Are Package Travel Deals Actually Deals
Bundling flights, rental cars and hotels together can often save you the hassle of booking separately and may save you money too.
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In the second half of 2021, the average travel package prices dropped 10%, according to a recent Priceline report. But how can you know if a package deal is really a deal or just an enticement to get you to spend more money?
GOBankingRates spoke to travel experts to get their insights on when a travel package deal is your best bet, and when you might want to book your trip separately.
How To Find Bundle Travel Deals: Book Flight Hotel And Car
Savvy travelers continually look for ways to lower costs. Packages and bundles are a great way to streamline your vacation while bringing the total bill down. One way to save well, a bundle is by purchasing travel components together. Learn how to save money when you book flight, hotel and car together.
But Package Deals May Not Be The Best Option For Every Traveler
Bundling can be a great option for travelers who know exactly where they want to go and plan to stay at traditional lodging. However, if you are a traveler who likes to be spontaneous, stay at places like hostels and be flexible with travel dates, bundling may not be the best option since it is more rigid with what you can do, said Ravi Parikh, CEO of the campground and RV park booking site RoverPass. Paying for everything upfront in this way can also make canceling or rescheduling tricky, or not even possible at all.
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Best Hotel And Flight Deals Under $400
Pack your bags because its time for a well-earned vacation! With Travelocitys help you can find cheap hotel and flights deals that fit any budgetand still leave you with some spending money for your vacation. Booking a travel package saves you money. With Travelocity, youll always get transparent pricing and a breadth of choices for hotel, car and flight deals. And our Price Match Guarantee is the icing on the cake.
Travelocity features flight and hotel packages for less than $400 that make planning a trip a whole lot easier. Once your flight and hotel are booked, you can focus on the fun parts of your trip, like visiting cant-miss attractions and finding the best restaurants and bars in town.
Whether youre traveling for business or pleasure, search for the best flight and hotel deals on Travelocity your travel buddy or your boss will thank you. Pick your dream destination, find the package thats right for you and get ready to get away. Your perfect vacation is just a click away.
Terms and Conditions
All travel is subject to frequently changing governmental restrictions–please check federal, state and local advisories before scheduling trips.
Usual booking terms and conditions apply. See terms and conditions.
The Argument For Bundling
Cost can be lower: When flights and hotels are booked together, travelers can achieve better prices. From purely a financial perspective, a bundled vacation package can help you to secure the best prices and keep costs down, says Matt Woodley, founder of . You can generally save a few hundred by choosing a bundled package.
Last-minute price incentives: Bundled arrangements are also a perk if people like to travel spontaneously. A common caveat, says Woodley, is that when booked alone, last-minute flight scan often yield very high fares for these flights. Its better to bundle, particularly in the case of spontaneous travel. There are some great savings to be had on the last-minute flight and hotel bundles as companies like Orbitz and Expedia look to off-load unsold flights and hotel rooms from around two weeks to as little as a few hours before the flight departs, he continues. I’ve personally managed to save around 50% by booking last minute bundles.
One-stop shopping: Convenience is a big benefit to bundling travel reservations together, says Sara Rathner, a credit card and travel expert at NerdWallet. Planning a trip can involve an elaborate combination of flights, hotel bookings, rental cars, and visits to tourist attractions, she says. When you can cross two or more items off your to-do list in one sitting, that makes plotting out a vacation that much easier.
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Package Deals Typically Are Good Deals
Hotels, airlines and rental car companies often partner up to offer discounted rates to customers, said full-time traveler Veronica Hanson.
Travel bundles offered by travel agents, third-party booking sites or operators themselves are often a result of partnerships between brands, she said. You might see Hyatt doing a cross-brand promotion with American Airlines and Avis, or Marriott bundling with United plus Hertz. Those bundles are almost always a better price, or they offer some additional perk that booking a la carte wouldnt offer.
As an alternative to booking through a travel agent or vendor site, Matthew Meier, founder of MaxTour in Las Vegas, always tells his customers to check out Costco Travel for outstanding deals on travel packages.
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I rarely find other sites that can beat their rates, and their cancellation policy plus great customer service makes using them even more attractive, Meier said.
Steve Oliverez, founder and CEO of InsanelyCheapFlights.com, notes that package travel deals can be especially good deals when you are booking last minute.
