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Top 5 best travel agencies for flights in 2024

The best travel agency for business travel, 1. travelperk.

Travelperk Flights Booking 1024x573

  • Extensive inventory of corporate flights due to integrations like Amadeus, Expedia and more.
  • Mobile app allows employees to book flights, access paperless tickets, check-in and more to keep the travel experience seamless.
  • 24/7 corporate travel assistance offers best-in-class support before, during and after your travels.
  • Flexible booking options with FlexiPerk provides stress-free travel experiences.
  • Additional services like priority boarding or seat selection available during booking.
  • Add your frequent flier numbers to your profile and continue earning points for your business travel.
  • Integrated travel policy & approval flows , centralized invoicing and real-time expense reports make managing expenses and approvals a snap.
  • Manage all corporate travel—from air travel to car rentals to lodging and more—all in one place.

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Start saving money on business travel for your company today!

The best travel agencies for leisure travel, 2. cheapflights.

Cheapflights Top 5 Best Travel Agencies For Flights 1024x492

  • Allows you to easily compare different travel agencies for the flight you want
  • Easy online booking options through whatever travel provider you choose
  • Searches both large and small flight consolidators to find the best itineraries and prices

3. FlightCentre

Flightcentre Top 5 Best Travel Agencies For Flights 1024x513

  • High-touch booking experience that allows you to chat live with an experienced travel agent, in-person or over the phone
  • Flights can be combined with holiday packages to make travel planning easier
  • Specialize in creating itineraries carefully designed to meet your unique needs
  • Their travel agents will do all the work for you—no online bookings are offered, just chat with a travel agent and they’ll find what you need.

4. CheapOAir

Cheapoair Top 5 Best Travel Agencies For Flights 1024x509

  • Large number of flight options allows you to find the cheapest deals available
  • Flight and hotel packages make it easy to book together and save
  • Numerous search filters make it easy to search and sort by date, prices, nearby airports, preferred airlines, schedule and more
  • Easy online checkout process makes it simple to book

5. Liberty Travel

Liberty Travel Top 5 Best Travel Agencies For Flights 1024x498

  • Full-service travel agency—instead of booking flights online, work with a travel agent to book your trip
  • Pre-created holiday packages let you browse possible vacations and costs with all flights, transfers, hotels and more included
  • Less stress in the travel planning process with a dedicated agent helping plan your trip
  • Get flight deals when you book as part of a vacation or cruise package
  • Dedicated travel experts provide you with service and peace of mind throughout every phase of your trip

Is it cheaper to fly with a travel agent?

What are the benefits of booking a flight with a travel agent.

  • discounted airfare on one-way, roundtrip and multi-city flight options
  • travel experts to provide peace of mind and help with travel plans
  • on-call customer service in case of rebooking needs or other travel contingencies
  • customizable travel itineraries to meet your unique needs

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Make business travel simpler. Forever.

  • See our platform in action . Trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, TravelPerk makes business travel simpler to manage with more flexibility, full control of spending with easy reporting, and options to offset your carbon footprint.
  • Find hundreds of resources on all things business travel, from tips on traveling more sustainably, to advice on setting up a business travel policy, and managing your expenses. Our latest e-books and blog posts have you covered.
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6 Best Websites for Booking Cheap Flights

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Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

The desire to get a good deal unites practically all travelers. Whether you're looking for a cheap getaway or a luxury vacation, no one wants to spend more than necessary. When it comes to booking flights, travelers may naturally head to an airline's website. However, that's not always the best site to book flights.

Whether it's taking advantage of credit card perks, earning bonus miles or saving money, the best flight booking site can vary depending on your situation and willingness to get creative. Let's take a look at six of the best sites to book flights and when each is the best option.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

The best flight booking sites

1. google flights.

For ease, speed and features, Google Flights is arguably the best website for flight searches. Search results appear almost instantly. Filters let you narrow down to nonstop options, select a subset of airlines, limit by price or factor in the price of a bag. Similarly, you can use Google Flights filters to avoid certain airlines, multi-stop itineraries, long layovers, early flights or pretty much whatever you might want to avoid.

You can easily check flexible dates, and if you're flexible on where you go you can use the Explore map to see prices for a variety of destinations for certain dates, a certain month or anytime in the next six months.

travel agent for booking flights

Google Flights partners with hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) to pull current flight prices. That way you don't have to search each of these sites to be able to see the options. Once you select your preferred trip, Google Flights links you to the top booking options for actually booking your flight — including the airline itself and the best OTA booking options.

travel agent for booking flights

The downsides of Google Flights are few. One is the lack of Southwest flight prices. Although Southwest flight schedules will show in flight search results, Southwest flight prices aren't available. That's because Southwest chooses to publish flight prices only on its website.

» Learn more: Why Southwest is not on Google Flights

Another downside is that Google Flights doesn't always show the cheapest prices — particularly for international flights. That means it's worth double-checking prices on another site before booking through Google Flights.

Like Google Flights, Kayak searches hundreds of other websites and flight booking platforms to find the best deal. Kayak generally doesn't let you book flights directly. However, one benefit of Kayak is the streamlined process. Rather than having to click through several pages to confirm your selection, clicking "view deal" on the results page can take you right to the cheapest booking option.

travel agent for booking flights

Also, some travelers may find Kayak's flexible date search a bit easier to work with as you can see results from several days in the search results — eliminating the need to check each day's results separately.

travel agent for booking flights

But perhaps the most important reason to use Kayak instead of Google Flights is that it can catch better deals. For example, we found a $550 round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Barcelona using Google Flights. Kayak found a way to lower that price to just $472 round-trip — at least once you scroll past an advertisement.

travel agent for booking flights

Note that Kayak manages other flight search sites — including Momondo and Cheapflights — so the results may be very similar between these sister sites.

» Learn more: Is Kayak legit?

So far, we've focused on ease in flight searching, and that's going to be enough for many travelers. However, now let's add in some additional elements to consider when choosing the best flight booking site: earning rewards and saving by booking packages. Expedia excels at both of these.

Through the new One Key rewards program , travelers can earn 0.2% in OneKeyCash from flight bookings made through Expedia. That's not much, but it can stack on top of the awards you earn from the airline and those that you earn on your credit card purchase.

Even better, you'll earn credits toward One Key elite status by booking your flight through Expedia. As you climb up the tiers, you'll unlock up to 20% savings on hotels, get hotel upgrades, priority support and even price drop protection.

Plus, Expedia boasts that travelers can "save up to 30%" when bundling a hotel with a flight booking — although actual discounts are likely to vary.

» Learn more: The pros and cons of Expedia

4. Capital One Travel

For many Capital One cardholders, Capital One Travel might just be the best flight booking site. Part of this is to take advantage of cardholder benefits.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

For example, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holders earn 5x Capital One miles when booking flights through the Capital One Travel portal. Plus, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holders get up to $300 off travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal each cardholder year.

» Learn more: How to maximize the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Also, Capital One Travel can help you truly get the best price for your flight. Capital One partnered with travel data company Hopper to show suggestions about when it's the best time to book.

travel agent for booking flights

Capital One backs up these recommendations with money. If you book a flight through Capital One Travel when Hopper recommends doing so, you'll get up to a $50 credit toward future travel if the price drops within the next 10 days.

travel agent for booking flights

» Learn more: How the Capital One Travel portal works

Would you be willing to book a trip as two separate tickets in order to save money? That's the idea behind Kiwi. Instead of simply searching flights from your home airport to your destination, Kiwi checks all potential options to get between A and B. That could mean taking a bus or train from your home city to another to catch a flight to your destination. Or, Kiwi might pair a low-cost domestic flight with a cheap international flight from another city to lower your total cost.

Protect your upfront travel expenses by booking with a card that has travel insurance or by purchasing a separate policy .

For example, when we priced out a round-trip flight from Phoenix to Tokyo, the cheapest option when booked as one ticket cost $1,353 round-trip — and that's with an overnight stay in Vancouver.

travel agent for booking flights

Pricing out the same itinerary and dates through Kiwi drops the price to just $789 round-trip. The secret? Booking this as two round-trip flights: One from Phoenix to Los Angeles on Frontier and a separate round-trip from Los Angeles to Tokyo on Zipair.

travel agent for booking flights

Keep in mind that there are risks with booking separate tickets to get where you want to go. If a delay or cancellation causes you to miss your connection, the second airline/bus/train company isn't obligated to honor your ticket and rebook you on the next option. So make sure to factor in all of the risks of booking travel like this.

» Learn more: When to use Kiwi for your next flight booking

6. BookWithMatrix

ITA Matrix is a very powerful and ultra-customizable search platform for finding exactly the flight itinerary you want — whether that's booking a longer layover, avoiding certain aircraft types or booking nerdy trips such as the Alaska Milk Run .

