If you are looking for a Travel Agency on the internet... How do you finally choose it?

Hi, I was wondering what are the aspects you count with when you are planning a trip anywhere and it comes to choose a web based travel agency. What aspects should I take care of? Thx!

If you need only air fare, rental cars, hotels, or a cruise, I would strongly suggest using a meta-search engine web site. There are only a few of those type web sites. These meta-search sites are unique because it will go out and check many different web sites all at once. It will then display a listing of the web sites in which it found the lowest price, and you can then click and go to that site for booking.

These are fairly new type web sites and growing in popularity. These sites are www.kayak.com and www.farechase.com.

HOWEVER...in EVERY case and in EVERY try you make when you search web sites....before booking, you should ALWAYS go to the direct web site for that airline/car rental/cruise line/hotel etc..... For example, if you use expedia.com or orbitz.com and find the best price for a Hilton hotel, before you book, be sure you FIRST go to www.hilton.com and check the rates there. Even if the rate is the same as you found on orbitz or expedia, always book it at hilton.com (or whatever brand.com site). There are so many reasons why you should always make this a rule, but way to long to explain here. The "aspect" here you should consider here is if expedia.com is selling rooms at a Hilton hotel, then someome is getting your money....but if you booked at hilton.com, then the Hilton gets your money and doesn't have to share it with expedia.com. SO....book direct at the brand.com site.

The short answer to your question is: To get the best price and to search for the largest available inventory of travel, use www.kayak.com or www.farchase.com. Once you find what you are looking for on those web sites, before you book, check out what the xbrand.com offers (such as hilton.com; hertz.com; delta.com;....etc....)

NOTE: When searching for air fares, you need to always check soutwest.com......they do not let other web sites book their flights.

Good luck!

I look for a good price from a well-established internet travel agency. This site has a list of the best travel bargain sites on the web: http://www.travelstartingpoint.com