You know where you want to go, how you will get there and where you will stay. You are ready to book!
A lot of companies will encourage you to book online. If you don’t feel comfortable with this process or with giving your credit card online, don’t. I always like to call and talk to someone when I book a trip so that I can get my questions answered and wheedle any last-minute perks. Keep notes on who you talked to, the date and what was promised and make sure it is followed up in writing via email. Keep it in your trip file for easy access.
If you must book online as it is difficult to get a customer service person on the phone, be sure to book with a reputable, well-known company. Their payment portal should be secure (and you should see mention of a secure payment portal) and you should be fine. I’ve been doing this for many years without incident. Important: When you are looking to book online, make sure that you actually go the website of the actual airline, hotel or restaurant. There are a lot of ads that come up that say “sponsored by”, these are NOT the actual websites and may charge you a fee or more money to book. I ran into this once where the ad website was so close to the name of the hotel, that I booked through it. We found out later that it wasn’t the actual hotel and that we could’ve saved $300 by simply calling the hotel directly.
Also important, sometimes you can save money by asking for favorable payment terms for large-ticket items. Some cruise lines and travel companies require you to pay an entire year in advance. Sometimes you can avoid this simply by speaking with a customer service rep and asking for more favorable terms. Also, some groups allow you to pay by ACH (direct payment from your checking account) and offer cost savings for doing so. Sure, you don’t get points by using your credit card, but maybe a 3% cash savings is more worthwhile than 1% of cost toward airmiles. You be the judge. Some travel companies also are offering installment payments with a minimal deposit.
Be sure to look at several companies before choosing who you want to go with and then call to cut a deal. Even if one itinerary is slightly better than a second company, the cost may factor in your decision. Often cost is not negotiable, but perks and payment terms may be, you just need to ask the right person. Ask the customer service person outright what they can do for you and see what they come up with!
Many times, costs are not negotiable, but you can certainly shop flights, rental cars, hotels and other service companies and compare them with each other. Start with Expedia or Booking.com to get an idea of rates and see if any trade-offs are worthwhile. It may be that you don’t really need to check a bag on the airline, you can go with a short-term rental that is near a subway line in the suburbs, or you can do with a super economy car. Compare pricing and trade-offs and see if any are worthwhile.
Just like haggling over a souvenir in flea market in London, you can get a better deal if you are willing to put in the time and effort. Keep in mind, you will need to fine-tune your haggling skills for market shopping in foreign countries anyway!
One final note, if you are too nervous about your credit card being out on the internet even after all of the security reassurances, you can always ask your trusted favorite daughter or relative to handle it for you or to input your credit card for you. Not a bad idea to ask for help if you need it, at least to get started and until you’re more confident!