The catch: Travelers can't actually book flights through ITA Matrix. And, unlike Google Flights, ITA Matrix doesn't even link to the best flight booking site for that itinerary. Instead, travelers are left to attempt to re-create the same itinerary through another flight booking website — which can be hard in the case of certain complex itineraries.

travel agent for booking flights

Enter BookWithMatrix. Travelers can copy-paste their perfect itinerary from ITA Matrix into BookWithMatrix to get bookable links through the airline or select OTAs.

travel agent for booking flights

Alternatively, travelers have the option to install the PowerTools extension in Google Chrome .

travel agent for booking flights

This extension adds booking links right on the ITA Matrix itinerary page, avoiding the need to browse to another page.

Final thoughts on the best flight booking site

There's not a one-size-fits-all best website for booking flights. Instead, the best flight booking site for you is going to depend on how simple you want the process to be, whether you're willing to get creative with your booking, and even which credit cards you have.

For most travelers, the simplicity of Google Flights is going to make it the best one-stop shop for searching and booking flights. However, it's worth considering other options if you're flying internationally, want to book a flight-and-hotel package or have a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card .

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

travel agent for booking flights

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Breaking Down the Pros and Cons of Using a Travel Agent

You're convinced that having a travel expert by your side will be useful. But how do you go about knowing when and how to book with them?

What to know when you’re thinking of booking your next trip with a travel agent

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Confession: I’m a big fan of travel agents (whoops, sorry, travel advisers ), even though I could technically book all my trips through websites and apps. And despite the fact that many of us might consider this industry old-fashioned and out-of-date, research shows that travelers, and millennials in particular, are once again turning to these specialists to help plow through TripAdvisor detritus. If you’re wondering: how much does a travel agent cost, and why would I book with one anyway? Read on.

How to Know If You Need a Travel Agent

Once you’ve come around to the idea of hiring a travel agent, ask these three questions before booking:

  • Is this a domestic trip or one that involves traveling to a part of the world you’ve never been? If it’s the former you don’t need a travel agent.
  • Can I get a better deal by using a travel agent? (This question requires you pricing out your trip with and without one.)
  • Is this a big-budget, special-event kind of trip? If the answer is yes, go with a travel agent.

The Pros of Using a Travel Agent

They can find crazy deals..

This is literally their job. If they have been in the travel business for many years, they likely have supplier relationships in place that can help leverage better deals for you. Many travel agents specialize in locations (i.e., cruise vacations in Europe). Some travel agents offer package deals, with more savings passed on to you then booking the trip on your own—that is good news to your wallet.

They will be your advocate.

One of the best ways to utilize a travel agent is as an advocate should something derail on your trip. They can help you with lost luggage, in the case of natural disasters, if you get stuck in a location before your trip, etc. They are there to help you get your trip back on track.

They’ll take care of the little things.

I love my travel agent, and I love all the extras she provides when we use her services for a trip. For instance, when we traveled to the Bahamas, she made sure there was a nice bottle of champagne and strawberries in our room on our arrival, and she also upgraded our room free of charge. While this certainly is not a guarantee when you use a travel agent, there are a lot of added-value extras you can expect when you use a travel agent. Why? Because travel agents know you don’t have to use them to book your trip, and they want to say thank you.

They’re true experts.

Most travel agents have been working in the industry for years now, and it’s their job to stay on top of travel trends and upcoming hot destinations. When I spoke with my travel agent about a trip to Europe recently, she offered a few alternate destinations. I was not thinking about the destinations she suggested, but the alternatives offered great activities, culture, food, interesting boutique hotels, and more options for less money than my original destination.

They don’t usually cost extra.

It’s a myth that working with a travel agent will automatically cost you more; most get paid via commissions from the hotel or outfitter. Sure, some travel agents do charge a fee for putting together an itinerary, but most will credit you that fee if you end up booking the trip through them. Make sure you know all the potential fees before you use a travel agent, and do not hesitate to negotiate away.

The Cons of Using a Travel Agent

They’re not going to help with cheaper airfare..

Back in the day, you would use a travel agent to book every aspect of your trip. However, with so many options to find low-cost airfare, like Google Flights , Scott’s Cheap Flights , and  Skyscanner , booking your own flights is easy and cost-effective. Most travel agents cannot score discounted flights, and many travel agents will not even bother. Follow these tips on how to find the cheapest flights possible , instead.

They’re not you.

This may seem obvious, although it’s still important to consider. A travel agent not only finds you the best deals, but they also offer suggestions for activities, restaurants, and more. This is great if you’re someone who doesn’t like to research these things, but you run the risk of working with someone who doesn’t get your personal preferences (maybe they lean toward road tours rather than technical singletrack). Do your own research first, and come up with a list of activities that you want to do. Once you have that list, pass it along to your travel agent to see if they can rustle up any deals as they book.

How to Find a Great One

One of the best ways to find a reputable travel agent is to get referrals from your friends and family. Anyone that has used that travel agent for a previous trip and enjoyed their service is someone worth checking out. As with anything, I always suggest talking to at least two different travel agents to see who you feel most comfortable with. Remember, they are there to work for you.

Know your travel budget before you reach out to a travel agent. Likely, this will be the first question they ask you and will help steer them toward the best destinations for that budget. If you are traveling somewhere that’s specialized, like going on that once-in-a-lifetime African safari , find a specialist that knows that region inside and out. They will usually have the best deals and relationships with hotels and activity companies in that area.

How Much Does a Travel Agent Cost?

Usually, the cost of hiring a travel agent to organize a trip for you is fairly minimal. Many agencies charge a flat fee of around $100, and others may charge a certain small percentage of your trip. Most of their take-home profits come from the hotels, wholesalers, resorts, and businesses they work with, but be sure to as your travel agent about fees upfront and before you start working with them to plan your next dream vacation. (No one likes hidden fees and surprises.)

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Best Online Travel Agencies

Booking.com is our top choice for making your trip arrangements

Ligaya Malones is an editor, blogger, and freelance writer specializing in food and travel. Ligaya's work has appeared in publications including Lonely Planet and BRIDES.

travel agent for booking flights

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Planning a trip can be easier through an online travel agency than if you handle each aspect of the planning separately. You can book hotels, air travel, rental cars, and more through a single site, and booking everything together sometimes results in discounts. By inputting a destination, a range of dates, and other preferences, you will see a list of options for each aspect of travel.

The best online travel agencies offer options from the largest number of airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and more. Look for sites that offer discounts for combining reservations for different aspects of your trip. For example, the best sites will have lower rates if you book both plane tickets and a hotel through their services. The best sites also provide reviews from customers who actually have booked through the service. These are our top picks.

  • Best Overall: Booking.com
  • Best Budget: Skyscanner
  • Best Price Predictor: Hopper
  • Most Innovative: Kiwi.com
  • Best for Eco-Conscious: Kind Traveler
  • Best for Social Impact: I Like Local
  • Best for Design-Forward Homestays: Plum Guide
  • Our Top Picks
  • Booking.com

Kind Traveler

I Like Local

  • See More (4)

Final Verdict

Frequently asked questions, methodology, best overall : booking.com.

 Booking.com

This industry leader offers one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms on the Internet.

Lots of options to choose from

Interface is easy to use

Numerous filters to customize your search

Tricky to tell whether changes/cancellations can be made with Booking.com or the vendor directly

Booking.com was founded in 1996 and has grown into an industry leader that stands out for being one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms out there. From one website, you can compare and book accommodations, flights (including one-way and multi-city flights), sightseeing activities, and even airport taxis. The website lists more than 28 million accommodation options, from hotels, hostels, and B&Bs to vacation homes and luxury resorts—you can browse more choices per destination on Booking.com than other online travel agencies. The website also performs well on cost and typically returns lower-than-average prices for flights and hotels. 

Booking.com's interface is also easy to use. On the home page, search for a hotel by entering your chosen destination and dates. Then, use the extensive list of filters—such as price range and distance from the city center—to narrow the results down and find the best fit. You can also search for a specific hotel, or seek inspiration by clicking through options grouped by destination or property type or by topic such as the country’s best Michelin-starred hotel restaurants or the top cities for vegan travelers. The flights, car rental, and other tabs are just as intuitive. 

Best Budget : Skyscanner

 Skyscanner

You can compare prices across airlines, hotels, and car rentals.

