[drusilla]

hotels.com is having a 24 hour sale today. but of course the hotel i have to stay at in vegas is not part of that sale.

[A.J.]

make sure you shop around.


http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/%A5Artist%20GIF%20Images/Smokey.jpg

[sailor]

i generally use hotwire. zero complaints.

[Sinestro]

I wonder what King Hippo would recommend.

[~Katja~]

I wonder what King Hippo would recommend.

a cruise from Virginia to Kentucky????????? I doubt it!