Orbitz or Expedia experience.

[eliza61]

Anybody ever use one of these sites to book a vacation?
Good, bad experiences?
Prices seem to be 100-300 bucks lower than my travel agent.

 

[2littledivas]

I've used Orbitz on a few occassions and have been more than happy with them. I've used them to book air on a couple of occassions and have liked that they will text you with air info prior to your flights - if the flight is on time, etc. I'm sure Expedia probably offers that service as well. I also booked a full vacation with them - hotel & air to Honolulu and was very satisfied with the whole process...!

 

[4Seasons]

A good travel agent should have suppliers that will be able to price match or beat Orbitz or Expedia, plus will be there to provide additional services to you, usually at no additional charge (we don't charge any fees). It's a great peace of mind to know you have a person to call who knows who you are, your itinerary and everything about your trip (we provide a cell number to our clients for after-hour emergencies or problems, and always contact the resort or hotel prior to client check in to confirm everything is in order and place any special requests or see if there are complimentary upgrades available, etc.).
Other than price, is there a reason you don't want to book with your agent? Have you worked with them before?

 

[Anne34]

We used Expedia last year for a trip to Jamaica. It was great -- they updated me by e-mail with a flight change and everything was booked correctly. I would definitely use again.

 

[bettymae1121]

I'm a TA, I deal mostly with corporate clients that just book airfare and not packages. But for what it's worth...

When I have clients tell me that they found for less online, I usually find that the sites they are checking don't add in all taxes and fees. Once the client discovers the real price, it turns out it's the same as what I found, but I give better customer service (not that the online places are bad, my agency just goes abover and beyond, that's all).

So, with that said, be very sure that the package your TA is offereing is exactly what is being offered online, right down to taxes and trip insurance, otherwise it's not a true comparison. If everything is identicle (dates, flight times, hotel, insurance, taxes, extra things like tours/shore excursions, and any and all other extras) and you're still getting a better deal online, let the agent know that you got a better deal online, but that you appreciate their help and will keep them in mind for your next trip. A good TA will understand why you aren't booking with them and that you at least gave them a chance to compete for your business. Because the next time, the TA may have the better deal but may not be as willing to help you if they think you're just going to use them to do all your research just so you can take your business elsewhere, you know?

 

[eliza61]

A good travel agent should have suppliers that will be able to price match or beat Orbitz or Expedia, plus will be there to provide additional services to you, usually at no additional charge (we don't charge any fees). It's a great peace of mind to know you have a person to call who knows who you are, your itinerary and everything about your trip (we provide a cell number to our clients for after-hour emergencies or problems, and always contact the resort or hotel prior to client check in to confirm everything is in order and place any special requests or see if there are complimentary upgrades available, etc.).
Other than price, is there a reason you don't want to book with your agent? Have you worked with them before?

The number one reason is that the only agent I have works for liberty travel (a big chain) and her hotel recommendations are so limited. I want to go to Paris and have looked up a few of the hotels that I would love to try and none of them are in their little "selection".
Also I don't do "tours" and many of the traveler agents seem to push trips from Global or other tour agencies.

The only main extra is transfers to the hotel from the airport. I'm a pretty independent/adventerous traveler so I'm pretty sure I could find my way to a hotel.

I'm looking to go to Paris this May.

 

[choiski]

I've used both in the past, but orbitz more recently due to their flexible flight search. Now Kayak.com does the same thing.

Actually, for my last two trips, I used the three searches, but ended up booking directly on the airline's site.

 

[Whitty]

I used Expedia to go to Hawaii (multiple islands) and Alaska and had no problems...they had great service!

 

[Tanzanite]

Iused Expedia for a trip to Chicago very good service.I would reccomend them.

 

[Cherbear013]

I'm a travel agent so I have experience with this. Definitely let your TA know about the package you found. It gets frustrating when you are helping a client and they just up and book something because it was cheaper. We can almost always price match and sometimes beat the price. There is a lot of added value to having a TA!

 

[turnlisa]

I love Expedia. During a trip to Seattle, the hotel didn't have our reservation at check-in so took my credit card number anyway. We had checked in late so he didn't call a manager. So I called Expedia at 1:00 AM. The agent from Expedia called the hotel and got everything straightened out within 15 minutes. No additional charges were made to my credit card and the hotel was very apologetic. Definitely someone I would book with again.

 

[laxcdn]

Used Expedia.ca to book our trip to Orlando next week. Was easy and they just called to help me with any questions I had.

 

[marcyinPA]

I've used Orbitz a few times, to book airfare to FL, and most recently, to book a hotel in Williamsburg Va. I've never had a problem with them...ever.

 

[Shmily1]

I use Orbitz quite a bit and Travelocity and Expedia but not quite as often. I've not had any problems with any trip I've planned. I've probably done atleast 30 trips on these three websites in the last couple years.

 

[Heidijs]

I use Expedia for all my flights and hotels if they're cheaper than the airline or hotel website...if you get to checkout and see the taxes cost you more, simply don't book it...but that's never been the case for us...instead of letting Disney book our flights through crappy Trans Air, I got the same rate through Northwest with non-stop flights through Expedia...never had issues and yep, they e-mail you with any flight changes...plus I get coupon offers all the time now that I've booked a few trips with them...

 

[SaveTheSeaTurtles]

Hi !

I have used Expedia several times for different trips - both personal and business. We have had no problems.
The only thing that I will change for future is NOT booking a package. The issue that we had with "package booking" was not even with Expedia, it was with Continental - when the hotel turned out to be less than what we expected, based on the info shown on the Continental Airlines website.
It is difficult to get out of the hotel part of it at that point - and it was a battle for weeks to get any type of refund. Next time, no matter who we go with, I will book the hotel separately from the air travel unless I am CERTAIN that the hotel is accceptable.
Even in using a travel agent, they are not always effective in resolving problems during the trip should they occur - unless you find a great agent who is aggressive (which I have never had the good fortune to find).
I would comparison shop your trip - ensure that you read the fine print and use a website like www.tripadvisor.com - they are very helpful with reviews and answers to questions!!
We are also looking to go to Paris later this year. I am shopping the sites mentioned in this thread already as well as the airlines own sites.
Good luck in planning your trip! Have fun in Paris!!!!

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I have used expedia many times with no problems. I haven't had good luck with the TA in my area. Maybe its just my small town limited selection of travel agencies.

I need to have a 2 room suite when traveling with my kids. The one place kept trying to put me in a regular hotel room. It was so frustrating. The lady didn't seem to listen to what I was requesting. Anyhow, that time I was able to book through expedia exactly what I wanted for less money including tax and fees than the TA could come up with for smaller room.

The next time I tried a different place for a trip with my DH. I was still able to beat the lady's price using expedia including tax and fees. I told her that was the case. She got all snippy with me and said if I was booking a cruise to come see her. She could beat any online cruise deal.

I haven't used a TA since. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, just not around me.

 

[jrasmom]

I am so happy to read these responses, especially those concerning packages to Hawaii.
My husband & I just booked a 6 night trip to Maui in May using Expedia.
So far we're pleased, we've already gotten emails with just a little flight change, I hope that is all we receive!!

 

[Zion21]

I exclusively use Orbitz for both my business and personal flights. I never had any problems with them and their support is always helpful. I would definitely recommend them over other bookers.