Travel booking peace of mind
With so many travel booking websites on the internet now, and such an abundance of information about travel destinations, it’s not that difficult to organise your own travel itinerary and book it all yourself, without ever having to pick up a phone or leave your computer. The days of having to walk into a travel agency to collect a pile of brochures to peruse, and having to rely on the information contained in those brochures are long gone.
Do-it-yourself is certainly the approach The Fairlie Entourage follows (mostly) in arranging our leisure travel. However there are a few tips you should keep in mind if you want to ensure you have peace of mind with any travel bookings you make on-line.
• Do your research
If it sounds too good, too cheap, or too amazing to be true, it probably is. Don’t book anything without doing due diligence on the supplier. Ask friends and family for recommendations. Check reviews and feedback on travel forums such as Tripadvisor. Look at the suppliers’ social media sites – if there’s disgruntled former customers, you’ll probably find them there. Google the name of the supplier together with the words, “bad experience” (or similar) to see what that throws up. Check that the supplier offers a physical address and telephone contact details.
• Use secure websites when handing over details
If you learn nothing else from this post except how to recognise a secure website, my work is done. Too many people don’t know the difference between secure and unsecure e-commerce sites.
So, how do you know if it is a ‘secure’ website? First, look at the address bar on your browser. Can you see a padlock symbol there? (Check your own particular browser’s documentation for where the padlock should appear, as it varies.) Now click on the padlock. A box should appear with the security details for that website. If you’re on a payment page of a website, does the website address start with ‘https://’? It should. That ‘s’ after the http? It stands for ‘secure’.
• Pay smartly
When booking online, use secure payment methods such as PayPal or use your credit card. In the event a supplier doesn’t deliver, you may be eligible for a reversal of the charge from your credit card provider. Wherever possible, I try to pay the bare minimum as a deposit and arrange to pay the remainder on delivery of the service.
• Read the fine print
I know, I know, there’s so much of it…and it’s all so boring…but you really need to know what it is you’re signing up for. If you’re booking a hotel, check for whether breakfast is included. What are the cancellation conditions? Are there any additional charges (e.g. resort charges)? Is wi-fi included? What about parking? Some of these additional charges can make a ‘cheap’ rate suddenly not-so-cheap on check out.
• Take out travel insurance
What’s that saying…? “If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.” I wouldn’t travel anywhere without comprehensive travel insurance. But not all travel insurances are created equal. You should check the fine print on any policy before you buy to make sure it covers everything you need it to. Again, boring…but so necessary.
• Use the professionals
And if all of the above sounds too daunting, or too much work, use the services of people who do this stuff day-in, day-out…professional travel agents. Sure, they’ll charge you a booking fee – but how much is your own time worth in doing it yourself? If doing all the research and double-checking all the details sounds like a chore, rather than fun, use an accredited travel agent.
If you are in Australia, look for one that is ATAS accredited through the Australian Federation of Travel Agents, or look for other forms of accreditation. Having a good travel agent handle your bookings offers a great point of contact when things go wrong. Check whether they have a 24 hour emergency support service for when your flight is cancelled and you need to get onto another one, or when a hurricane is bearing down on your idyllic beach resort and you want to get out of there quickly.
For more handy tips from Australia’s consumer protection agencies head to Pack Some Peace of Mind.
What are your best tips for travel booking peace of mind?
