I’m looking for a flight from New York to Portland in October for 4 adults. I found a good flight on Skyscanner, but the price seems too low. Trip.com is offering it for almost 800€ less than other sites.
Is this price normal? Has anyone bought tickets through Trip.com?
If the flight runs on time, you’ll have tickets for it. These sites offer cheap prices by buying the lowest, most restrictive fares available.
So, you might get assigned whatever seats are left close to departure. If the flight is overbooked, you could be among the first to be bumped off. If the flight is delayed or canceled on the travel day, you might be last in line to be rebooked. If the flight is changed or canceled before the day of departure, you’ll need to deal with Trip.com’s customer service, which can be difficult.
In short, if the price is much lower and the flight is soon, and you’re okay with some hassle if things go wrong, these tickets can be a good deal. Just remember, the lower price comes with some risks.
Trip.com is a real site, and its parent company, Ctrip, is very big in China.
When booking through any third-party site, make sure to read the fare rules carefully. You’ll have to pay extra fees for changes or cancellations on top of what the airline charges.
Trip.com is a huge scam. Its parent company is in China, so it might be okay if you’re a Chinese citizen. Otherwise, avoid this company. I booked a flight from LA to Manila with a five-hour stopover in Tokyo. When I checked in at LA, Zipair said I couldn’t board because I needed a Japanese visa since my connecting flight was with another airline. I called Trip.com for help with rebooking, but they couldn’t assist. They apologized for not knowing about Zipair’s new policy and for not informing me beforehand. They promised to work on my refund, but after 8 hours, I got an email saying my refund request was denied with no explanation. Please stay away from this company.
It’s as real as most other third-party booking sites.
Did you check if that’s the final price, including baggage and fees?
They’re a fairly reliable third-party, and I’d feel okay booking with them if that fare were real. But I can’t find that fare on Trip.com. It might have been available before or it could be an old price, but I’m not sure.
It’s probably too late for you, but they’re the worst travel website I’ve ever used, and I’ve been booking travel for over 30 years. If anyone else is thinking of booking with them, don’t. They have terrible customer service and won’t help if something goes wrong. It’s hard to get a replacement flight if your flight is canceled, and getting a refund is a hassle. Their tickets are cheap, which is why I booked with them, but if I’d used a different company, I’d be on my holiday now instead of at home dealing with their issues.