When using a site to book a package, experts recommend pricing the individual components separately to make sure you're getting a good deal. Prices can vary significantly, so comparison shopping on several sites, including comparing prices of package components, is recommended.

If you need a specific hotel or airline, or need to be able to revise your itinerary, you may be better off going directly to the hotel and/or airline of your choice. Right now, many major travel sites earn low marks for their unclear -- and sometimes costly -- cancellations and refunds. This can make an especially big difference with hotels and rental cars. If you book directly with a hotel, you can often cancel a reservation without penalty up to 24 hours in advance. If you book through a travel site, however, your booking may be nonrefundable. The same goes for rental cars. Most rental car companies let you reserve a car without paying in advance.

Experts suggest you consider the following when using travel websites:

  • Try several travel sites and compare deals. Search engines scour more databases for the best fares, while standard travel sites have more searching flexibility, especially for vacation packages. Standard travel sites also negotiate their own deals with suppliers, and they sometimes turn up cheaper fares.
  • Consider fees. Though most search engines don't charge service fees, and many mainstream travel sites are scaling back or eliminating booking fees altogether (at least temporarily), it's always a good idea to check airline or hotel sites directly. Booking directly through an airline or hotel never incurs a fee.
  • Check directly with the airline or hotel before booking. Many hotels and airlines now guarantee that the lowest prices are on their websites. So, if you find a price that looks good on a travel website, also check the hotel or airline site. Remember, blind sites don't allow you to earn frequent-flyer miles. More and more airline and hotel websites are offering bonus miles, points or other perks for booking directly on their site, as well as for using an airline or hotel credit card.
  • Check cancellation clauses when booking. Canceling hotel reservations made online -- either at online agencies like Expedia.com or at hotel web sites -- can sometimes result in fees ranging from $25 to the full cost of a room. So, it's important to note the policies stated on each site before booking. Hotels sometimes offer a prepaid rate that can't be cancelled without a substantial penalty, as well as fully cancellable but more expensive rates.
  • If you're traveling overseas, check a travel site's offshoot. Travel companies frequently have multi-tiered pricing structures, which means that airfare or car-rental prices may be lower when you're booking them overseas. For example, Travelocity.com's site for customers in Mexico is Travelocity.com.mx, and it may list flights within Mexico at lower rates than in the U.S. If you're traveling within one country, it's worth checking into individual country sites run by Travelocity.com, Expedia.com and others.
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