The unprecedented impact on travel around the world of COVID-19 has resulted in effectively all travel plans cancelled for the foreseeable future. With many travellers trying to either reschedule or request a refund, being told they need to speak with their travel agent is not ideal.
It has reminded me why I always book direct with the airline, hotel or cruise company where possible.
In this post:
An Intermediary Is Inconvenient
Booking direct with an airline, hotel or cruise company means you can deal directly, without needing to go through a travel agent or booking site such as Trivago or Expedia (which are OTAs: Online Travel Agencies).
Typically the process goes like this:
- You contact your travel agent or booking site with a specific request
- Your travel agent contacts the airline, hotel or cruise company to make the request
- The airline, hotel or cruise company figures out if the request can be met
- The airline, hotel or cruise company advises your travel agent
- Your travel agent contacts you to let you know the outcome
In many situations, the airline or hotel call centre staff are not able to assist with non-direct bookings, referring you to your travel agent or booking site.
For example, people who booked directly with Cathay Pacific are able to request a full refund via the online Manage Booking function. But if you’ve booked through a travel agent, you will need to contact them to get your refund.
Similarly the Hyatt Hotels COVID-19 page has an important Please note at the bottom of its generous policy. Effectively you are the mercy of your booking provider.
Drew experienced this first hand with Qantas Hotels, where the actual hotel was willing to provide a full refund on a non-refundable booking but needed the booking provider to make the cancellation.
Refunds Can Take Longer
The process above also applies to refunds, in that the airline refunds the travel agency and the travel agency then returns your money to you.
My Cunard voyage was cancelled a few weeks ago, and I was able to request a refund via their website. Cunard will take up to 60 days to process this refund, which is absurd by normal standards but understandable given they are trying to manage their cash flow situation.
Reading the forums on Cruise Critic, other passengers who booked through a travel agency are being told they may need to wait an additional 90 days before the travel agency can return their money!
Manage Your Bookings Online
Direct bookings generally have the full range of online self-service capability from seat selection to changes, cancellations and refunds.
Most other bookings have limited capability beyond seeing your travel details and perhaps seat selection. The largest online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia have built their own interfaces for online refunds and changes.
It’s also reassuring to have a confirmation issued directly from the airline or hotel, given the number of stories on TripAdvisor of people arriving at a hotel only to find there is no record of their booking.
Lower Prices Can Be Matched
Some travel agencies are able to offer lower prices in certain situations due to their scale. The good news is that you can often get an equal or better rate directly.
I’ve previously written about the different Best Rate Guarantee programs offered by the major hotel chains, and have used the Marriott Look No Further guarantee successfully on a number of trips.
Summary
I always book directly with an airline, hotel or cruise company when possible, and am always thankful I did when things go wrong.
Dealing directly with the travel company means you can efficiently make changes to your travel plans without an intermediary and manage travel bookings exclusively online.
