BUDGET TRAVEL BLOG

BEAT THE SYSTEM WHEN BOOKING TRAVEL ONLINE

Image   Russell Hannon - August 24, 2017




The most daunting part of booking a trip online is the overwhelming number of options to choose from. Truth is, it's hard to know where to turn to find the best fares, and once you finally find a good deal, you may later return to your computer to find the price has since increased. This can happen due to a number of reasons:

1. Great deals are limited in numbers. If they all sell before you pay, your fare jump when you refresh your screen or try to pay.

2. Anything a website knows about you can be used to manipulate your search result. Websites have algorithms that can do this in any of the following ways:
 

·    When you log onto a website, it knows everything you've done there while logged in. If you always book hotels you search for example, it could see this pattern and nudge up your fare.

·    If your PC's cookies are enabled, websites know your computer's activity history on that website (computer based tracking)

·    Websites can see your operating system, and may assume users of certain operating systems are willing to pay more (or less) than others, and manipulate search results accordingly.

 
Any demographic based price adjustments are likely to be in small dollar amounts, but if you are determined to conduct your search in stealth mode, I recommend not logging onto the website prior to running your search, delete cookies on your PC, and run your search from two computers with different operating systems.


CLICK HERE to hear what Kevin O'Leary from Shark Tank and I have to say about this on Toronto News Talk 1010.


                                                              

Out-Negotiate the Priceline Negotiator
Bidding websites like Priceline allow you to bid how much you are willing to pay for a hotel room. The way these websites work is they require your credit card information before you submit your bid, and if it is accepted, your card is automatically charged a non-refundable booking. What you don't know is that if you bid more than the base rate, Priceline splits the difference 50/50 with the hotel.

There is a secret way to get around this. Instead of using your credit card, use a pre-paid Visa card with a small balance (i.e. ). If your bid is accepted, you will get a pop-up window saying your credit card could not be charged (as it has insufficient funds). You can then lower your bid, and keep lowering it until it is finally rejected. You now know the lowest acceptable bid and can book your room using your credit card at that base fare and not a penny more.


                       

Best Time to Book Flights for Best Fares
Truth is, there is no single best time to book travel online. Fortunately however, there are free online tools that crunch historical data related to the specific flight you want to take, and show you whether fares are likely to rise or drop, and if so, when, and by how much.

You can do this with the app
 Hopper, and you can also use Kayak's Airfare Predictor. Bear in mind, these analytics are based on past performance, and cannot predict future events, for example the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 8's. Still, it is valuable insight to have when deciding whether to book now, or to hold-off for a better fare. 

If Fares Drop After I Book, What Can I Do? 

·    Flights: Beyond the 24-hour grace period to cancel at no charge, many airlines have price drop guarantees, where they will refund the difference between the price paid and a subsequent price drop. The onus is on you to claim a price drop. To do this, enter your flight details in this Yapta.com feature, and it will notify you anytime you qualify for a refund.

·    Hotels booked direct or through a travel agent tend to have better change and cancelation terms. Anytime you find a good fare, book it to lock in that rate. If you later find a better fare, cancel your existing reservation, and rebook at the lower fare. You can also send your hotel booking details to Pruvo.net, they will notify you when lower fares are available for the same booking, with the option to cancel and rebook at no cost.

·    Car Rentals: Autoslash.com ongingly searches for better fares after you book, and alerts you when it finds a lower fare, with the option of canceling your existing reservation, and rebooking at the lower fare - again at no cost.

 
Hidden Fares
In 2013, my friend Adam showed me he could fly cheaper to Houston by booking a flight to New Orleans, connecting through Houston, and hopping off, than by booking a flight destined to Houston. It doesn't make any sense, but it's true!
Last year, 22-year old college student Aktarer Zaman made international headlines after launching skiplagged.com, a website that shows you how to fly cheaper by booking indirect flights that connect through your destination city where you can simply hop-off the plane. If you do this:
 

·    Carry on all your luggage as checked-bags will go on to the final destination. 

·    Book a one-way flight because anytime you miss a leg of a flight, all subsequent legs are automatically cancelled and are ineligible for refund or credit.

 
Are the savings worth the time it takes it takes to do these things?  
It all boils down to time v.s. money. When you can afford a trip, you may not feel the time required to save a few dollars is justified. But, when it makes the difference between being able to afford a trip, or not going, the time spent is well worth the money saved. This article will save you both.


CLICK HERE to hear me talk about all this and more on CBC.
 
 
Once feeling unable to afford to travel, Russell Hannon uses lean principles to travel at a fraction of the going rate. He has been featured on CNBC, FOX, CBS, America Tonight, CTV, CBC, Around the World Travel TV and nationally broadcast lifestyle and personal finance shows. He also wrote 'Stop Dreaming Start Traveling: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling More and Spending Less'.
                           
                               
FREE GUIDE: Download 'Beat the best Online Fare - Every Time, Every Flight at breakthetravelbarrier.com
 
 

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *