# Experiences with Expedia?



## Tyler Durden (12 December 2013)

Firstly, I know this is meant to be in the General Chat sub-forum, but for some reason I cannot create a thread there. The '+ Post New Thread' button is nowhere to be seen. Strange. So mods, please move this thread when you see it 

Ok, now I am thinking of booking for a holiday. I went to Flight Centre, obtained a cost estimate, then checked out Expedia, which was $500 cheaper than Flight Centre. So I am just wondering if anyone here has any experience with Expedia?

I have booked a few flights with FC before, and although they are a bit more expensive, I find them to be fairly reliable and you have nothing to worry about. So I am just wondering if Expedia also has the same reliability, or if it's vulnerable to scams etc?


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## So_Cynical (12 December 2013)

I have booked flights and hotels thru Expedia, Agoda, Travel.com.au (WTF) and Last Minute (WTF) all good and had no hassles what so ever...its very very common now for the airlines and hotels.


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## McLovin (13 December 2013)

Tyler Durden said:


> Firstly, I know this is meant to be in the General Chat sub-forum, but for some reason I cannot create a thread there. The '+ Post New Thread' button is nowhere to be seen. Strange. So mods, please move this thread when you see it
> 
> Ok, now I am thinking of booking for a holiday. I went to Flight Centre, obtained a cost estimate, then checked out Expedia, which was $500 cheaper than Flight Centre. So I am just wondering if anyone here has any experience with Expedia?
> 
> I have booked a few flights with FC before, and although they are a bit more expensive, I find them to be fairly reliable and you have nothing to worry about. So I am just wondering if Expedia also has the same reliability, or if it's vulnerable to scams etc?




Expedia is fine. I've used them literally 100's of times. Are you booking flights + hotel or just hotel or flights? If booking flights, it pays to shop around. The different algorithms the sites use can sometimes price out fares differently, so for eg if you're going to London, it might combine two airfares (one to Asia and then another Asia to London) that work out cheaper. For booking hotels I use Trivago, works a treat. If you want something a little more boutique the Tablet Hotels can't be beat. 

Oh and Flight Centre will beat any fare, fyi.


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## bellenuit (13 December 2013)

Tyler Durden said:


> Firstly, I know this is meant to be in the General Chat sub-forum, but for some reason I cannot create a thread there. The '+ Post New Thread' button is nowhere to be seen. Strange. So mods, please move this thread when you see it
> 
> Ok, now I am thinking of booking for a holiday. I went to Flight Centre, obtained a cost estimate, then checked out Expedia, which was $500 cheaper than Flight Centre. So I am just wondering if anyone here has any experience with Expedia?
> 
> I have booked a few flights with FC before, and although they are a bit more expensive, I find them to be fairly reliable and you have nothing to worry about. So I am just wondering if Expedia also has the same reliability, or if it's vulnerable to scams etc?




I have used them a few times and have had no problems. However, check around. They are sometimes useful for complex travel (involving several airlines) because they can work out fares involving multiple carriers whereas often the airlines themselves will confine their searches to themselves and code shared flights only.

That being said, I recently compared Expedia with Thai Airways - Perth to Phuket via Bangkok return and Thai Airways came out about $50 cheaper than Expedia for exactly the same flights. I will always chose a direct booking with the airline over Expedia or similar when their prices are the same or cheaper, as it is usually easier to subsequently deal directly with the airline should you want to make changes.


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## springhill (13 December 2013)

Tyler Durden said:


> Firstly, I know this is meant to be in the General Chat sub-forum, but for some reason I cannot create a thread there. The '+ Post New Thread' button is nowhere to be seen. Strange. So mods, please move this thread when you see it
> 
> Ok, now I am thinking of booking for a holiday. I went to Flight Centre, obtained a cost estimate, then checked out Expedia, which was $500 cheaper than Flight Centre. So I am just wondering if anyone here has any experience with Expedia?
> 
> I have booked a few flights with FC before, and although they are a bit more expensive, I find them to be fairly reliable and you have nothing to worry about. So I am just wondering if Expedia also has the same reliability, or if it's vulnerable to scams etc?




In terms of booking hotels I find Expedia to be at the more expensive end of the booking websites. I research a lot when planning holidays and invariably find Agoda to be the website that provides the best deals. Have never had a problem with their customer service even when cancelling a booking.

http://www.agoda.com


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## sydboy007 (13 December 2013)

I use expedia now and then depending on what they're offering.