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Cons Of Bundled Travel
Fewer options for non-traditional lodging options. For travelers who want lodging beyond tradition hotels, bundled packages may not always your best bet if you’re looking for something a bit different or special for your accommodation. If you prefer to stay in B& B’s or smaller boutique hotels, you’re unlikely to find them in a bundle, says Woodley.
Less flexibility to change or cancel your plans. The biggest downside to bundling flight and hotel reservations when booking travel through third-party vendors, says Sara E. Routhier, the managing editor for outreach at 360 Quote, is a lack of flexibility to change or cancel a trip. These restrictions can be costly. Given the ongoing and evolving world COVID-19 crisis, travel questions are constantly in flux. Travel insurance can help, but even it is not a guarantee that bundled trips can be changed or refunded.
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No Matter What You Should Always Do Your Research
Regardless of what kind of traveler you are, you should always take the time to check the prices of booking your trip as a bundle or as separate bookings to ensure youre getting the best deal.
You have to compare apples to apples to know if theres a discount or advantage to a package deal, said Nikki Webster, travel writer and founder of Brit on the Move. And, getting to apples to apples includes all details, like flight times, connections and accommodations. One factor can throw off any bundle, and bundles typically come with some compromise.
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For example, you can find a package deal to Paris that includes air and hotel for five nights for approximately $800, she continued. However, the flights have multiple connections, then theres the hotel quality. My experience is you can find a deal if you are willing to simply go with the flow or go with what is deemed included. And, long before you ever hit buy on a package deal, price out every item independently to see if it really is cost-saving or if you can book it all yourself.
Taking this extra step can ensure you dont end up getting ripped off.
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Terms and Conditions
Bundle & Save rates and savings are only available to eligible customers who combine their hotel or car hire booking with their Webjet flight booking. Rates and savings are available for hotel and car hire bookings until the departure date of their associated Webjet flight booking. Savings represent the difference between the displayed cost of the hotel or car hire as payable upon purchase compared to the original retail hotel rate or original car hire rate if purchased as a car-only booking. Webjet Bundle & Save rates and associated savings may vary by destination and travel period and are subject to availability. Bundle & Save rates may not be available at all times or in all destinations. Savings may vary by destination and travel period.
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Pros Of Booking Travel Packages
- You can save a lot. When you bundle flights and hotels or other combinations, you can spend less than purchasing them individually.
- Great if you wait until the last minute. Airlines and hotels need to fill unsold spaces and drop prices. You can find some good deals on flight and hotel packages within a few weeks of traveling.
- Convenience. You can navigate many sites to get the best deal when you piece together a trip. Bundling allows you to click once for your entire booking.
- Pay over time. The payment for flights only is usually due at the time of purchase, while most packages allow you to spread the cost in installments.
How To Book Multi City Flights With Hotel And Car
I am trying to book a multi city vacation package but only find “multi city flights” – the hotels and car rent will be in a separate booking. Is bundle in multi not allowed? Am I missing a tab feature on Expedia/Travelocity about this? Or I need to book 1 flight + hotel in every destination?
Thinking of saving in bundle.
Thanks,
Why are you asking TA about booking on Expedia or Travelocity? Please contact those companies
I’ve never been able to us the bundle packages with multi-city itineraries.
Only place I’ve ever seen that option is on the United Airlines site under the Vacation tab. There could be others, but we’ve never checked.
Yoyu,
Where are you based and hence from where will you be starting your trip?
My recommendation would be to use a reputable full service travel agent, not an online booker, even Expedia. The only country/region where Im familiar with full service agents is Europe, especially the UK. Others will be familiar with other regions. So please let us know where you live and we can help.
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Save When You Bundle Your Hotel + Flight + Rental Car
Lets face it: sometimes a hotel and flight just arent quite enough to allow you to enjoy your vacation to the fullest. While its easy to gravitate towards taking a taxi or ride share, especially when exploring new territory, there are times that a rental car is just more convenient. Theres that day trip spot thats just a little too inconvenient to get to, you have kids in car seats, or you just want the freedom to come and go as you please. With Costco Travels newest addition, the Hotel & plus Flight & plus Car program, you can conveniently add a rental car to your package, save on the bundle, and spare yourself the hassle of digging through your email inbox because all your reservations will be in one location. With hotels in over 2,000 cities in the U.S. and Canada, the possibilities to explore are endless.
Enjoy a relaxing drive along Pacific Coast Highway in California.
