How do you book your holiday?

[raaboo]

How are people booking their holidays these days?

I run a travel site that takes online bookings (links through to laterooms.com website) however am interested to find out whether people still prefer this method?

Some people like face to face in an agency, some like over the phone, I prefer direct with the hotel but what about everyone else - does it depend on the holiday destination or ease of use?
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[leito]

well till now I didn't really book my holidays ... most time we just grabbed our stuff and then started the car (it's a pretty fun way ^^)
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[rosso]

I tend to browse a few agent websites online, look at what seems like a good deal, and then browse several review websites, like tripadvisor and holidaywatchdog. If the general reviews look positive, then it's a good indicator for me to think about booking.

There will always be bad reviews for what ever destination, but I find it's worth looking through and finding out which of them are nonsensical, for instance, people moaning about the weather, even though they went in the autumn season etc.

[sandcastle]

However, I do prefer to book directly with the owner/proprietor of a property/hotel.

We do tend to go to self-catering properties and we prefer to deal directly with the owner as we know from our own business that this is the way to get the best deal. Of course, if the owner takes credit cards on-line then that would be our preferred means of payment.
We know that some 'middle-men' look for up to 20% commission and we feel that we'd rather not pay that, so we use sites to book where the owner has advertised rather than paid commission, such as Holiday Rentals or FlipKey. It's also good to read reviews there.

Although hotels may prefer to use intermediaries to secure more business, we found it really strange recently that when we phoned a hotel we weren't able to book direct and there was a lot of umming and ahhing on the phone - turns out that they didn't know if they could take a booking which wasn't through some third party system - now that's a bit of an awkward way to greet a customer who has already decided they want to book.

Just an opinion - I have many!
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[Diddles]

I used a TA last time for our cruise Jan09, this time I booked via the Jetstar it saved us heaps on the quotes I requested from the TA for our trip to Phuket this year.

[melster]

I always book direct. I find it far cheaper and gives you all the control you want. It does mean I really judge places by thier website, and I tell you I've seen some terrible ones!

[travelous]

i agree. direct booking is much more convenient and saves you time and money..


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direct holidays

[mvjames]

online is surely cheaper, and my brother in law last week booked a hotel through booking.com (or hotels.com) for a hotel in Granada in spain for about 80 Euros a night cheaper than the hotel was offering via email or telephone through their own website. They usually get packages of rooms, s can't be beaten on this front.

Yes if it's vacation rentals, owners are better, and sites like VRBO or Great Rentals are good, too. Depends on the kind of traveller - it's easy to get a room for 2 for a weekend break cheaply for example, but if it's a 2 week family holiday, you need to shop around.
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[LandJumper]

Have tried various methods, finding a good online agent consistently results in reliable and cheap travel

[evala]

Online booking- that's the way to do it! Everybody does! It's easier, faster, cheaper, and clearer. You become your own travel agent so obviously you are much more involved with all the details! In the end of the day you do at home exactly what your travel agent does for you in his agency only the price is different since obviously you must pay for his expenses and commission, not to mention the hassle concerned with going to the agencies, looking for the best offer and so on. There are few good leading web sites with well known reputation. There is no need to be afraid from online booking. Remember the times we had to send letters in able to communicate? Today we have cell phones, fax and internet. The online booking is simply another innovation of our times. Makes life easier, makes sense

[S.Evans]

Last time i booked was with a TA. It's nice and easy.

[Red Tape]

Travel Agents have their place. While they're not needed for routine bookings, their service can be quite valuable when you don't have time to do the research to book yourself an extended holiday. If an itinerary is complex (there is nothing complex about booking a week at an all inclusive resort you never intend to leave), and involves multiple locations the right travel agent can bring you information that you may not necessarily get on line...and they'll make sure you know about any requirements such as vaccines or entry restrictions that you may not be aware of, or didn't think of.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the skills of a knowledgable agent.
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[nickcoulter1405]

I found some great deals on my holidays from
http://www.cheapestlatedeals.com
I compared some of the major companies with some less well known ones to get a good deal, even got car hire through this site. Highly recommend it.
It also comes with a blog u can follow with travel news and tips.

[Gail]

I see alot of people are booking direct with hotels and flight operators. Just a word of warning ...if something happens you are probably not financially protected. If an airline goes into administration and you can't get another flight, then you are stuck with paying for the accommodation.

[crooza]

I don't book, just packup & go.
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