Just used them to book 6 nights in London next september and was able to get the Mercure Greenwhich for about $125 a night.

Also used them to do London Berlin flight with 7 nights accommodation at the Mercure Mitte Berlin for $870 all up.  Their holiday packages can work out very good value.


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## McLovin (13 December 2013)

bellenuit said:


> I have used them a few times and have had no problems. However, check around. They are sometimes useful for complex travel (involving several airlines) because they can work out fares involving multiple carriers whereas often the airlines themselves will confine their searches to themselves and code shared flights only.
> 
> That being said, I recently compared Expedia with Thai Airways - Perth to Phuket via Bangkok return and Thai Airways came out about $50 cheaper than Expedia for exactly the same flights. I will always chose a direct booking with the airline over Expedia or similar when their prices are the same or cheaper, as it is usually easier to subsequently deal directly with the airline should you want to make changes.




If I'm doing a straight up flight I always book with the airline rather than through an agent. As you said it is easier to make changes with the airline directly than through an agent. The airline, in theory, isn't allowed to touch an agent booking until after the first flight has been taken.


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## Tyler Durden (18 December 2013)

McLovin said:


> Expedia is fine. I've used them literally 100's of times. Are you booking flights + hotel or just hotel or flights?




Booking hotel and flights.

Thanks for all the feedback.


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## Tyler Durden (20 December 2013)

So...I've booked my package with Expedia, and gotten an email confirming the booking of the flights and hotel. The email also says "ticketing in progress" but I haven't received any e-tickets yet??

I know with Flight Centre they send you an e-ticket on the same day. I googled it a bit and some people say you have to get the ticket from the airline's website?


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## bellenuit (20 December 2013)

Tyler Durden said:


> So...I've booked my package with Expedia, and gotten an email confirming the booking of the flights and hotel. The email also says "ticketing in progress" but I haven't received any e-tickets yet??
> 
> I know with Flight Centre they send you an e-ticket on the same day. I googled it a bit and some people say you have to get the ticket from the airline's website?




When I used Expedia, they emailed the tickets to me. Log into the site and you may find that they have all the documentation online, so you can also get it from there (I'm not sure about this as I haven't used it for a few years).


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## gav (23 December 2013)

My wife and I booked our honeymoon through Expedia. That is an experience neither of us wish to go through again. They spelt my wife's name wrong on the flight ticket. We called them 11 times and more than 13 hours on the phone trying to sort it out (yes 13 hours!). We originally tried the airline, but they said we had to go through the booking agent (Expedia). Expedia went from telling us it couldn't be done, to saying we'd have to cancel our tickets and re-book (which would cost a lot extra), to finally agreeing to fix it. More than a week later nothing had been done. Then we had to go through the whole process again. And it still wasn't fixed. They were often extremely rude. Eventually, we tried the airline again, explained our experience with Expedia, and they fixed it for us.

Then 5 days before the trip, Expedia emailed us an "update" stating our flights had been changed, and we were no longer on the same flight. When we called, we were told that nothing could be done and that it was a condition of sale. So we called the airline again, and they fixed it on the spot. This whole process went for nearly 3 months. Afterwards, we sent a "feedback" email to Expedia, and received nothing back.

So as you can imagine, we won't be using Expedia ever again.


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## basilio (23 December 2013)

Not directly on the topic but have you ever investigated Air B&B as way to source accommodation when you travel?

I found it offers a creative and interesting alternative for travel. Worth a look in my view. 

https://www.airbnb.com.au/?af=19227...air b&b&G_P=&gclid=CIj0_OzBxbsCFbBapgodEzQA0A


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## Smurf1976 (23 December 2013)

I've booked all my hotel needs online for 10+ years and no problems so far. Hopefully it stays that way....

I've only used Expedia once, but I did end up with a very nice room in the Adelaide CBD for $100 per night recently which I found using Expedia so I'll quite possibly use them again.

For flights I always book directly with the airline although I've also done it through an Australian "bricks and mortar" travel agent when traveling overseas. Much easier to get hold of someone if something goes wrong or needs to be changed, especially if you're flying with non-budget airlines (Qantas or Virgin in the case of Australian domestic travel). But if you're flying with cheap and nasty airlines then you're pretty much on your own when something goes wrong so it probably doesn't matter how you actually make the booking. 

I'll never take those "mystery hotel" deals however. You want to be in (for example) the Melbourne CBD but you end up in a hotel so far out that it's not even serviced by public transport to get to the city. No thanks. By knowing which hotel I'll be staying with, at least I can be reasonably confident that it's in an acceptable location which is usually the most critical factor when booking a hotel room.


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## sydboy007 (23 December 2013)

Can be worth ya while checking booking.com and hotelscombined.com as they sometimes show the odd bargain.

Also can be worth chking out wotif and hotwire.com for a secret hotel deal.

asiatravel.com can also have some good hotel deals - I was able to get a great rate of $18 / night (inc tax) for the Harris Hotel in bali earlier this year.

My general rule is to find a refundable rate I'm willing to pay, then hope a secret deal or better deal comes along closer to my travel dates.

As mentioned airbnb.com can also work well.  I've used it quite a few times.  Saved me a fortune in LA a few years back.  Was able to rent a 1BR apartment in WeHo for just $80 a night.  Was old style but very comfortable.  Liked having a real kitchen.  Saved a lot by being able to make my own breakfast each day.  I was able to get a nice room in Taipei last month for just $45 / night which was less than half what most decent hotels will charge in the same area (Ximen) with airbnb, and had a studio in bangkok in last June for just $30 a night, 3 min walk to Surasak BTS.

I tend to devote a fair amount of time finding good room rates as I can be paying for 30-40 nights a year.  The less I spend on hotels and flights, the more often I can travel.

I would say it's generally best to book direct with an airline.  Always seems easier to resolve issues when they occur.  I'd even say if it's slightly more expensive to book with the airline do it anyways.  $10 or $20 can be a small price to pay for peace of mind when something goes wrong.

Now that I've discovered how to fly in business and first class for less than a premium economy fare I'm enjoying the getting to and fro now as well.


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## Tyler Durden (23 December 2013)

I called Expedia tonight, saying I hadn't received an e-ticket. They told me I'm not supposed to, and that everything I need is in the email they send me. I said the email said "ticketing in progress", and then they sent another one straight away, with the airline ticket number. They said I just needed to take this email to the airport and I'd get my boarding pass there.

Either things have changed to make everything extremely simple, or I am going to find myself at the airport without a bloody ticket.


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## bellenuit (23 December 2013)

Tyler Durden said:


> I called Expedia tonight, saying I hadn't received an e-ticket. They told me I'm not supposed to, and that everything I need is in the email they send me. I said the email said "ticketing in progress", and then they sent another one straight away, with the airline ticket number. They said I just needed to take this email to the airport and I'd get my boarding pass there.
> 
> Either things have changed to make everything extremely simple, or I am going to find myself at the airport without a bloody ticket.




You might be OK, though all e-mails I have received following an online booking (not with Expedia) have always said "confirmed".  When not confirmed, they always sent a subsequent email when confirmed. However, I have found that although I usually have a document called "E-Ticket" when I check in, I have never been asked to show it. They usually just ask to see my passport and take it from there. One thing that has been enforced a few times and just recently on my trip to Thailand with Thai, is they have asked to see the credit card that was used to make the booking. If you read the blurb on the website as you are making a booking, you will see that they (at least those I have used) require you to physically bring the CC with you when you check in. I think this is a security measure.


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## Smurf1976 (23 December 2013)

McLovin said:


> The different algorithms the sites use can sometimes price out fares differently, so for eg if you're going to London, it might combine two airfares (one to Asia and then another Asia to London) that work out cheaper.



All works fine as long as the first flight isn't greatly delayed. 

A lot can go wrong if there are multiple connections. Eg someone flies New York - LA - Sydney - Hobart and the plane is seriously late leaving New York (for whatever reason). You'll still end up in Hobart if you booked with the one airline. But if you booked 3 separate flights with 3 separate airlines then you've got a problem.


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## McLovin (24 December 2013)

Smurf1976 said:


> All works fine as long as the first flight isn't greatly delayed.
> 
> A lot can go wrong if there are multiple connections. Eg someone flies New York - LA - Sydney - Hobart and the plane is seriously late leaving New York (for whatever reason). You'll still end up in Hobart if you booked with the one airline. But if you booked 3 separate flights with 3 separate airlines then you've got a problem.




Well, assuming it's on the one itinerary, it's the airline's/airlines' problem not yours. It's only if you bolt each piece together on separate PNRs that it becomes your problem.