Simple interface

Option to toggle searches between specific dates or by monthly calendars

Search Everywhere button is great for spontaneous planners

Extra clicks are required to make a final purchase

Must read fine print for changes/cancellations—may need to deal directly with the vendor

Ads on the sidebar can be distracting

Find deals on airfare, hotels, and car rentals with an aggregator site like Skyscanner , which uses a metasearch engine to compare prices from all online travel agencies and the airline, hotel, or car rental company in question. Run searches with fixed dates, opt to compare airfare prices month to month, or click “Cheapest Month.” Searches also include options for nearby airports or non-stop flights only. With hotel searches, you can choose to select only from properties with free cancellation, a cleanliness rating of 4.5/5 or higher, or 3- or 4-starred hotels only. Car rental searches include an option to select “return car to different location.”

Once you’ve found the best rate, click on the link to be redirected to the third-party site to make your booking. Feeling spontaneous? The Search Everywhere button on the homepage offers a list of the cheapest flight deals for destinations both locally and across the world—just plug in your departure airport first.

Best Price Predictor : Hopper

The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting when flights and hotel rates will be cheapest.

Color-coded system makes it easy to determine cheapest days to buy

App is easy to use

Option to track flights and receive alerts when the best time to buy arises

Some have mentioned the app functions better as a research tool than a booking tool

Unclear whether Hopper will price match if you find a cheaper flight elsewhere

Hopper is a travel app available on iOS and Android that aims to help travelers save on airfare by usng historical data and their own algorithm to predict when flights will be cheapest. Just type in where and when you’d like to fly and Hopper will present you with a color-coded pricing calendar indicating how much tickets are likely to cost. (Green is the least expensive, then yellow, orange, and red for most expensive.) Hopper will also recommend you either buy now or wait, or you can choose to watch a trip and receive notifications on the best time to buy. In addition, the app has expanded to offer hotel and car rental price predictions, too.

Some newer features since the app’s inception in 2009 include an option to freeze a price for a limited time—for an extra fee—as well as exclusive app-only discounts. Hopper is free to download, and you can choose to book directly through the app, though some users mentioned they use Hopper as more of a research tool before booking directly with the airline or hotel. The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting flight rates up to a year ahead.

Most Innovative : Kiwi.com

This metasearch engine scours the web to piece together the ideal itinerary using planes, trains, buses, and more.

Creative itineraries get you where you need to go, especially if you’ve got a multi-stop trip

Kiwi Guarantee offers rebooking or cancellation protections

Nomad option appeals to travelers with a lot of flexibility

Creative itineraries mean you may not fly out of the same airport you flew into

Kiwi Guarantee has an additional fee

Charges all-in-one fee for booking flights, trains, buses (though you can always purchase a la carte)

Travelers planning multi-city destinations and seeking a bargain, as well as those looking to take planes, trains, and automobiles to get there, might consider Kiwi . Kiwi is a metasearch engine that scours and pieces together itineraries from various airlines (even if they don’t have a codeshare agreement), considers multiple airports (even if your arrival airport is different from departure), and offers booking options, whether you’re looking at very specific dates or more general ones (up to 60 nights).

Some will find the ability to make multiple bookings for a particular trip more convenient than going at it manually several different times, though note that you must opt into the Kiwi Guarantee program to access rebooking and refund protections should your reservation change or be canceled. Kiwi’s Nomad option allows you to plug in a bunch of destinations you’d like to visit and the length of your intended stay, and the website will churn out the most affordable itineraries for review.

Best for Eco-Conscious : Kind Traveler

A give-and-get business model means booking accommodations with exclusive perks, a donation to environmental organizations, and more.

All participating hotels include a local give-back component

Exclusive savings and perks

Participating hotels are located in some of the most beautiful places in the world

Inventory is much smaller compared to other booking platforms

Some of the amenities mentioned are based on availability only

In 2022, Kind Traveler (an online trave agency focused on hotel bookings) announced an increase in environmentally and socially conscious hotels, charity donations, voluntourism opportunities, and additional perks like waived resort fees or a welcome amenity.

Unlock exclusive hotel rates and perks from participating Kind Traveler hotels with a minimum $10/night minimum donation to a local charity. For example, stay at the Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives and receive up to $33 off the nightly rate and perks such as a food and beverage credit and an Earth Lab or Alchemy Bar workshop when you make a donation to Manta Trust. The organization funds coastal research to protect the island nation’s large yet fragile population of reef mantas.

Select from more than 140 participating hotels from the Hawaiian Islands to Bozeman, Montana, and the Maldives. Charities include wildlife, human rights, arts, education, and environmental preservation organizations.

Best for Social Impact : I Like Local

Choose from a host of travel experiences with the peace of mind that 100 percent of the cost goes directly to local partners.

Social impact mission woven into organization’s business model

Immersive experiences led by local guides

Range of experiences offered

May not be best fit for those seeking upscale, luxury experiences and stays

Can’t sort experiences by a list of countries (though an interactive map is available)

No experiences outside of Africa and Asia

For an online travel agency with a booking platform designed to route dollars spent directly to the communities travelers intend to visit, consider I Like Local . Visit the website to browse a host of travel experiences in countries including Indonesia, Kenya, and Cambodia. Experiences include homestays and farmstays as well as wellness and culturally oriented experiences—from cooking and cycling tours to weaving classes.

To search for an experience, select from drop-down items like travel dates and experience categories, or view a global map and click on a country to view experiences that way.

The platform got its start in 2014 and has grown to 4,000 local hosts across nearly 20 countries. As a social impact organization, 100 percent of each booking fee goes to local hosts. To date, 16,000 travelers have booked with I Like Local.

Best for Design-Forward Homestays : Plum Guide

Browse and book seriously vetted, design-forward vacation homes.

Highly curated inventory of vacation rentals across the world

Design-forward

Thorough vetting process

Does not publish guest reviews

Other platforms have homes available across more destinations

When it comes to booking a vacation home, serviced apartment, or condo, travelers are spoiled for choice. Plum Guide is an online travel agency that specializes in accommodations—though not just any home makes its directory. The company claims that each potential home listed on its site must jump through 150 hoops to be included, from internet speed and mattress and pillow quality to the showers’ water pressure and the home’s proximity to dining, shopping, and attractions.

Search by a featured collection on the website such as “ pet-friendly homes ” or “one-of-a-kind homes in Palm Springs.” Scroll to the bottom of its homepage to view its top destinations, as well as a list of all destinations where Plum Guide homes are available, including Barbados, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, the U.S., and Turkey. Note: From the top right-hand corner of the site, use the dropdown menu to select currency of choice.

As long as you know what you value most out of your travel experience—such as affordability, social impact, or luxe accommodations—there’s an online travel agency to help plan your next trip. Be sure to read the fine print, as some agencies are third-party websites and not direct vendors. If you're not sure where to start, Booking.com is your best bet for a smooth user experience and hard-to-beat offers on flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements.

What Is the Biggest Travel Agency?

Our choice for best overall, Booking.com, is known as an industry leader with listings for all major hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and more. It boasts more choices for accommodations per destination than any other site, and we found its interface to be user-friendly.

Are Online Travel Agencies Worth It?

This depends on your needs and priorities. The best online travel agencies certainly can save time by booking everything all at once. However, if you're someone who is good at haggling and enjoys the details of planning a trip, you might be able to find better deals by reaching out to hotels or other destinations and speaking to someone personally.

Is It Cheaper to Book Online Than With a Travel Agent?

Not always. A travel agent you know and trust should have the experience and connections to find deals that can match or surpass what you'll find online. Additionally, if something goes wrong, travel agents provide you with an actual person you can use as an advocate to correct the problem . But if you don't have access to a good travel agent, online sites still provide plenty of ways to streamline planning and save money .

We considered dozens of online travel agencies and narrowed down the options based on user experience, volume and quality of inventory, unique offerings and specials, and customer reviews. We also assessed travel companies’ environmentally and socially conscious policies.

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Benefits of booking with an award-winning travel consolidator:.

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Airline Consolidator FAQ

Both terms are interchangeable, but an airline consolidator purchases a large volume of airline tickets at a discounted rate  from airlines and then resells them to travel agencies or directly to consumers. Flight consolidators can negotiate bulk deals with airlines, offering lower prices than those available through traditional booking channels.

The commission rates vary and depend on the agreements between the consolidator and the travel agency selling the tickets. This is where net fares and published fares come into play. With net fares, the travel agent can market and set their commission, whereas, with published fares, a set percentage is paid out.

Because airline consolidators negotiate discounted airfare rates with airlines, travel agents can markup the ticket prices, allowing the travel agents to make a profit while still offering prices lower than those available through traditional channels.

When clients seek airline tickets, travel agents and travel agencies utilize consolidator booking platforms to find cost-effective flight options. After confirming flight bookings and collecting payments, agents issue tickets and provide ongoing support. PS. Sky Bird Travel & Tours pays weekly ACH commission payments!

