Booking air travel through Expedia vs directly with airline

Don't worry. I have used agents to book tickets all the time prior to covid. If there is any doubt just book it with a credit card. That way if there is any problems you can always dispute it. By the way, i love Cambodia. I didn't know they were back open.

I never use these third party services as it can be far more difficult to make changes and get refunds. In these times, with staff, pilot shortages and Covid still spreading I wouldn't risk not being able to communicate directly with the air carrier.

Agree 100% with R2. Using a third party for ANY travel plans is just asking for trouble.

The more people/entities you have in any travel arrangement, the greater the likelihood of one of them trying to pass the buck when trouble arises, i.e. the old "that's not our responsibility" shit.

Double check the classes of service on each of the legs part of it may be in "premium economy". IME 200 is a big difference for the EXACT flights without breaking the fare. In which case you might have to pick up your luggage in a connecting city or be left exposed during a flight OPS.

I would probably go to Singapore direct, start to make your booking and then chat with an agent about it, if it's true they might give you an upgrade or something. If not, I'd still go with them directly.

I have done this many times without issue OP but one thing I learned my lesson on is to be sure that the flight itineraries are in fact the same and include baggage etc.. because this is usually where they skimp.

I usually get trip insurance just in case.

Use Expedia to find cheap flights, then book directly with the airline (and ask for that price if you can't find it on their site). Expedia can't do anything for you if you're having problems with the airline, especially at the gate.

I had a horror experience with American Airlines (I know, that's pretty much expected) when they bounced me off an overbooked international flight. Expedia was no help at all--I couldn't even get anyone on the phone before the flight took off. In desperation I ran to the British Airways terminal, because it was a British flight operated via American, and the British agent was so horrified by what American had done that she put me on the next flight an hour later--after American had told me there were no seats available on any flights until the following evening.

Maybe for $500 or 600 savings I might book through Expedia. I've used them in the past without incident, but then I think only once was there a missed flight or a delay where I was easily seated on another flight, never a real test of how well Expedia carries through.

If I book a flight of any complexity (multiple people, flight changes, tight schedules, using air miles, etc.) I prefer to speak on the phone with a booking agent at the start, or to book online and then call a booking agent to confirm details and answer questions. Often they will have some useful suggestions about the flights as may offer some better seats or small upgrades for free, or find an unadvertised reduced price for an upgrade in service levels. Also they can help with details if you have a pet, or a tight layover, etc. International bookings staff are generally very nice and helpful, all the more so if you reach them at off-peak times. For those things having booked directly with the airline seems to make a real difference.

maybe if it were a direct flight within the US, but I wouldn't book a multi-leg TATL flight with presumably non-US carriers through a 3rd party unless you also purchase comprehensive travel insurance. If one flight is delayed or canceled your chances of seamless rebooking are slim to none, likewise if baggage goes missing. $200 isn't worth it.

As always stated, book directly with airlines. I too had a problem when my flight was canceled, third-parties make it extremely difficult.

Book direct, and I hope you have a wonderful time.

I had a problem years ago and the airline told to me to call Expedia to resolve the issue. Expedia wouldn't give me the time of day. The airline eventually resolved my issue but told me they weren't supposed to since I didn't book with them.

I have since booked a flight using an aggregator on an multi-leg/multi-airline international flight but prefer to book with the airline directly.

You know you can book directly with the airline for the same price as Expedia, right? All airlines have a policy where they will match whatever competitors are charging if you book with them directly and send them the competing details with 24 hours. Just screenshot the Expedia price, book through the airline and then contact them to ask for the price differential. They are very accommodating about this, so it's worth doing if you want to get away (I would never, air travel is the biggest Covid superspreader of all time).

Thanks, everyone. I’ll be sensible and not obsess over a savings of just $200.

Btw, I like R6’s suggestion of asking the airline to match the lower fare. Willing to ask though I don’t have high expectations. Then again, R12’s advice has just arrived so we’ll see. 🤞🏾

As far as traveling during the COVID era, I’ve done my research. Cambodia’s got the situation reasonably well under control.

Probably more important, after the past few years (COVID + intense family drama), I am desperate for a major change of scenery. Planning on spending a month and a half there.

Beyond all that, I’m weeks away from my 65th birthday. I don’t have time to wait to travel, you know?

Anyway, thanks to all. I love you.

Maybe US-based legacy carriers will price match, R12, but do you really think Cambodia Airways or whatever podunk airlines fly to Phnom Penh will do the same? No US or European carriers service Cambodia, I truly doubt any of their workers will care about an Expedia screenshot. And if you're double-vaxed/boosterd and wearing a proper N95 mask then air travel is not a covid "superspreader."

[quote] As far as traveling during the COVID era, I’ve done my research. Cambodia’s got the situation reasonably well under control.

That’s post air travel. It also suggests you care only about contracting it, not spreading it.

This, folks, is the reason this thing is dragging on and on. I look at social media and see people traveling for fun, going to crowded bars or concerts maskless, etc, and wonder, am I living in the same reality as these people?

