3. Getting to Know Some Popular Travel Tools

This chapter introduces you to some popular online-based travel services, travel websites, and mobile apps that you can use for a wide range of tasks, including

Shopping for the lowest prices on airfares, rental cars, accommodations, cruises, travel packages, and other travel-related services

Booking your travel using a credit or debit card

Managing your travel itinerary

This chapter focuses on introducing you to some of the more popular travel-related services, websites, and mobile apps; outlines what you can use them for; and explains how to best use them.

For example, each of the travel-related services that allow you to search multiple travel providers simultaneously to find the lowest prices has a different relationship, partnership, or deal with each travel provider (airline, hotel, rental car company, cruise line, and so on) that it represents. Thus, the prices each service can offer for airfares, hotels, rental cars, or other services vary, sometimes dramatically.

In addition, the travel providers that each service works with varies and constantly changes, so any single service will not allow you to shop for the lowest prices among all of the airlines, accommodations, or rental car companies that are available for the destination you’re planning to travel to. This is why it’s often beneficial to use three different services to shop for the lowest prices.

You’ll also discover vastly different policies that go along with the deeply discounted prices you’re being offered. For example, when you make a booking with many of these services, the reservations must be prepaid and can’t be changed or cancelled.

Some services allow reservations to be changed but charge a hefty fee. Other services don’t require prepayment for accommodations or rental cars (so you can easily cancel them), or offer different rates based on whether you prepay or opt to pay upon arrival.

In most cases, reservation holders must have a major credit card and photo identification (driver’s license or passport) in their name to check in with the airport, hotel, rental car company, or cruise line. A debit card is often not accepted for check-in.

Meanwhile, some of the services that offer the deepest discounts don’t tell you exactly which travel provider you’ll be using until after you’ve prepaid for the noncancellable and nonchangeable reservation. For example, when booking a flight, you can choose the departure and destination city, as well as the departure and return dates, but not the actual airline or flight times. When booking a hotel, you can choose the star-based rating of a hotel, a room type, check-in and check-out dates, and an approximate location where you want to stay, but you can’t select a specific hotel or hotel chain.

Some of these services advertise low prices then tack on extra fees and charges just prior to checkout, which dramatically increases the cost of what you’re booking. In the case of hotels, for example, some now charge a mandatory “resort fee” (up to $25.00 per night), either per room or per person, that’s typically not quoted as part of the nightly rate.

Some services advertise “price-match guarantees” but leave it up to you to find lower prices, call the service, and request the price match to be applied to your booking.

Also, when services offer star-based ratings for accommodations, many of them have their own star-based rating system that’s different from industry standards. For example, a service might promote a specific hotel as being a four-star property (based on its own rating system), but every other established rating system gives that same hotel a three-star rating. So, the service advertises that you’re getting a four-star hotel for the price of a three-star hotel, but by any other rating system this isn’t the case.

All that being said, there are amazing travel deals to be found using the various online travel services, websites, and mobile apps. However, it’s important that you understand exactly how each service works before paying for your bookings. Make sure to check for restrictions on making changes and cancellations before you click the button to purchase.

Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, if you think you might need to change or cancel a trip, consider purchasing travel insurance from a third party, such as AIG Travel Guard, Allianz, or Travelex, with a “cancel for any reason” option, which often costs a bit extra. Chapter 12, “Finding and Purchasing Travel Insurance,” offers more information on the benefits of travel insurance.

When you book a flight, hotel, rental car, tour, activity, cruise, or another travel-related service online, you generally receive a confirmation email, typically within minutes. At that point, it’s a smart strategy to call the travel provider directly, confirm the reservation, and provide any additional information that’s necessary, such as airline seat requests, hotel room requests, or meal preferences.

This chapter includes information, listed alphabetically, about 12 travel-related websites, online-based services, and mobile apps that will help you plan, book, and manage your travel. As you read about each service that’s offered, you’ll discover what sets each apart from its competition and learn about some of the pros and cons related to using it. Keep in mind that this is only a small sampling of the many popular travel-related websites, online-based services, and mobile apps that are available to you. Throughout this book, you’ll be reading about additional options as well. A service’s inclusion in this chapter should not be considered an endorsement by the author, the publisher, or AARP.