NDC , or New Distribution Capability , is a set of industry standards developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to modernize and standardize how airlines distribute their products and services to travel agents, travel management companies, and other distribution partners. Learn more about NDC here.

PNR means passenger name record . It’s 6 alpha-numeric characters that locate the reservation. There is one PNR for the GDS (see below) and one for each airline.

GDS (formerly CRS) means Global Distribution System . These are the computer systems where airlines load their inventory, fares, and schedules (Sabre, Amadeus, Apollo, Galileo, Travelport, and Worldspan are the GDS names you’ll hear).

Published fares are “published,” meaning anyone can buy a published airfare. Published fares can be bought from anywhere – online booking sites, travel agencies, and directly through the airlines.

Net fares  are airfares not available online through flight booking websites or the airlines’ websites. These airfares are only available for travel agents through a Global Distribution System (GDS) . and, more recently, New Distribution Capability (NDC) . Net fares are also known as private airfares , wholesale airfares , consolidator airfares, and unpublished airfares . All these terms can be used interchangeably.

Established in 1976, Sky Bird Travel is one of the top airline consolidators in the United States. In addition to partnering with 90+ airlines, Sky Bird pays weekly ACH commission payments on airfare, 25% commission on travel insurance, 15% on pre-paid hotels, and 8% commission on tours and car rentals. What are you waiting for? Register for the easy-to-use WINGS Booking Platform today! 

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A travel agent can save you money and time.

Need to pivot your trip plans but don't want to deal with the extra time, money and hassle of rebooking flights and accommodations on your own? That's just one area where a knowledgeable travel agent (also commonly known as a travel advisor) can help. Read on to discover the other benefits – as well as the downsides – of using a travel agent, so you can confidently decide whether or not a travel agent is worth it for your next trip.

The Pros of Using a Travel Agent

Travel agents can save you money – and get you other perks.

"In some cases, you'll actually get a better  deal by working with a travel agent," says Jackie Steele, travel expert at MagicGuides . "This could be in the form of a cruise onboard credit (free spending money to use on the ship), access to special agency/group rates, or even just learning about a discount you qualify for but weren't aware of." The best agents will even keep an eye on new discounts as they're announced and apply them to your trip even after you've booked, he notes.

Travel agents handle all the details

Hotel room? Booked. Dinner reservations? Made. Tour tickets? Ready to go. A travel agent handles every detail of your vacation itinerary. "The traveler still gets to be involved in the fun part of dreaming up ideas and providing their travel wishes, while we take and perfect them," says Jessica Parker, founder of Trip Whisperer .

Molly McShea, owner and travel advisor at McShea Travel , points out that travel agents can also help with timing logistics. "Travel agents know how many days should be spent in each destination, which tours go together, and how many things you should do in a day," she says, adding that crafting an itinerary can be challenging if it's not something you regularly do. Additionally, travel agents can help you choose the best time to visit your preferred destination(s) based on seasonality and your budget, and sift through travel insurance policies to find the best option for your needs.

Travel agents can provide local expertise

"A travel advisor's industry connections and relationships provide added value to their clients," says Valerie Edman, a luxury travel advisor and agency owner at Cultured Travel LLC. She says when working with a travel agent, travelers gain access to a global network of connections including:

  • In-destination specialists who work exclusively with travel advisors and can connect travelers with unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences they wouldn't otherwise know about
  • Exclusive experiences not available to the general public

You'll avoid surprise fees

When deciding if a travel agent is worth it for you, remember this: A reputable agent can guarantee you won't encounter any surprise fees on accommodations and activities once your trip is booked.

You'll have someone to troubleshoot unexpected travel issues

A travel advisor is essentially your personal vacation concierge. "Because they've been around for so long, agents really know what to look for," says Christopher Elliott , a consumer advocate and journalist. "Travel agents are among the first to know about flight cancellations and delays , making it easy for them to rebook itineraries right away." 

The Cons of Using a Travel Agent

It might not be your cheapest option.

There are some instances when it makes more sense to plan your own trip. "If you're planning a quick flight from New York City to Los Angeles, it's easy enough to book it yourself online directly or through a third-party booking site," says Elliott. "If you're planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip or bucket list honeymoon , that's when you call the experts."

You'll have less flexibility in your itinerary

The upside of working with a travel agent is having someone plan an epic vacation for you based on industry knowledge and local expertise. But this can also be a downside in the event you discover an activity you'd like to do or a restaurant you'd like to try that isn't on your pre-planned itinerary. If you alter your plans, you risk losing money; plus, the time it takes for you and your travel agent to coordinate your change of plans may not be worth the hassle.

You still have to do some research

It's important to find an agent you can trust, which means you still have to do some of the vacation planning. For this part, Parker recommends picking up the phone. "Lots of people avoid or don't pick up the phone as much anymore," she says. "That's where you get the high-touch service, tone of voice, excitement or concerns to manage." She advises to look for the following red flags:

  • No fees: " Travel advisors are charging planning fees more now or increasing them, so the client knows more confidently than ever, we work for them, not the suppliers with the best commissions," Parker explains. "There are a lot of things that are non-commissionable and the advisor's time and expertise shouldn't be given away for free, either. That's the best way to show an advisor takes their business seriously."
  • Limited options: If you work with someone who is inexperienced or has an incentive to book you with a certain supplier, they may not be prioritizing your best interests. "It's important to check if they are with a larger consortia, accreditations and network, typically listed on their website and signatures," says Parker. "That level of mindshare doesn't come with a lone advisor unless they have many, many years of experience."
  • Slow response times: If communication is delayed, that's a sign they may be too busy to plan your trip – but again, this is something you can avoid by having the right conversations early on.

Edman suggestes starting your search with the American Society of Travel Advisors . "ASTA-verified travel advisors are committed to the highest industry standards and have verifiable industry knowledge so consumers can feel confident in working with them," she says.

You might also be interested in:

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4 scenarios when you should use a travel agent

Andrea M. Rotondo

Editor's Note

If you're a points-and-miles-wielding expert traveler, you may not immediately think of using a travel agent to book your getaways . However, there are times and situations when using these services can be of great benefit.

A good travel agent can be a game-changer when it comes to helping you book your ideal trip and receive the best services once you arrive at your destination. Travel agents can also be of great assistance when things go wrong, especially during this summer of excessive flight delays and cancellations .

Agents can often secure the best room in a hotel or the top cabin on a cruise ship. Sometimes they can even secure complimentary upgrades, breakfast benefits or food and beverage credits, and free spa treatments during your stay.

When it comes to making the right decisions about when to travel, what sights to see and which guides to hire, agents can act as advisors. An excellent travel agent can be the difference between an OK experience and the trip of a lifetime.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter .

Here are four times when you may want to use a travel agent:

Booking a hotel with extras

Your travel agent can become a trusted friend over time. Before you're ready to turn over all your travel planning to a travel adviser, test the waters by collaborating on a simple trip request. You'll want to see how the agent operates, communicates and arranges extra perks and deals. Avoid a complex or elaborate request on the first go-round.

Start by having a travel agency book your hotel arrangements with a few specific requests for extras baked in, such as airport transfers or spa services .

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Start with an agent who is part of a major travel consortium such as Virtuoso, Travel Leaders Network, Ensemble Travel Group or Signature Travel Network. Each of these networks provides a suite of benefits to travelers who book with them. If you're familiar with the perks of the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program or the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection , you'll know what we mean. Extra benefits for booking can include space-available upgrades, free breakfast, additional food and beverage credit, a free spa treatment or a round of golf.

Related: This new travel company will pair you with local experts

You can work with a travel agency that fits your style. This may be someone from a large company based in a major city with dozens of agents, or it may be someone from a more boutique option such as the family-owned and operated Ourisman Travel. (Ourisman Travel is a travel consultancy affiliated with Brownell Travel, one of the oldest travel agencies in the U.S., and also a member of the Virtuoso network.)

What's nice about Ourisman and any Virtuoso agency is that you can have your travel agent do all the work. You can also use the Virtuoso booking tool to make quick, easy reservations. Once your reservation is in the system, your agent swings into action to let the hotel know a VIP is on the way and arranges for any extras, whether it's a Virtuoso perk or one from a credit card program.

It's also possible to stack benefits. If you book your trip with The Platinum Card® from American Express , your agent can secure your Amex FHR benefits; you may also be entitled to additional perks from the agency, its travel consortium or the hotel, cruise line or tour company.

When you're short on time

Not everyone has weeks to spend crafting the ultimate itinerary and keeping watch on every flight deal (although TPG can help you here) . Fortunately, you can rely on a savvy travel agent to step in and plan your vacation when your time is crunched . Otherwise, you might not be able to pull off the travel arrangements on your own, or you might end up spending more for your trip than you should.

