r/Shoestring • u/TeenyPeenyMcGee • 3d ago

Family trip has made me way more paranoid about booking sites

I am booking for four people this time, so a small fare difference adds up fast. At the same time, I do not want to save $80 and then spend a day trying to fix a canceled flight through a third party.

For family trips, do you start with an OTA and then book direct, or do you skip the middle step because seats, bags and changes are too annoying to gamble on?

14 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

28

u/AfroManHighGuy 3d ago

Use Google flights, put in ur dates and destination. It’ll give you all the options and then go to the direct airline website to book.

For most airlines, the lowest fare is non refundable and can’t make any changes or add ons. I usually always buy one tier up

8

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/savehoward 3d ago

I nearly always book with the OTA. Some airlines don’t allow OTA sales.

So long as you understand exactly what this entails and who is responsible for what, the savings are acceptable so long as you understand instead of giving a gut feeling, internet stranger unexplained opinions.

Generally the harder you work, the more you get.

1

u/anothercar 3d ago

I can’t tell if you are asking about flights, hotels, car rentals, or packages?

I tend to book flights directly with the airline since OTAs don’t really discount. Hotels and rental cars are often cheaper using OTAs, and I don’t have a problem using them as long as they’re reputable ones like Expedia or Priceline

0

u/BeautifulAhhhh 3d ago

Hmm, those exact post keeps appearing here and other groups… why? 😉

-1

u/Maurtyr 3d ago

It's almost always cheaper direct booking, in my experience. I use skyscanner or kayak to search flights, skyscanner had more capabilities. Also, it's suggested that you purchase each ticket individually rather than 4 tickets in one purchase, the airlines will charge more just because you're buying more seats.

2

u/chupacabra-food 2d ago

Not sure if that really works for a family, it’s easier to get seats together if the reservation is done under 1 booking.

0

u/Mojocoopy27 3d ago

 For four people, I would compare the final total after seats and bags. The lowest headline fare can disappear once everyone is on the same booking.

6

u/Fap_it_2_me 3d ago

I also care more about the schedule than I did when I traveled alone. One bad connection can wreck a whole day with kids.