Airbnb (www.airbnb.com) is an online marketplace and community that lets travelers find and book unique accommodations through local hosts in more than 191 countries (encompassing more than 34,000 cities). An Airbnb host is someone who offers a room in their home or apartment, an entire home or apartment, or some other type of unique accommodation (such as a castle) for a nightly or weekly rate. These are not traditional hotels, motels, or bed and breakfasts, but peoples’ private homes or properties.

Airbnb has more than 2 million listings worldwide, which makes finding the perfect place to stay and connecting with a host using the Airbnb website or mobile app extremely easy.

One advantage to Airbnb is that accommodations can be booked weeks or months in advance or the day before your planned arrival, and the nightly rate is not affected. Plus, most hosts are very accommodating when it comes to changing or cancelling reservations without incurring financial penalties.

Tap on the Search icon (which looks like a magnifying glass), and type your desired destination in the search field. Tap the Search key to continue.

Enter your desired travel dates using the calendar. Tap Next to continue.

Select the type of accommodation you’re looking for. Your options include Entire Place, Private Room, or Shared Room. Tap Next to continue.

Enter how many people you’re traveling with and need accommodations for, and disclose whether you’ll be traveling with pets. Swipe up to see all of the available options. Tap Save to continue.

Select how many beds, bedrooms, and/or bathrooms you require. Tap Save to continue.

Optionally, you can choose the amenities you’d like available, such as TV, Internet, wheelchair access, kitchen, and so on. Tap Save to continue.

Enter a price range per night using the slider. (This step is not required.) Tap Save to continue. (If you want to view all available options regardless of price, don’t tap the Price Range option.)

Tap the See [insert number] Homes banner to view individual listings that match the criteria you set. Each listing includes details about the property, information about the host, photos of the property, the average star-based rating the host has received (and the number of reviews from past guests), a list of amenities that are offered, and the nightly rate. To view an expanded version of each listing, tap its thumbnail image or adjust the display option by tapping the display icon.

Tap the Request to Book button for the listing where you want to stay. The host receives your request, views your profile, and either accepts or rejects the booking.

After the booking is accepted, payment in full is made using a credit or debit card. You receive a reservation confirmation and will be connected directly with the host via email or text message so you can discuss the details of your arrival. (Not shown.)

Two other things that set Booking.com apart from other services are that most reservations can be changed or cancelled and, at the time of booking, guests can make special requests directly with the hotel. The hotel replies to that request, typically within a few hours. For example, you can request a room with a specific bed configuration, a nonsmoking room, or a room on a higher or lower floor within the hotel.

Booking.com never charges extra booking fees and offers a Best Price Guarantee, which means if you find a lower price for the same accommodations, for the same travel dates, Booking.com refunds the difference.

Type your destination city (or city, state, and country), or if you prefer to stay with a particular hotel chain, you can enter a specific name, such as Hilton, Paris, France.

Provide your check-in and checkout dates.

Select how you’ll be traveling. Choices are Couple, Family, Group, Solo Traveler, Business Traveler, or Other.

Select the desired number of rooms.

Enter how many adults and children will be in your traveling party. If you indicate that you’ll have children with you, you also need to enter their ages. Click the Search button.

You see a list of all accommodation options. Each property listing includes the name of the hotel, its average star-based rating, an icon indicting whether parking is available, and the cost per night. Click a specific listing to view more information or to choose a specific room type. (Keep in mind, requesting certain room types increases the room rate.)

Use the Filter By option to quickly narrow the list of available accommodations. For example, you can use the Set Your Budget Per Night filter to a specific price range. You can also display only accommodations with a specific star-based rating, or seek out listings for hotels that offer a free cancellation policy or the ability to book without using a credit card. It’s also possible to narrow down the types of accommodations displayed or select your bed preferences (twin beds, double bed, queen size bed, or king size bed).

Scroll down in the Filter By menu to select specific amenities you want, such as free Wi-Fi, a fitness center, an airport shuttle, a spa, an on-property restaurant, or a swimming pool.

Depending on the destination you’ve selected, it’s often possible to narrow down your search by geographic region or district, or select specific hotel chains. After you’ve entered all your filter criteria, click a property listing to see details about that property.

You see photos of the property, along with a detailed text-based description. Scroll down to view and choose a specific room type. Click the Reserve button to begin booking your reservation.

When you select a cruise, you can view the current price for it and set up a free Price Watch, which alerts you if the price drops. After you’ve booked the cruise, you’re able to manage information about the sailing.