When facing a planning time crunch, look for an agent who specializes in the type of trip and destination you have in mind. If you're looking for a beach villa on a Caribbean island , find a travel advisor who has experience booking this sort of trip.

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One example is Villas of Distinction, which has been around for more than 25 years and has a vast network of properties. Your travel advisor there can offer advice on which properties are best suited to your needs, what's available and how to book the villa. You can also use your American Express Membership Rewards points to book a villa through the agency, an added benefit to finding a good application of points.

Agents specializing in villa rentals usually have strong networks on the ground, so they can assist with chores such as stocking the villa with groceries, booking a chef or securing the best masseuse on the island for poolside treatments.

Related: Everything you need to know about Homes and Villas by Marriott

When your travel plans are specific and complex

The more complex and specific your travel goals are, the more experts in that destination or trip style can help you.

For example, every year, travel guru Wendy Perrin puts together a WOW List that features experts in the travel-booking field. The agents, advisors and destination specialists on Perrin's list aren't booking budget cruises and all-inclusive vacations for people as a side hustle. The agents on the WOW List are the real deal with plenty of expertise in their subject areas.

Say you want to explore Africa and go on a safari, but you don't know where to begin. Consult the WOW List and you'll see she recommends individuals with an encyclopedic knowledge of the continent.

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The WOW List features advisors who can create custom safaris in East, Central and South Africa as well as niche destinations like Madagascar. The website provides a synopsis of the agents' expertise as well as links to reviews and insider guides written by Perrin and her team.

This is an excellent resource for learning about the best attractions, cutting-edge travel trends or finding out-of-the-ordinary experiences, and shows how contact with local agents, rather than anonymous trip reviews, can be a great advantage in planning a trip.

Related: Everything you need to know about going on safari in Africa

When you're looking for value

Travel agents often have access to room rates and cruise fares not available to the general public. This is especially true of agents who specialize in specific cruise lines. When a cruise line needs to fill a sailing, it may reach out to its top agents to extend special fares for their clients. You'll only hear about these offers if you have a top agent who sells cruises on the lines you love.

Related: Why now might be the cheapest time to plan a cruise

For example, Keene Luxury Travel, a member of the Signature Travel Network, has relationships with all the top luxury cruise lines, especially Regent Seven Seas. As a result, your agent can offer shipboard credits, special fares for solo travelers, deals for families traveling with children and more. The agency also has its own KLT Rewards program. With KLT Rewards, you'll get cash back on every sailing, about 10 days before you set sail. Plus, if you book a trip hosted by the agency's owners, you'll get a bump in the amount of your reward for booking with them.

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The best part about working with specialty agents like those at Keene Luxury Travel? You can stack deals. For example, you can book a hosted trip to get the usual 5% KLT booking reward, plus an enhanced reward for booking a group trip. On top of that, you could also receive the onboard credit that's a Signature Travel Network perk.

Bottom line

Whether you're booking a weekend getaway in a U.S. city or planning an around-the-world extravaganza that includes an African safari , Antarctica cruise and a stay in an igloo hotel , consider using a travel agent. An agent can help get you on the right trip, at the right time for the right price.

They can help find the best rooms, book services you didn't even know existed and tie all the pieces together on a complicated itinerary.

A travel agent can be particularly beneficial if you don't have the time to do all the research yourself, or if you're looking for help in getting the best deal. It's also helpful to use an agent if your trip targets destinations or itineraries that can benefit from local experts,

If there's ever a problem during a vacation — which seems to happen more often than not these days — it's great to have a problem-solver who is just one phone call or email away.

Additional reporting by Bill Fink

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Faqs for booking flights from chicago to moscow, are there rental car companies at vko airport.

Yes. TIS Car and Rent Motors are two examples of rental car agencies that provide shuttle or pick-up services between Moscow Vnukovo Airport and areas outside of the airport.

What is the most convenient means of transport to the city center from VKO airport?

The Aero express train at Vnukovo Airport is regarded as the most expedient mode of transit to Moscow's city center. The train leaves the airport every 30 minutes and arrives at the Kievskaya metro station in roughly 35 minutes.

Are there hotels at O’Hare International Airport?

Yes. The Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport Hotel can be found right across the street from terminals 1, 2, and 3. It is also connected to all domestic terminals through undergroungwalkways and can be reached via the airport transit system from the international terminal (5).

Are there parking services at ORD airport?

At O'Hare International Airport, passengers may choose from a variety of parking alternatives including valet service, hourly and daily parking, as well as long-term and economyl parking options. If you plan to park for more than 30 days, please contact the parking garage office so that they can make appropriate arrangements in advance. Vehicles that have been left parked for more than 30 days without making previous arrangements will be deemed abandoned and may be towed at the owner's cost. When leaving the parking lots, payments for parking are made with the cashier at that location. There are a variety of methods of payment available including cash, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, and Carte Blanche.

Do I need a passport to fly between Chicago and Moscow?

Which aircraft models fly most regularly from chicago to moscow.

We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to Moscow?

KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Chicago to Moscow.

How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Chicago to Moscow?

KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Moscow from Chicago is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Chicago to Moscow?

Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Moscow with an airline and back to Chicago with another airline.

What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Chicago to Moscow?

Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Moscow from Chicago up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from Chicago to Moscow

  • O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) are Chicago's two primary hubs for international travel. The primary airport for both domestic and international travel is O'Hare International Airport. Chicago Midway Airport is a smaller satellite airport that performs the same functions as O'Hare.
  • Sheremetyevo (SVO), Domodedovo (DME), and Vnukovo (VKO) are the three major airports that serve the Moscow metropolitan area. Sheremetyevo (terminal F) and Domodedovo are the two primary airports used for international flights in Moscow.
  • If you are traveling through ORD, there are 15 lounges available to accommodate passengers that are waiting for their flight. Each terminal has at least one lounge. Additionally, lounges are available to passengers at each terminal of Chicago Midway Airport. These lounges include recharging stations, as well as free Wi-Fi and shower facilities for guests.
  • A comfortable nursing parents lounge is available for breastfeeding and pumping parents who are traveling through O'Hare International Airport. The airport's yoga room and urban garden are adjacent to the breastfeeding room, which can be found in the rotunda of terminal 3. At Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), there is a room called the Mother's Room that provides a serene environment for nursing parents who would rather tend to their infants in a more private setting. It provides pleasant lounging space in addition to a sink and a place to wash.
  • If you are traveling with a pet, you'll be happy to know that all terminals at Sheremetyevo (SVOO), Domodedovo (DME), and Vnukovo (VKO) airports have designated areas for pets to relieve themselves.

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FinanceBuzz

FinanceBuzz

8 Proven Ways To Find Cheaper Airline Ticket Prices

Posted: November 26, 2023 | Last updated: April 7, 2024

<p> Hopping online to purchase airline tickets can cause quite a shock due to their high prices. </p><p class="">  <a href="https://financebuzz.com/top-travel-credit-cards?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=1&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=Compare+the+best+travel+credit+cards+for+nearly+free+travel&synd_backlink_position=1&synd_slug=top-travel-credit-cards">Compare the best travel credit cards for nearly free travel</a>   </p><p>Thanks to the cost of gas, staffing issues, and pilot shortages, it’s not cheap to travel by plane. That’s why we’re here to help you get the best deals on airline tickets so you can <a href="https://financebuzz.com/ways-to-travel-more?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=1&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=start+traveling+more&synd_backlink_position=2&synd_slug=ways-to-travel-more">start traveling more</a>. </p><p class="">Here are the best tips to help you find the most affordable airplane tickets for the times you just need to get away.</p>

Hopping online to purchase airline tickets can cause quite a shock due to their high prices. 

Earn Points and Miles: Find the best travel credit card for nearly free travel

Thanks to the cost of gas, staffing issues, and pilot shortages, it’s not cheap to travel by plane. That’s why we’re here to help you get the best deals on airline tickets so you can start traveling more . 

Here are the best tips to help you find the most affordable airplane tickets for the times you just need to get away.

