Booking Airfare: Direct or 3rd Party? Insurance?

[StorybookGirl]

We're scheduled for the Alaska cruise out of Vancouver mid-May. We often try to save a little money by booking our flight through a third party like Expedia or similar. But, with all the uncertainty now, is it better to book direct through the airline just in case of cancellation, whether it be us or the cruise or whatever?

Also, we have insurance for the cruise, but I guess we should add on/buy another policy for the flight?

Thanks!

 

[daedelus]

Booking direct when there's uncertainty is always a good idea. You get much more flexibility and grace from the airline than from third parties, who like to fall back on fine print. Note that depending on the airline, you might end up with a change fee or such. We fly Southwest, so even if you cancel, you get "travel funds" to put towards a future flight.

Check your cruise insurance policy - we use TravelGuard and they include flights in the disruption clause. If you don't have "cancel for any reason" as part of your policy, you might want to call them and run your scenario by them just to be sure.

BTW, if you're flying into Vancouver, the airport is way out of town but there's a monorail that will take you into downtown VC fairly quickly. Chart your path and know where you're going, most of the stops are not near the hotels, so you might have to haul luggage a few blocks. There is a stop within a couple of blocks of the pier too.

Cheers!

 

[MillauFr]

I always book directly with the airlines. 3rd parties will attempt to make themselves look cheaper by excluding fees that will be tacked on at the end of the booking process. In the end you will pay the same price. If you want to minimize problems book directly with the airlines.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I agree to book direct. I always go to Expedia to see routings and then book direct. Prices are rarely different. You have much more control over changes if you avoid the online TAs.

 

[StorybookGirl]

Thanks for the responses! Yeah, I was leaning toward buying direct to be safe, so this seals the deal. Always wanting to save a few bucks - especially with a Disney cruise, right?! - but, as they say, there is no free lunch! As for insurance, we just tack on the DCL insurance when we book, so I'm guessing it's the bare minimum. It's time for me to actually read the policy and figure it out! And then we cross our fingers!