For example, the app displays your itinerary and offers an interactive packing list. You can also use the app’s scheduling feature to keep track of dining, show, and spa reservations, as well as onboard activities you want to participate in.

Tap the Excursions button to search for and independently book your own shore excursions at each port of call with Cruise Ship Mate’s partners. Excursions booked through the Cruise Ship Mate app are typically less expensive than similar excursions booked through the cruise line.

In addition to the Cruise Ship Mate app, many cruise lines have proprietary mobile apps designed for use during the cruise, without having to pay for shipboard Wi-Fi. Check your app store for apps from Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Lines, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Royal Caribbean.

In addition to the benefit of being able to find and book most aspects of a trip from a single service, Expedia offers a Best Price Guarantee and does not charge to cancel or change any reservations. Based on what you book, however, the individual travel providers might have a no changes or cancellation policy, or they might charge a hefty fee to change or cancel a reservation.

When you launch the Expedia.com website or use the mobile app, click the appropriate button for the type of travel you’re looking for. Your options include Flights, Hotels, Bundle Deals, Cars, Cruises, Things to Do, or Vacation Rentals. You can also choose among Fight + Hotel, Flight + Hotel + Car, Flight + Car, or Hotel + Car to save additional money.

Based on the option(s) you select, you’ll be prompted to enter pertinent information about what you’re looking for. For example, if you select Flight + Hotel, you’ll be asked for your departure city, destination, departing date, return date, number of rooms requested, and the number of adults and children you’ll be traveling with. You’ll also be prompted to choose between flight classes (First class, Business class, Economy/Coach class, or Premium Economy class).

Click the Search button to have Expedia seek out the best deals and travel options for you. The service works with more than 282,000 hotel and motel properties, 475 airlines, 15,000 activities, and dozens of rental car companies around the world, and quickly searches among all its travel provider partners to find and display your options.

The results related to your search criteria are displayed as individual listings. Click any listing to view the details and book your reservation. Alternatively, narrow your search results by using the Filter Results tool to choose specific neighborhoods for your hotel, a preferred star-based hotel ratings, and/or hotel amenities you want or need. You can also sort search results based on price or rating.

When booking a flight, for example, you’re able to choose between nonstop and multi-stop flights, compare prices between nearby airports, check alternative travel dates for lower fares, and click the Flight Details and Baggage Fees option to discover additional charges you’ll likely incur.

From a convenience standpoint, when you book all your travel-related needs through a single service, like Expedia.com, you can keep track of your entire itinerary through that website. In Expedia, you simply click the My Trips menu. Keep in mind that by using multiple websites to book various aspects of your trip separately, you can sometimes save more money (even though Expedia offers bundle deals and packages). It’s then possible to use a third-party service, like TripIt.com, to manage your itinerary.

FlightTrack 5 automatically tracks your flight itinerary and issues reminders and alarms for check-in times and locations for your upcoming flights and connecting flights. In addition, after you enter your flight information in the app, it automatically alerts you of flight delays, cancellations, gate changes, weather issues, and potential other problems that could affect your travel.

During the flight, the app can display real-time location, speed, and altitude information for many flights, as well as radar weather imagery, when your mobile device has Internet access (via an aircraft’s onboard Wi-Fi service).

The app has information about more than 3,000 airports and 1,400 airlines, so you can receive help navigating your way around airports, finding your gate, and determining where to pick up your checked baggage. If you need to find a last-minute alternative flight, the app can also be helpful.

As you receive reservation confirmation emails from airlines, you can forward those emails to a specific email address that the app provides, and all your travel details for each trip are imported into the app without any data entry on your part. You can also manually add or change flight itinerary details as needed from within the app.

Another useful feature of FlightTrack 5 is that it can store and manage multiple itineraries. You can view details about all upcoming trips or only specific trips. If you use the iPhone edition of FlightTrack 5, Apple Watch integration is included.

The FlightTrack 5 app costs $4.99. For frequent travelers, being able to manage and quickly access details about all aspects of your upcoming flights is a useful tool. This particular app offers a stunning user interface, detailed maps, and a comprehensive collection of useful features.

What makes Hotels.com so popular is that it’s easy to use. Once you launch the website or mobile app, you simply need to enter a destination, hotel name, landmark, or address in the app’s main search field, provide your check-in and check-out dates, select the reason for your travel (business or leisure), and then select the number of rooms required (based on the number of people you’re traveling with).