Pacific Coast Highway
Fly into the San Francisco International Airport and enjoy a stay in San Francisco, indulging in culinary delights, wandering through museums, and admiring some Victorian architecture.
Beauty awaits discovery in Zion National Park.
Zion National Park
Dont forget to check where the closest Costco warehouse is on your route so you can fuel up at the gas station along the way.
Zion National Park
Dont forget to check where the closest Costco warehouse is on your route so you can fuel up at the gas station along the way.
Beauty awaits discovery in Zion National Park.
Is It Worth It To Bundle Flights And Hotels Here’s What To Know As You Start Traveling Again
The coronavirus pandemic caused an unprecedented need for consumers to cancel travel plans. Many travelers have encountered frustration changing arrangements, canceling trips and obtaining refunds.
Some consumers prefer to handle each part of their travel on a piecemeal basis. But if you end up having to cancel or make changes, it can be a hassle to contact every hospitality company individually.
For other travelers, a vacation package tidies up the process and creates a single-point contact but their policies may be restrictive regarding cancellation and refunds.
Weve consulted with travel experts who share the pros and cons of bundling arrangements for your next trip:
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Expedias Sister Sites: Travelocity Orbitz And Cheaptickets
Many travelers dont realize that Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets are all owned by Expedia Group, and typically have very similar inventory and pricing to Expedia. Each of these sites has similar layouts and filter options, too. Like Expedia, these three sites offer every possible vacation package combination involving a flight, hotel, and/or rental car.
It was rare for any of these sites to beat out Expedias prices in my tests in general, the rates were identical or a little bit higher. However, Orbitz and CheapTickets did offer slightly cheaper packages on one flight/car itinerary.
Because the pricing is so similar, its probably not worth searching all three of these sites in addition to Expedia unless a difference of a few dollars will make or break your travel budget.
Best Feature: Travelocity, Orbitz, and CheapTickets all offer a checkbox on their main booking page to specify direct flights onlya feature that isnt currently available on Expedia. This saves you a step when filtering your flight options on later screens.
Note: Expedia Group also owns Hotwire, which I didnt find quite as reliable as the other three in my tests. For one itinerary, a nonstop flight that the other sites offered was not available when booking a Hotwire package , and the pricing on some searches was a little higher than on the other sites.
Amazing Vacation Package Deals With Expedia
How do I find the best vacation package deals with Expedia?
Pick within our range of pre-selected offers or build your own customized trip, youll be able to find some of the best vacation package deals around on Expedia. Do you fancy a romantic vacation in Mexico, a family adventure in Coloradoor a sightseeing trip on the other side of the world? We have plenty of choice. Simply review our inspiring deals or enter your desired destination and travel dates. Easily choose from amazing hotels, resorts, or vacation rentals, add flights and/or a car rental and get incredible prices. With Expedia, it is easy to bundle and save.
How can I book all-inclusive vacation package deals on Expedia?
To find your perfect package, select the all-inclusive filter, and we do the rest. We give you all-inclusive vacation package deals that are easy, stress-free and ready-made all in one place. Simply pick one of our incredible all-inclusive resorts and youll get amazing food, drinks and activities included in the price. Check each property for details as conditions may vary. Your toughest task is deciding where to go. Get inspired by our exciting offers! Feel the heat in the Dominican Republic, chill out in Cancun, or jump on a plane to Jamaica.
How can I find cheap vacation package deals?
What are the best family vacation package deals?
Why should I book a vacation package with Expedia?
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Cons Of Booking Travel Packages
- Limited lodging choices. Most bundles only involve large hotel chains, so smaller hotels and specialty lodging may not be available.
- Canceling is harder. When you book your flight, hotel, and car through a third party, you may find stricter cancellation requirements than booking direct.
- Fees can increase your price. Sometimes, you may pay additional cancellation fees or encounter hidden fees at your destination. It may be in the fine print, but youll need to look carefully.
Book A Flight To Unlock Up To 40% Off* Hotels
Once you add a flight to your cart you’ll instantly unlock discounted rates on selected hotels.
Better yet, your discount offer lasts until your holiday starts – giving you time to plan and choose the perfect hotel.
PLUS, with Bundle & Save, you can score fantastic savings on your car hire! Simply start your flight search below and make a booking to unlock extra savings on car hire.
Bundle your flight, hotel & car hire for better rates at Webjet!
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