<p> One easy way to save on airline tickets is to purchase them with the <a href="https://financebuzz.com/best-travel-credit-cards?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=2&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=best+travel+credit+cards%2C&synd_backlink_position=3&synd_slug=best-travel-credit-cards">best travel credit cards,</a> which give you points for each dollar you spend. </p><p>The <a href="https://financebuzz.com/best-airline-credit-cards?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=2&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=best+airline+credit+cards&synd_backlink_position=4&synd_slug=best-airline-credit-cards">best airline credit cards</a> offer similar rewards programs, allowing you to acquire miles that you can save up and redeem for discounted or even free flights.  </p> <p> Some credit cards will also offer free companion tickets. Just be sure that you don’t carry a balance on either type of credit card, as interest rates and annual fees can negate any benefits you rack up if you let debt build up without paying it off in a timely manner.  </p><p class="">  <p class=""><a href="https://financebuzz.com/extra-newsletter-signup-testimonials-synd?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=2&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=Get+expert+advice+on+making+more+money+-+sent+straight+to+your+inbox.&synd_backlink_position=5&synd_slug=extra-newsletter-signup-testimonials-synd">Get expert advice on making more money - sent straight to your inbox.</a></p>  </p>

Use a travel or airline credit card

One easy way to save on airline tickets is to purchase them with the best travel credit cards, which give you points for each dollar you spend. 

The best airline credit cards offer similar rewards programs, allowing you to acquire miles that you can save up and redeem for discounted or even free flights.

Some credit cards will also offer free companion tickets. Just be sure that you don’t carry a balance on either type of credit card, as interest rates and annual fees can negate any benefits you rack up if you let debt build up without paying it off in a timely manner.

Get expert advice on making more money - sent straight to your inbox.

<p> You may have heard that there are magical times when you can book a flight to snag the best possible price on airline tickets. </p><p>However, that might not always be the case, especially considering the fluctuating price of oil and general market uncertainty.  </p> <p> To that end, it’s best to book your flight as soon as you know you will be taking one. Travel experts suggest booking your summer trip in winter, and vice versa. Think of it like buying a bathing suit when it’s chilly or a parka when it’s beach weather.</p>

Plan your trip far in advance

You may have heard that there are magical times when you can book a flight to snag the best possible price on airline tickets. 

However, that might not always be the case, especially considering the fluctuating price of oil and general market uncertainty.

To that end, it’s best to book your flight as soon as you know you will be taking one. Travel experts suggest booking your summer trip in winter, and vice versa. Think of it like buying a bathing suit when it’s chilly or a parka when it’s beach weather.

<p> You’d be hard-pressed to find a person who delights at getting up at 3 a.m. for an early flight or boarding at 11 p.m. for a red-eye flight. However, the discomfort and exhaustion of traveling at the crack of dawn or the dead of night might translate into some serious savings for you.  </p> <p> Also, purchasing your airline tickets on certain days of the week, like Thursdays, and planning to depart on a Wednesday can chip away at the cost as well. </p><p>Although the savings may not be huge, any savings helps. So yes, the days and times you both book and fly can spare your wallet.</p><p class="">  <a href="https://financebuzz.com/money-moves-after-40?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=4&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=10+brilliant+ways+to+build+wealth+after+40&synd_backlink_position=6&synd_slug=money-moves-after-40">10 brilliant ways to build wealth after 40</a>  </p>

Book on certain days and fly at unpopular times

You’d be hard-pressed to find a person who delights at getting up at 3 a.m. for an early flight or boarding at 11 p.m. for a red-eye flight. However, the discomfort and exhaustion of traveling at the crack of dawn or the dead of night might translate into some serious savings for you.

Also, purchasing your airline tickets on certain days of the week, like Thursdays, and planning to depart on a Wednesday can chip away at the cost as well. 

Although the savings may not be huge, any savings helps. So yes, the days and times you both book and fly can spare your wallet.

Grow Your $$: 11 brilliant ways to build wealth after 40

<p> Let’s face it, booking a direct flight is certainly the easiest and most hassle-free way to go about air travel. Your bag travels with you in one plane, you don’t have to run through the airport to catch a connection and delays will stress you out far less this way.  </p> <p> However, you’re likely to pay more for a direct route. If you want to save some cash, then book a connecting flight. </p><p>You do run the risk of arriving at your connecting flight a sweaty mess and will have to add extra time to your overall travel schedule, but you’re going to the same place in the end. </p>

Add a connecting flight

Let’s face it, booking a direct flight is certainly the easiest and most hassle-free way to go about air travel. Your bag travels with you in one plane, you don’t have to run through the airport to catch a connection and delays will stress you out far less this way.

However, you’re likely to pay more for a direct route. If you want to save some cash, then book a connecting flight. 

You do run the risk of arriving at your connecting flight a sweaty mess and will have to add extra time to your overall travel schedule, but you’re going to the same place in the end.

<p> We’ve all heard the horror stories of flying on a budget airline, but take those with a grain of salt. The reason? These airlines have grown significantly in recent years, and have quadrupled in size since the last time oil prices were soaring into oblivion.  </p> <p> Additionally, more people are turning to budget airlines to book their flights, from a mere 4% of travelers in 2008 to 15%, and growing today.  </p> <p> You do have to be mindful of hidden fees on budget airlines, including for carry-ons and such, but in the end, you can wind up with serious savings.</p>

Book with a budget airline

We’ve all heard the horror stories of flying on a budget airline, but take those with a grain of salt. The reason? These airlines have grown significantly in recent years, and have quadrupled in size since the last time oil prices were soaring into oblivion.

Additionally, more people are turning to budget airlines to book their flights, from a mere 4% of travelers in 2008 to 15%, and growing today.

You do have to be mindful of hidden fees on budget airlines, including for carry-ons and such, but in the end, you can wind up with serious savings.

<p> If you have flexibility about when and where you want to travel, you can find some of the best airline tickets and travel packages around on sites like Travelzoo.  </p> <p> This company has an entire staff of experts who spend their time scouring the web to find the best deals on a wide variety of trips, from quick beach getaways in Mexico to bucket list trips like African safaris, eco getaways to the Galapagos Islands, and more.  </p> <p> All you need to do to access these deals is sign up with your email address, and each week you will get a list of their top 20 picks, with cheap airfare included in many of them. </p><p class="">  <a href="https://financebuzz.com/retire-early-quiz?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=7&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=Will+you+be+able+to+retire+early%3F+Take+this+quiz+to+find+out.&synd_backlink_position=7&synd_slug=retire-early-quiz">Will you be able to retire early? Take this quiz to find out.</a>  </p>

Sign up for sites like Travelzoo

If you have flexibility about when and where you want to travel, you can find some of the best airline tickets and travel packages around on sites like Travelzoo.

This company has an entire staff of experts who spend their time scouring the web to find the best deals on a wide variety of trips, from quick beach getaways in Mexico to bucket list trips like African safaris, eco getaways to the Galapagos Islands, and more.

All you need to do to access these deals is sign up with your email address, and each week you will get a list of their top 20 picks, with cheap airfare included in many of them.

Retire Sooner: Take this quiz to see if you can retire early

<p> Another way you can save money on plane tickets is by booking your flight on sites like Expedia. For one, you can often (but not always) find cheaper flights on Expedia as opposed to booking them directly with a carrier. </p><p>Additionally, if you’re willing to bundle your flight, hotel, and car rental, you’ll often find that doing so comes out cheaper than the sum of its parts.  </p> <p> Expedia also offers last-minute deals similar to Travelzoo if you’re up for a spontaneous adventure. Just be sure to compare shops, and read the cancellation policies very carefully. Finally, Expedia also offers reward programs, but airline and credit card reward programs tend to be more lucrative. </p>

Book with a site like Expedia

Another way you can save money on plane tickets is by booking your flight on sites like Expedia. For one, you can often (but not always) find cheaper flights on Expedia as opposed to booking them directly with a carrier. 

Additionally, if you’re willing to bundle your flight, hotel, and car rental, you’ll often find that doing so comes out cheaper than the sum of its parts.

Expedia also offers last-minute deals similar to Travelzoo if you’re up for a spontaneous adventure. Just be sure to compare shops, and read the cancellation policies very carefully. Finally, Expedia also offers reward programs, but airline and credit card reward programs tend to be more lucrative.

<p> This last bit of advice might sound like a relic from a time gone by, but booking with a travel agency can still save you money, even in the era of oodles of travel websites. </p><p>For one reason, they have expertise that can be exceptionally valuable, especially if you are planning a complicated trip to a place you’ve never been, like South Asia or the Middle East. </p> <p> Additionally, you often don’t have to pay extra to utilize an agent, as their compensation comes from the hotels and services they work with. Just inquire about fees up front, and prepare to save.</p>

Use a travel agency

This last bit of advice might sound like a relic from a time gone by, but booking with a travel agency can still save you money, even in the era of oodles of travel websites. 

For one reason, they have expertise that can be exceptionally valuable, especially if you are planning a complicated trip to a place you’ve never been, like South Asia or the Middle East. 

Additionally, you often don’t have to pay extra to utilize an agent, as their compensation comes from the hotels and services they work with. Just inquire about fees up front, and prepare to save.