I suspect Covid is our new reality. It doesn't appear to be going anywhere and i am starting to think I can't stay home forever. If we keep up with the vaccinations Covid appears to be rather mild. It may never get any better as it is now.

It's the way of the world, r15. Boccaccio witnessed the same thing almost 700 years ago during the Black Death:

"Others ... affirmed that drinking beer, enjoying oneself, and going around singing and ruckus-raising and satisfying all one's appetites whenever possible and laughing at the whole bloody thing was the best medicine; and these people put into practice what they heartily advised to others: day and night, going from tavern to tavern, drinking without moderation or measure, and many times going from house to house drinking up a storm and only listening to and talking about pleasing things. These parties were easy to find because everyone behaved as if they were going to die soon, so they cared nothing about themselves nor their belongings."

I always use Travelocity and have never had a single issue. Even when flights were cancelled/delayed, it wasn't a big deal to deal with it online or at the gate just like everyone else. I love seeing all of the flight times and prices all in one place. I wouldn't consider doing it any other way. I'm sure Expedia would be just fine.

And American Airlines will be a horrible experience regardless of how you book it. I hate them but still have had to use them due to limited possibilities.

R17 that was before we knew how infectious diseases work. We now know how to minimize or prevent these sorts of infectious disease.

Boccaccio’s subjects were trying to live to the fullest because they were about to die from some unknown killer. We know this killer and know how to prevent spread. But we don’t do that anyway, because we’re like all bored and stuff.

R15, if I am fully vaccinated (two shots plus booster) and I test negative just prior to travel, I don’t understand how I am contributing to the spread of COVID. I’m not an epidemiologist, so could you enlighten me? Much obliged.

R14, I’m not sure why you’d assume only some “podunk” airline would fly to PNH. Plus, of course, I identified the airline in my original post. Never met anyone who considers Singapore Airlines a podunk airline. I have more confidence in Singapore Airlines than in any domestic airline in the US.

OP. I hope you love Cambodia. The locals there are the sweetest. Have you been there before? I bussed all over the entire country once and had the best time. Do you have any plans in advance?

Wear an N95 while traveling and eat outdoors when you land. You’ll be fine.

R22, thanks for shifting the focus back to something beautiful. No, never been. I have been to both Vietnam and Thailand a couple of times each but very excited about Cambodia.

Singapore Air has a best fare guarantee. Foreign airlines tend to have better service than US-based carriers.

The site linked below is a little out of date but if you're flexible with your dates you may be able to get a better price/flight.

Let us know how you're trip goes, Op. I retired a few months ago and have a ton of air miles to burn. I might consider Cambodia as a destination.

[quote] thanks for shifting the focus back to something beautiful.

Yes, how gauche to talk about a pandemic when discussing international travel during a pandemic.

R20, the vaccine doesn’t prevent you from getting infected or spreading the virus. Yes it reduces the risk but does not eliminate it.

By traveling in the middle of a pandemic, are you part of the problem, or part of the solution?

I have booked flights through Expedia but then used a record locator to change my seat and upgrade through the airline itself.

Hotels, though, can be pretty harsh and dismissive. In France I placed a printout of my reservation through Expedia on the counter at the Hotel Lotti. The receptionist looked at it like it was a used Kleenex or condom. It turns out they apportion some older, un-renovated rooms through these third parties, and if you need to make any changes, they can treat you like a stowaway.

Watch out for a rental car intermediary that looks like Budget Rental, but is a weird third party vendor and impossible to reach if you need help. That happened to me in NYC recently. It was a bit shocking because the website and email looked EXACTLY like Budget rental (the same colors and fonts), but was actually a sneaky third party. Luckily I found the record locator.

OP my sister, BiL and I did a SE Asian trip through Expedia right before the Trump Covid shutdown. We flew Singapore airlines business class (this is important to my post) to Singapore then traveled from there on the rest of our itinerary. You can purchase really cheap flights from Singapore to other SE Asian cities. Long story short, when we were getting ready to board our flight to Saigon from Siem Reap Cambodia, we were told that Vietnam was closing its borders due to Covid. We had to purchase tickets in Siem Reap for a flight back to Singapore that instant to catch a flight back to the US. When we got to Singapore the flight was due to leave later that night and I’d checked the departing flight to make sure there was room in business class for us. And there was. When we get to the business class counter to book our flight the reservationist looks at our tickets and says, “you have to call Expedia, you didn’t book this through us and we’ll charge you x amount of $ to change your reservations. “ my sister gets a little upset and says, “you do realize how much we paid for these tickets, have had to cancel our plans for the remainder of our trip, and now you want us to pay additional fees?” Ticket agent went and talked with a supervisor who came to us and said that due to current circumstances he would book us on this flight. My point is, if we would have been traveling coach we would have been fucked. Therefore if there’s not a great cost difference then book with the airline, it gives you better leverage. As an aside how long are you planning on staying in Cambodia?

Expedia has been sued multiple times for selling people Basic Economy fares without a full description of what that means.

Don't get ripped off by a third party. Book directly with the airline. They will take care of you in a mishap because you will be their direct customer. But if you book through Expedia, you're Expedia's customer and the airline won't care about you.