{"id":55649,"date":"2023-09-01T06:51:48","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T10:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/news\/want-to-add-a-rental-car-or-hotel-to-your-flight-reservation-heres-why-you-shouldnt-bundle-your-travel-bookings\/"},"modified":"2023-09-01T06:51:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T10:51:51","slug":"want-to-add-a-rental-car-or-hotel-to-your-flight-reservation-heres-why-you-shouldnt-bundle-your-travel-bookings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=55649","title":{"rendered":"Want to add a rental car or hotel to your flight reservation? Here\u2019s why you shouldn\u2019t bundle your travel bookings."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This <\/em>article<\/em> is reprinted by permission from <\/em>NerdWallet<\/em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Bundling is a practice popularized by third-party, online travel agencies, like Expedia
\n EXPE,
\n -0.43%<\/bg-quote>,<\/span>
\n Priceline and Kayak, that encourages booking flights, hotels and rental cars in the same reservation. The option to bundle is also often offered through travel providers (such as when a popup surfaces on an airline\u2019s website asking you to book a rental car, too).<\/p>\n

\n

Travel is complicated enough, and bundling does not do anything to simplify it. In fact, it only makes it more complicated. Here\u2019s why you should almost never bundle travel.<\/p>\n

Options are limited<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bundling reduces your options to travel partners only. For example, Costco
\n COST,
\n +1.29%<\/bg-quote>
\n Travel does not currently offer flights with Southwest
\n LUV,
\n -0.09%<\/bg-quote>
\n or Spirit Airlines
\n SAVE,
\n -0.96%<\/bg-quote>
\n \u2014 removing a large list of potential flights you might otherwise book.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Southwest Airlines encourages you to book a car with one of its eight car rental partners. And while there are a lot to choose from, some notable car rental companies like Enterprise (which is among the\u00a0cheapest car rental companies) and\u00a0car rental alternatives\u00a0like\u00a0Turo\u00a0are absent.<\/p>\n

Also, bundled travel typically requires that you\u00a0book both the inbound and outbound flights on the same airline, which can limit flight options.<\/p>\n

Also see: <\/strong>Is your international layover long enough? There\u2019s plenty that could go wrong.<\/p>\n

Changes and cancellations can be more expensive \u2026 and more complicated<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When you bundle travel, you\u2019re subject to two sets of change and cancellation policies \u2014 that of the actual travel provider, and that of the bundler you booked with. You might also be subject to two sets of fees.<\/p>\n

With small travel agencies, it\u2019s not uncommon to get hit with reservation cancellation fees \u2014 and that\u2019s on top of fees charged by the travel supplier. Larger, online travel agencies are less likely to charge cancellation fees, though many sites pass on fees charged by the travel provider.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss:<\/strong> \u2018This is one of the coolest places I\u2019ve ever seen\u2019: Splurge on a stayover \u2014 or grab a cocktail during a layover \u2014 at this nostalgic airport hotel<\/p>\n

Beyond the fees, bundling travel can create additional headaches if changes or cancellations need to be made. Here are some factors to watch out for when bundling travel:<\/p>\n

Change and cancellation policies may be inconsistent<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When you bundle, you\u2019re subject to not just the agency\u2019s policies, but the travel provider\u2019s policies too. This can get complicated, as the policies may differ for each trip, even if you booked through the same travel agency as before.<\/p>\n

You sometimes can\u2019t make changes online<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Often, making changes to one piece of a\u00a0vacation package\u00a0can be an annoying process.<\/p>\n

For example, Expedia currently doesn\u2019t allow you to make changes to vacation packages online, so you\u2019ll have to contact an agent by online chat or phone. Wait times typically aren\u2019t more than a couple of minutes, but they can exceed that \u2014 especially in situations like\u00a0massive airline meltdowns.<\/p>\n

Changes typically take longer<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sitting on the phone isn\u2019t the only thing that takes time. Bundling brings an unnecessary go-between into the process of changing or canceling plans. Typically, you\u2019ll contact the bundler you booked with, who will then go to the actual travel provider to make your changes.<\/p>\n

The go-between can add a similar headache when it comes to getting a refund, including necessitating additional time to process refunds. Having a go-between often creates one more opportunity for changes or refunds to get lost. In fact, Expedia recommends you reach out to travel providers directly if you make changes or cancellations through Expedia but still see charges.<\/p>\n

Plus: <\/strong>How to avoid those annoying resort fees and the hotels that charge the worst ones<\/p>\n

Does bundling travel ever make sense?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While bundling presents challenges, it can sometimes work, and many bundling services are making more money than ever before. In fact, Expedia reported its highest-ever first-quarter revenue in 2023 \u2014 $2.7 billion, which is an increase of 18% compared with 2022.<\/p>\n

A key benefit of bundling is having just one reservation to keep track of. Rather than managing multiple confirmation numbers, logins and credit card transactions, there\u2019s just one.<\/p>\n

Sometimes bundling can save money, as agencies can use their buying authority to negotiate lower rates \u2014 and then pass on those savings to customers. For example,\u00a0Priceline\u00a0claims that its customers save on average $240 per transaction when they bundle travel (e.g. flight + hotel). Meanwhile, Expedia claims that bundling saves its U.S. customers up to 10% versus booking those items separately.<\/p>\n

See<\/strong>: How to choose the best seat on a plane<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not necessarily cheaper to bundle<\/strong><\/h2>\n

But bundling isn\u2019t always cheaper. Even Expedia\u2019s 10% stat comes with the caveat \u201cup to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many travel providers offer better discounts when you book with them directly versus with a company that provides a bundling service. For example, Ovolo Hotels is a boutique hotel chain that touts delightful, complimentary amenities such as self-service laundry, happy hour refreshments and a breakfast buffet \u2014 but you can only partake if you book directly.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s largely because companies often pay commissions to the referring party, such as online travel agencies. Big hotel brands like Hilton
\n HLT,
\n -1.18%<\/bg-quote>,<\/span>
\n Hyatt
\n H,
\n -2.51%<\/bg-quote>
\n and IHG
\n IHG,
\n -0.69%<\/bg-quote>
\n pay up to about 10% commission on most room revenues. Hotels can pass on part of those savings to you \u2014 meaning you might actually save money by not bundling.<\/p>\n

More From NerdWallet<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet.\u00a0 Bundling is a practice popularized by third-party, online travel agencies, like Expedia EXPE, -0.43%, Priceline and Kayak, that encourages booking flights, hotels and rental cars in the same reservation. The option to bundle is also often offered through travel providers (such as when a popup surfaces on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[236],"tags":[83],"class_list":["post-55649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"yoast_head":"\nWant to add a rental car or hotel to your flight reservation? 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