<p> While flying in general is more expensive lately, especially if you have to book at the last minute, it’s not impossible to score some savings. This is especially true if you do a little recognizance beforehand. </p> <p> If possible, consider <a href="https://financebuzz.com/ways-to-travel-more?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=10&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=saving+money+on+travel&synd_backlink_position=8&synd_slug=ways-to-travel-more">saving money on travel</a> by taking the train if you can reach your destination, as those fares can be far cheaper. You can see more of the country, too. </p> <p>  <p class=""><b>More from FinanceBuzz:</b></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.financebuzz.com/shopper-hacks-Costco-55mp?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=10&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=6+genius+hacks+Costco+shoppers+should+know.&synd_backlink_position=9&synd_slug=shopper-hacks-Costco-55mp">6 genius hacks Costco shoppers should know.</a></li> <li><a href="https://financebuzz.com/offer/bypass/637?source=%2Flatest%2Fmsn%2Fslideshow%2Ffeed%2F&aff_id=1006&aff_sub=msn&aff_sub2=&aff_sub3=&aff_sub4=feed&aff_sub5=%7Bimpressionid%7D&aff_click_id=&aff_unique1=%7Baff_unique1%7D&aff_unique2=&aff_unique3=&aff_unique4=&aff_unique5=%7Baff_unique5%7D&rendered_slug=/latest/msn/slideshow/feed/&contentblockid=2708&contentblockversionid=21425&ml_sort_id=&sorted_item_id=&widget_type=&cms_offer_id=637&keywords=&ai_listing_id=&utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=10&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=Can+you+retire+early%3F+Take+this+quiz+and+find+out.&synd_backlink_position=10&synd_slug=offer/bypass/637">Can you retire early? Take this quiz and find out.</a></li> <li><a href="https://financebuzz.com/supplement-income-55mp?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=10&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=7+things+to+do+if+you%27re+scraping+by+financially.&synd_backlink_position=11&synd_slug=supplement-income-55mp">7 things to do if you're scraping by financially.</a></li> <li><a href="https://financebuzz.com/extra-newsletter-signup-testimonials-synd?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=10&synd_postid=14659&synd_backlink_title=9+simple+ways+to+make+up+to+an+extra+%24200%2Fday&synd_backlink_position=12&synd_slug=extra-newsletter-signup-testimonials-synd">9 simple ways to make up to an extra $200/day</a></li> </ul>  </p>

Bottom line

While flying in general is more expensive lately, especially if you have to book at the last minute, it’s not impossible to score some savings. This is especially true if you do a little recognizance beforehand.

If possible, consider saving money on travel by taking the train if you can reach your destination, as those fares can be far cheaper. You can see more of the country, too. 

More from FinanceBuzz:

  • 6 genius hacks Costco shoppers should know.
  • Can you retire early? Take this quiz and find out.
  • 7 things to do if you're scraping by financially.
  • 9 simple ways to make up to an extra $200/day

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7 best travel agency software to boost revenue in 2024

  • 11 min read

What is travel agency software?

What should you look for in software to manage your travel agency.

  • best software for travel agencies in 2024&nbsp;

Your client's experience with your travel agency starts well before they set off on their trip. Instead, their journey begins the moment they go to your website to see what your agency has to offer. From there, communication, itinerary planning, payment options, and timely updates are all important components of the overall package that make up a great travel booking experience.

The best travel agency software helps you provide the service you need to foster strong relationships, retain clients, and drive revenue.

Read our list of the 7 best travel agency software tools in 2024 to transform your agency into a premier destination of its own.

Travel agency software covers any tools that can help your travel agency operate more efficiently, delight your customers, and find and book hotels, air travel, trains, and car rentals.

Some tools help book flights and hotels, while others are focused on marketing, client communication, or building a website that converts visitors.

The best travel agency software should help you streamline your workflows and give your clients the service they need. Here’s what to look out for when evaluating tools for your travel agency.

  • Travel options: Good booking software should give you access to a wide range of flights, hotels, car rentals, and tours.
  • Cost reduction: Travel is expensive. Good travel agency software ensures that you can get prices that are acceptable to your clients while leaving you with enough profit.
  • Customer experience: The best software for travel agencies gives your clients an excellent customer experience. Branded client portals are effective ways to centralize client communication and provide excellent transparency.
  • Efficiency: Travel arrangements require complex and often disparate workflows. Any travel agency software you choose should be able to streamline your workflows so your service is fast and efficient.

Now that we know what to look out for, let’s get into our list of our favorite tools to run your travel agency.

10 best software for travel agencies in 2024 

Here are our top picks for the best travel agency software available on the market today:

Alright, let’s take a look at what each tool does, how much it costs, and what real customers have to say about them.

1. TravelPerk

TravelPerk

  • Best for: Booking trips for your clients
  • Pricing: Starts at $99 per month, plus 3% of each booking

TravelPerk is an all-in-one tool for booking and managing everything your client needs for a trip. The tool gives travel agencies access to a wide range of flights, hotels, trains, and cars, so they can put together superb inventories at great prices. While it’s a great choice for travel agencies, it’s also a good option for large teams who need business travel management solutions.

The TravelPerk interface is clean and modern. It acts as a portal to an incredible travel inventory that is capable of meeting all your clients' needs. The search filters are solid and remove a lot of time-consuming tasks. The mobile app is another great feature that allows agents to work on the go.

Other interesting features of the app include carbon footprint tracking, which is a good tool for environmentally conscious clients. What’s more, if you have a lot of business travel clients, you can take advantage of VAT recovery and even integrate individual travel policies into the platform to track travel expenses.

Overall, TravelPerk saves you time on bookings while giving you access to a wide range of inventory. What’s not to like?

TravelPerk notable features

  • A centralized platform to help streamline the booking process
  • Access to a huge inventory of flights, hotels, and transport options
  • Carbon footprint tracking

TravelPerk reviews

Here is what real TravelPerk customers have to say about the solution.

  • G2: 4.6/5 ⭐
  • Capterra: 4.8/5 ⭐
  • GetApp:   4.7/5 ⭐

Copilot for creating client portals

  • Best for: Client management and communication
  • Pricing: Starts at $29 per month per user

Copilot is the platform service businesses are built on. It allows firms and agencies of all sizes to bring their entire tech stack under one roof. From communication, contracts, payments, intake forms, and more, Copilot is a one-stop shop for running a service business. And because running a travel agency is very customer-focused work, Copilot focuses mainly on the client experience and the customer-facing side of your business. The goal is to create such a great, personalized customer experience that your clients keep coming back to you to plan their trips.

Some Copilot features that work well for travel agencies include customizable intake forms so you can better understand your client’s travel needs. These forms help you collect pertinent information that you can easily transfer into an integrated CRM tool. What’s more, you can build beautiful branded client portals to centralize itinerary planning and other requirement discussions.

A client portal also offers secure file-sharing, which you can use for travel documents, visas, and information about flights, hotels, car rentals, and more. Having all these documents available on the cloud and in one centralized place is a huge benefit for your clients.

Another great Copilot feature that will help your travel agency is the in-built payment management. You can create invoices, subscriptions, and offer secure checkout — which means your clients have flexible and easy ways to pay for their travel.

Overall, Copilot is an indispensable tool for travel agencies who want to demonstrate their professionalism and trust by providing a user-friendly client portal that your customers will love.

Copilot notable features

  • Automated onboarding workflows that help you collect important client details and cut down on your admin work.
  • Integrated payment portals that offer clients different payment options, including subscription payments.
  • White-label client portals that centralize communications share important travel documents and keep everyone up to date about how travel plans are progressing.

Copilot reviews

Here is what real Copilot customers have to say about the solution:

  • G2: 4.8/5 ⭐
  • Capterra: 4.9/5 ⭐
  • Software Advice: 4.9/5 ⭐

3. WeTravel

WeTravel

  • Best for: Payments for group travel
  • Pricing: Starts at $79 per month, with custom plans for travel agents

WeTravel started out life as a platform to help simplify payments for group tour operators. However, it has expanded over the years and now it is used by travel agents to solve the complexity of group travel.

The big idea with WeTravel is that you can easily generate a slick, professional page for group trips. Your page means you can centralize everything you need for the trip and include photos, itinerary descriptions, and traveler information.

However, perhaps the best feature is the secure payment portal that solves the messy problem of taking payment from a wide array of travelers. Clients can pay by card or electronic transfers, and you can even offer payment plans.

WeTravel’s easy-to-use interface and superb drag-and-drop inventory creation are excellent features for small travel agencies who want to provide high-quality and polished customer experiences. Their processing fees are just 1%, which is very competitive.

You can also integrate WeTravel with marketing tools to help you capture leads and send out promotional materials for various trips. However, WeTravel might not work for very complex itineraries. Additionally, it’s mobile-friendliness does need a little work. But don’t let that put you off, because WeTravel is a great tool to have in your arsenal.

