Expedia

[carnation]

Has anyone used it? Can you trust them? Do you end up in the worst part of town?

[Drolefille]

I've used them, and priceline and such, for flights but not hotels. They work pretty well.

[Gusteau]

My only experience is also with flights and not hotels for work related travel. I only dealt with the booking, but that was very convenient.

[AGDLynn]

I've used it for flights and hotels...haven't had any problems...so far

[DrPhil]

I only use Expedia. I recommend it. Just be patient and pay attention to what you're paying for.

[summer_gphib]

Just be careful with third party booking, because getting a refund can be impossible if there is a problem. Or at least it was for us. We used travelocity to book a hotel for a mini-vacation in Kissimmee, and it was shown to be a Ramada, and was very nice looking.

When we got there... not so much. The lobby was nice, but the room we were put in had no towels, hair all over the sink (tiny hairs like from when a man shaves), and it stunk. Hubby went down to complain, and they were going to put us in a room that smelled like cat urine. While he went downstairs, I discovered FECES on the WALL.

We left. We did end up getting 1/2 of our money back, but got tired of fighting for the rest. As the hubby said "It was worth the money to just not stay there." So we ended up at what is now one of favorite hotels.

[christiangirl]

I have only used for flights (along with travelocity). For hotels, I use hotels.com. But with the flights on Expedia, I've never been disappointed and I've been using it several times a year for years.

[victoriana]

I have used Expedia in the past and haven't had problems, but I personally prefer to book my flight and hotel from the official websites, just so I can make sure I'll be able to get my money back if there are any issues. I fly Southwest a lot, and they aren't connected with any other websites so I have to buy my plane tickets separately anyways.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Expedia no longer shows American Airlines flights, so you have to look on aa.com if you wish to compare.

[honeychile]

I've never used Expedia, but have used most of the others. I could be wrong, but I prefer hotels.com for hotels, as they seem to go into more detail than others. An example would be that a hotel normally offers a free breakfast (continental or otherwise), but not to hotel.com guests. We stayed at a simply amazing Radisson last summer for one-fourth of the price, and for that, we could afford our own breakfast!

If I'm about to book through one of these services, I always go to the hotel's real website, and compare the prices & perks. It's well worth the time! Also, be sure to read former guests' comments on the place - there are a lot of deal breakers aomng them!

[Scandia]

I use Expedia for all my travel booking. So far, I have had excellent results. I have booked not only flights, but also car rentals, transportation to-from airport, and hotel rooms.

[VandalSquirrel]

I had tickets for international travel purchased for me via Expedia, and everything went fine. I use Expedia to look for cheap flights but since most of my travel is served by Alaska and Alaska Horizon (used to be Horizon) I can always get cheaper and more direct flights directly through the Alaska Airlines website.

For hotels I often get a great deal using AAA, but I have also found deals through the official website of such hotel. For conference travel more often than not I can find a cheaper and better room on my own than for conference rates, and Alaska Airlines has often had great hotel deals through their site.

I also have a travel agent friend who helps me out.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Expedia is a ticket broker, just like Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotels.com. It was started by Microsoft, but now it's its own company, actually the largest online travel agency in the world. What it's really good for is getting the occasional great vacation deal, and researching deals that airlines may be running.

Priceline and Hotwire are negotiating sites. Good for last minute deals and for when you aren't really picky about the time of day you fly or the exact hotel to sleep in.

Best site for researching flight prices and options across the board is Kayak.com.

Tripadvisor is THE best Web site for honest reviews and photos of the hotels, hotel rooms, views, location, etc. Also the things to see/do in the travel destination.

I flew more than 50,000 miles last year, and every ticket I purchased was either through my corporate travel agency or the airlines' websites. Airline websites almost always have the best deal. Check out the deals on Expedia, Orbitz, etc., but purchase your tickets on the airline's website for a deal that is generally $10 or so cheaper than the booking sites.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I had tickets for international travel purchased for me via Expedia, and everything went fine. I use Expedia to look for cheap flights but since most of my travel is served by Alaska and Alaska Horizon (used to be Horizon) I can always get cheaper and more direct flights directly through the Alaska Airlines website.

For hotels I often get a great deal using AAA, but I have also found deals through the official website of such hotel. For conference travel more often than not I can find a cheaper and better room on my own than for conference rates, and Alaska Airlines has often had great hotel deals through their site.

I also have a travel agent friend who helps me out.

Love Alaska. I'm a MVP Gold with them. I had to fly on SWA for the first time since college recently and it was hellish. Totally different experience in every way from Alaska or Delta.

[NinjaPoodle]

I've used Expedia with no problem. I like that you can use your frequent flier accounts with them. I also use Hotwire, but only for hotels. I don't mind not knowing the name of the hotel but I want to choose the star rating, which you can do. I also use Orbitz and FareCompare.