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## McLovin (24 December 2013)

Tyler Durden said:


> I called Expedia tonight, saying I hadn't received an e-ticket. They told me I'm not supposed to, and that everything I need is in the email they send me. I said the email said "ticketing in progress", and then they sent another one straight away, with the airline ticket number. They said I just needed to take this email to the airport and I'd get my boarding pass there.
> 
> Either things have changed to make everything extremely simple, or I am going to find myself at the airport without a bloody ticket.




Have you got a PNR? A 6 digit alphanumeric number?

If you have you can see if the ticket has been issued at checkmytrip.

ETA: Or sare you waiting for a paoer ticket because they disappeared years ago? Personally, it's been a long time since I turned up at the airport with anything but my passport.


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## Tyler Durden (24 December 2013)

bellenuit said:


> However, I have found that although I usually have a document called "E-Ticket" when I check in, I have never been asked to show it. They usually just ask to see my passport and take it from there.




Do you mean you have shown them your email first?



McLovin said:


> Have you got a PNR? A 6 digit alphanumeric number?
> 
> If you have you can see if the ticket has been issued at checkmytrip.
> 
> ETA: Or sare you waiting for a paoer ticket because they disappeared years ago? Personally, it's been a long time since I turned up at the airport with anything but my passport.




I just checked the site, my booking is there  Thanks McLovin, never knew about a site like that!


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## McLovin (24 December 2013)

Tyler Durden said:


> I just checked the site, my booking is there  Thanks McLovin, never knew about a site like that!




Yes, you're booking will be there even before it's ticketed. You need to have a look and make sure you have a ticket number issued. To do that: In the main screen click on the down arrow next to your name. You should under there see your eticket number, if the ticket has been issued. If there's no number then you haven't got a ticket.



Tyler Durden said:


> Do you mean you have shown them your email first?




There's no need to show them anything except your passport. I usually have the email handy on my phone incase I ever need the eticket number, but that's only happened once in thousands of flights.


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## Tyler Durden (26 December 2013)

McLovin said:


> Yes, you're booking will be there even before it's ticketed. You need to have a look and make sure you have a ticket number issued. To do that: In the main screen click on the down arrow next to your name. You should under there see your eticket number, if the ticket has been issued. If there's no number then you haven't got a ticket.
> 
> 
> 
> There's no need to show them anything except your passport. I usually have the email handy on my phone incase I ever need the eticket number, but that's only happened once in thousands of flights.




Thanks. Wow, how things have advanced since my last trip overseas.

Heading out tomorrow!!!


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## Smurf1976 (26 December 2013)

McLovin said:


> There's no need to show them anything except your passport. I usually have the email handy on my phone incase I ever need the eticket number, but that's only happened once in thousands of flights.



I print out the email and bring it along just in case. But for international travel usually you'll just need your passport. For domestic travel, most times it's just say your name and provide photo ID (eg driver's license).

It might be different with some airlines though, so I'd take along evidence of the booking (email etc) just in case.


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## So_Cynical (26 December 2013)

Once you have a ticket number etc you can check on the airlines web site, find the manage my booking page and type in your booking reference or ticket number or name as booked...and up should come your ticket and flight details.

And of course remember to do your online seat allocation when it opens 48 hours before your flight.


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## Smurf1976 (26 December 2013)

Had an experience in the US last year (can't remember which airline as I used several for different domestic flights) where if you didn't have a seat allocated then you couldn't get on the plane.

So it was a 3 step process. First check-in and drop bags off. Second go through security. Third get a seat allocated at another counter inside the airport.

Not being familiar with this, I had no idea of the process and it wasn't until boarding had commenced that I found out about the seat allocation process. A mad rush through the airport followed and I did end up with a seat and then got on the plane just in time.

I don't know if that happens anywhere else, it's not something I've come across previously and it was only on one flight in the US but it was a surprise to say the least.


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## McLovin (27 December 2013)

Smurf1976 said:


> It might be different with some airlines though, so I'd take along evidence of the booking (email etc) just in case.




Nah. Since 2008, it's been an IATA regulation that all tickets must be paperless. There is no need to carry a paper copy, but no harm in doing so if adds peace of mind.


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## bellenuit (27 December 2013)

McLovin said:


> Nah. Since 2008, it's been an IATA regulation that all tickets must be paperless. There is no need to carry a paper copy, but no harm in doing so if adds peace of mind.




Of course with smartphones it is just as easy to keep a copy on your phone should you be asked for it. I always do in any case so that I can refer to my schedule when away from my hotel as I never bring the hard copies with me. I also keep a scan of my passport and driving license on my iPhone - just in case.


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