WeTravel notable features

Wetravel reviews.

Here is what real WeTravel customers have to say about the solution.

  • G2: 4.1/5 ⭐
  • GetApp:   4.8/5 ⭐

4. Avochato

Avochato

  • Best for: Text message notifications
  • Pricing: Starts at $19 per month, with custom plans for busier agencies

Keeping clients up to date on travel information is a big challenge these days. One of the best ways to ensure that clients have the information they need is by SMS because the technology has incredible open rates of around 98% .

Avochato is an SMS business communication platform. While it’s not solely focused on travel agencies, it’s used widely across the industry to provide the swift and personalized communication that clients treasure.

Conversational customer support is a big advantage in relationship businesses like travel. Avochato helps teams deal with booking inquiries, trip updates, promotional messages, and even gathering feedback. It’s very intuitive, and if you’re a growing agency, it’s more than capable of scaling with you.

However, WeTravel is not perfect. For starters, it’s very US-focused, which might not work for every travel agency. What’s more, it’s a little pricer than some other SMS solutions out there. Finally, while it does provide support for video and images via MMS, the communications might lack the immersion of a client portal or email communication. That said, it’s a great tool for communicating critical information that won’t get lost in your client’s inbox.

Avochato notable features

  • Shared team inbox that allows multiple agency staff to communicate with clients
  • Excellent integration with CRM tools
  • Broadcast or schedule SMS messages for announcements, reminders, offers, and trip details

Avochato reviews

Here is what real Avochato customers have to say about the solution.

  • G2: 4.4/5 ⭐
  • Capterra: 4.7/5 ⭐

BizAway travel booking software

  • Best for: Business travel bookings
  • Pricing: Starts at $4 per booking

BizAway launched in Stockholm, Sweden, almost a decade ago with the goal of streamlining the travel process for businesses and agencies. Since then, it has expanded internationally, but it is still primarily focused on the European market.

Some of the problems that BizAway solves include fragmented, time-consuming, and frustrating booking experiences across multiple platforms. It’s also adept at expense management and compliance with business travel policies, with a particular focus on approvals and policy control.

While BizAway is the best tool for European travel, that’s not to say that it won’t work for different regions. Indeed, they have a huge inventory for worldwide travel thanks to widespread access to various travel suppliers.

The booking interface is gorgeous and makes it simple to find and secure hotels, car rentals, trains, and more from inside the platform. It also integrates well with CRM, HR, and accounting software, making it a good choice for both travel agencies and corporations.

Overall, BizAway makes our list of the best travel agency software because it can save you money on travel packages. For travel agencies, any tool that helps you achieve better margins is worth having in your software stack. Sure, it might lack some of the deep customization options of its competitors, but make no mistake, this is a solid solution that makes travel and booking management far easier.

BizAway notable features

  • Superb user interface booking system
  • Excellent and in-depth reporting tools
  • Superb expense management and policy control tools for corporate travel clients

BizAway reviews

Here is what real BizAway customers have to say about the solution:

  • Software Advice: 4.7/5 ⭐
  • GetApp: 4.7/5 ⭐

Webflow for agencies

  • Best for: Building a travel agency website
  • Pricing: Starts at $14 per month, but busy agencies will need higher-tier plans

Webflow is a visual website building site with CMS and hosting capabilities. It allows businesses of every type to build professional-looking custom websites that are ready for the modern age.

While there are many solid template-based website builders out there, Webflow is a winning choice for travel agencies for a number of reasons. Firstly, travel marketing is heavily reliant on images. Webflow helps you sell experiences because it handles visuals superbly. Additionally, it offers great responsive design, which is essential for clients who browse for trips via mobile. Finally, Webflow integrates well with third-party custom booking systems.

Weflow is flexible enough to suit a wide variety of travel agencies, from small operators to luxury travel websites. It’s very easy to build a site that will totally wow your clients without knowing any code. This feature will save you money on maintenance and getting your site built. When you add in Webflow’s hosting, these advantages alone are enough to justify its monthly price.

Another thing to consider is that Webflow builds fast-loading websites. Website loading speed is important to clients, and it’s also an SEO ranking factor. But that’s not the only way that Webflow will help with SEO. It also comes with SEO tools that help you structure your site so that you maximize visibility and promote organic site visits.

Overall, Webflow is a powerful web design tool that lets you build superb, visually appealing websites. A well-designed, secure, and fast-loading website is the first step on the path towards building trust and credibility, which are essential in the travel industry.

Webflow notable features

  • Customizable design that helps you create a unique and visually striking website without coding
  • Build in CMS to manage your destinations, tours, packages, blog content, and more
  • Easy integration with booking and payment tools

Webflow reviews

Here is what real Webflow customers have to say about the solution.

  • Capterra: 4.6/5 ⭐
  • GetApp:   4.6/5 ⭐

Front

  • Best for: Customer operations
  • Pricing: Starts at $59 per month

Since Front was launched in 2013, it has become widely adopted by travel agencies and other businesses as a way to enhance collaboration and customer communication via shared email inboxes.

Travel planning involves a lot of communication with hotels, car rentals, tour operators, trains and buses, and so on. Front helps you centralize these communications so that nothing is missed or forgotten.

The front really comes into its own for travel agencies, thanks to a few core features. Firstly, it’s a great way to collaborate on travel inventories because members can leave notes, assign tasks, and trash out the finer details, all in one place. What’s more, the booking tools are great for group planning.

If you’re a very small travel agency, some of the features might feel excessive. However, for busy teams, you can customize Front around your workflows, benefit from data & analytics tools, and get real-time visibility into which tasks your agents are handling, and which have fallen through the cracks.

Overall, Front ensures that your back office is streamlined, efficient, and on top of everything.

Front notable features

  • Shared inboxes are a great way to provide much-needed visibility and oversight into disparate travel communications
  • Superb templates for providing travel updates
  • Excellent integration with CRM and booking tools

Front reviews

Here is what real BizAway customers have to say about the solution.

  • G2: 4.7/5 ⭐
  • GetApp: 4.6/5 ⭐

The best travel agency software makes life easy for you and your clients. Whether it’s by giving you access to a wider range of hotels and flights, ensuring your communication is timely, and that you can offer flexible ways for your client to pay.

Copilot’s super client portals help you streamline your onboarding, client communication, progress, document sharing, and payments. Sign up for a free Copilot trial today and take a holiday away from disorganized communication, inefficiency, and slow payments.

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Arizona retirees book airline reservations believing they’re dealing with Southwest Airlines

They say they paid an additional $851 as a result.

SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ (AZFamily) —Judy Overmeyer and her husband Michael live in a quiet little mobile home park in San Tan Valley.

“There are tons of activities here,” Judy told On Your Side. “They’ve got a swimming pool. Shuffleboard. They have golf.”

However, the one activity they long for is spending time with their numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren — many of whom live out of state. So Judy and her husband contacted Southwest Airlines and booked a June trip to Salt Lake City to see family. The cost of the airfare was $719.

But something unexpected came up, and Judy and her husband had to reschedule their June flight to July. So they got online and after searching for Southwest Airlines’ phone number, they called to change their flight.

Judy said there was no problem making the change, but she claims she was charged $851 on top of the $719 original fare, and she’s not happy about that.

“I can’t tell you how I feel because I’m not allowed to say those words on air,” Judy said.

On Your Side got involved and discovered that $851 purchase wasn’t from Southwest Airlines at all but from a company called PCM Travels. As it turns out, when Judy and her husband typed Southwest Airlines into a search engine looking for the reservation number, they mistakenly landed on PCM Travels.

In fact, several people have complained online that PCM Travels masquerades as major airline carriers like Southwest.

On Your Side came across an online consumer advocate explaining how consumers get fooled. He called PCM Travels and during the conversation, he asked if he’s calling Southwest Airlines. The representative replied that he called Southwest Airlines’ consolidated desk.

Judy said she didn’t realize she was dealing with PCM Travels until On Your Side brought it to her attention.

On Your Side contacted PCM Travels, which claimed to be a legitimate third-party travel company that offers “convenience” for travelers who don’t want to wait on hold for airline carriers.

After On Your Side explained Judy’s situation and how she felt duped, PCM Travels refunded $500 but not the entire $851, saying they did nothing wrong. They also said they were under no legal obligation to make a refund but did so because Judy’s husband was a military veteran.

Judy and her husband say from now on, they’ll be more careful when searching for phone numbers online and thanked On Your Side for getting at least $500 returned.

“I think you guys do a lot of beneficial work,” she said. “Because people are getting messed around enough in this world.”

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it .

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Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.

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