Click the Search (or Show Deals) button to view detailed listings for participating hotels, motels, and other accommodations. You see applicable listings that are based on the information you provide. Special offers are displayed in a “Deal of the Day” frame. Each listing includes the hotel’s name, address, average star-based rating, and nightly rate. You’ll also see the rate for that hotel that’s being offered by completing online services, such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity, when applicable.

To modify your search and narrow your options, use the Narrow Results tools to search for a specific hotel chain, hotels with a specific star-based rating, accommodations that fall within a defined price range, or accommodations that have specific amenities that you select.

Hotels.com does not charge a reservation change or cancellation fee. Once a reservation is booked, however, you must abide by the policies of the hotel you’ve made your reservation with, so change or cancellation fees may apply.

In addition to being easy to use, Hotwire has relationships with many airlines, hotels, rental car companies, and other travel providers, so the website can offer deeply discounted rates, whether you book well in advance or make your reservations at the last minute. For example, Hotwire.com advertises that travelers can save up to 60 percent on published hotel rates.

When you visit the Kayak.com website or launch the mobile app, click the Hotels, Flights, Cars, Packages, Activities, or Trips option, provide the requested information, and allow Kayak to access many different services to display the best available deals. When your search results are displayed, click any listing to view more detail. If you want to book that deal, click the View Deal button to be transferred to the travel service or travel website that’s offering it.

As you’re looking at search results, click or tap the Top Filters or More tab to narrow and customize your search. For example, if you’re looking for a hotel, you can choose an average rating or overall review score, select a price range, seek out a hotel by name, or narrow down the geographic location where you’d like to stay (when applicable). You can view maps to help you better choose a location. It’s then possible to sort the listings based on criteria you select, such as price, stars, or distance from your desired location.

When searching for a flight, for example, choose between one-way, round trip, or multi-city, select your departure and destination cities, enter your travel dates, as well as the number of people you’re traveling with. As you enter your departure and destination city, click or tap on the Include Nearby option to have Kayak.com see whether lower airfares are available if you travel to alternative airports.

After you get your search results, you can set up free price alerts and be notified if prices for properties drop in the future. (Click the Create a Price Alert button to do this.) You’re also able to search for nonstop flights or flights that make one or two (or more) stops, narrow your departure times, and adjust your search to include only specific airlines.

Click the More Filters option to display additional flight-related options. For example, you can select between First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, or Economy seating, show only flights that offer in-flight Wi-Fi, or choose nondirect flights with a specific length layover.

You can use this service just like any other by entering information about what you’re looking for and then viewing a selection of deals being offered by the service’s travel provider partners. What sets Priceline apart from its competition, however, is that the service also offers its proprietary Name Your Own Price feature. Using this feature offers some definite money-saving advantages, but it also has a few drawbacks. It’s important to understand that after you make a reservation using this feature, you can’t make changes or cancellations.

Before you use the Name Your Own Price feature, use at least two other services to shop for the best deals you can find for the airfare, hotel, and/or rental car you’re looking for. Then access Priceline’s website or mobile app and enter the same travel details. When asked to make an offer and name your own price, enter a price between 10 and 40 percent lower than the lowest price you found elsewhere.

If your offer is accepted, your reservation will be made, your credit or debit card will be charged, and you’ll receive confirmation information within minutes. If your offer isn’t accepted, you have the opportunity to place a new bid or book your desired travel at a price that’s quoted by the Priceline service.

Launch your computer’s web browser and visit www.Priceline.com. (Not shown.)

Scroll down to the heading For Deeper Discounts - Name Your Own Price, and click the Save Up To 60% on Hotels option.

Enter your destination city in the pop-up window.

Fill in your check-in and checkout dates by clicking on the dates. Double-check the dates you select to make sure they’re correct.

Use the pull-down menu to select the number of rooms.

Click the Bid Now button.

Define your desired location. To increase the chance of your bid being accepted, choose multiple regions, but pay attention to the map so you don’t wind up too far away from where you’d ultimately like to stay.

Choose the quality of hotel you want to stay at, based on its average star-based rating. You can choose between one and five stars. Always select one star rating higher than you’d normally choose. So if you want to stay at a three-star hotel, choose the 3 1/2 and/or 4 star option.

