

There's nothing worse than getting stuck between the OTA and airline's customer service passing the blame back and forth, leaving your case unresolved.Īnd while customer service is no doubt better with larger OTAs like Expedia, they're still acting as a middle man.

This can cause even more problems if you've got an issue with your reservation, and it's the last thing you need when your plans change. Smaller OTAs like TravelMerry, Vayama,, and others are not known for their stellar customer service – just the opposite. You can simply reach out to their customer service or even send them a DM on Twitter or Facebook and they'll be much faster to work with you on your reservation.Ĭonfused about OTAs? Read our guide to everything you need to know about Online Travel Agencies So when the inevitable problems arrive, it's just much easier to resolve them when you've booked directly with your airline. And with COVID-19 still rocking the world, the potential for problems is even higher. Flights get delayed or canceled, reservations get messed up, or maybe you just need to scrap your upcoming trip. And now that travel is more uncertain and unpredictable than ever, booking directly with the airline is more important than ever.Įven in good times, bad things happen.

As with everything in travel, the rules from before COVID-19 no longer apply. So what's the difference between booking with an airline and one of these companies? There are a few things you need to know. The travel world is filled with online travel agencies (OTAs), from the giants like Kayak and Expedia to tiny shops like TravelMerry and JustFly. For more information check out our Advertising Disclosure. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers.