Enter your bid price. Whatever price you bid will not include taxes, service fees, resort fees, and other charges, so the final price will be higher than the bid you enter. Enter an amount that is between 10 and 40 percent lower than the lowest price you found for a hotel in the region where you want to stay and that has the same or similar star-based rating.

Fill in the name under which the reservation should be made. Keep in mind that a photo ID and a major credit card are required to check in to the hotel, even though the reservation is prepaid.

Click the Preview Offer button to continue.

You see a summary of your reservation request and bid, and also the total cost of the reservation after taxes, service fees, hotel fees, and other required charges have been added. This price includes the hotel’s mandatory “resort fee,” if applicable.

If you choose, purchase the optional Trip Protection insurance that’s offered by adding a check mark to the appropriate check box. Add a check mark to the check box that indicates you agree to Priceline.com’s terms and conditions. Click the Continue button. (Not shown.)

Choose and enter your credit or debit card details, or opt to pay using PayPal. You’re also prompted to enter your billing address and contact details. If you haven’t already done so, from this screen, set up a free Priceline account so your information is saved and the process for using the service in the future will be quicker.

Click on the Buy My Hotel Now button to finalize your request. If your offer is accepted, your reservation is automatically booked, you receive a confirmation email, and you see a message on the website telling you the name and address of the hotel and your confirmation number. It typically takes between 30 seconds and several minutes for an offer to be accepted or rejected. (Not shown.)

Travelcity.com offers a price match guarantee, does not charge for cancellations or changes made to reservations, and works with more than 400 airlines and 282,000 hotels to offer deeply discounted deals. (Your ability to change or cancel a reservation, as well as the extra cost, is based on the policy of the travel provider.)

The Travelocity service and mobile app work very much like its competitors, including Expedia.com, Hotwire.com, and Orbitz.com. You select what you’re looking for, provide basic travel details, and then see search results that include a variety of deals from participating travel partners (airlines, hotels, rental car companies, and so on).

Click the Vacation Packages option to find and compare all-inclusive vacations (or travel bundles/packages) that include airfare, hotel, and in some cases, transportation, meals, and activities. This is a feature that only some online travel services offer. Click the Travel Deals option to see the daily listing of money-saving deals based on where and when you want to travel, or click Things to Do to learn about tours, attractions, and activities in or near a particular destination.

With the Get Inspired option you can read timely travel-related articles about different destinations and discover useful travel tips when visiting those places. Book a flight by clicking the Flights button, or click the Hotels or Cars button to book a hotel or car, respectively.

Click the Cruises button to find and book a cruise, or click on the Fight + Hotel button and choose a travel bundle you’re interested in. Provide the requested information to seek out travel opportunities and book your reservations.

You can set TripIt to automatically sync with the calendar app you use on your computer or mobile device, and the service lets you import information directly from the confirmation emails you receive from airlines, hotels, and rental car companies. In other words, you typically don’t have to manually enter your travel-related information on your calendar.

For an annual fee of $49.00, the TripIt Pro service offers a handful of additional features, including automatic alerts to inform you of flight delays, gate changes, or flight cancellations. You can also keep track of your frequent flyer and hotel accounts and use a tool that helps you find the perfect seat on a flight. If you’re a frequent traveler who uses your computer and a mobile device to manage your travels, TripIt will quickly become an indispensable tool, and the annual fee for the TripIt Pro service will prove to be a worthwhile investment.

The opening screen of the website and mobile app includes the Find Your Ideal Hotel for the Best Price field. Enter your desired destination in this field and click Search.

You’re prompted to enter your check-in and check-out dates and the type of room you’re looking for. Adjusting the optional filters to easily narrow your hotel search by seeking out hotels with a specific star-based rating, hotels that offer rooms within a price range you select, or hotels that offer specific amenities.

As you become more acquainted with the site, you can fine-tune up to 100 different filters to find the exact hotel to meet your budget and expectations. For example, you can seek out a pet-friendly hotel, find rooms that are wheelchair accessible, or find rooms (where applicable) that allow smokers.

In addition to working with its own hotel partners around the world to offer the best online deals, Trivago allows you to access more than 250 hotel booking sites and hotel chains simultaneously so you can see the search results in one place on the Trivago website or mobile app. This gives you the ability to access information about more than 1 million hotels around the world and save money on your bookings.