WASHINGTON 鈥� The summer travel season is in full swing, and if you鈥檙e ready to jump online and book a flight, a hotel or a cruise, hold up 鈥� travel expert Peter Greenberg says you could be making 鈥渁 classic mistake.鈥�
People think booking travel online is the way to go because 鈥渋t鈥檚 easy,鈥� told WTOP Tuesday.
鈥淭hey can do it at 2 in the morning in their bathrobe; they don鈥檛 have to talk to anybody,鈥� he said.
But you鈥檙e missing out on a lot, he added.
鈥淥nly about 52 percent of what鈥檚 available out there is online,鈥� Greenberg said. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have a phone conversation and talk to the individual airline, hotel or cruise line, you鈥檙e automatically disenfranchising yourself from 48 percent of what鈥檚 out there.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 not telling people not to research online 鈥� I do it all the time,鈥� Greenberg said. 鈥淏ut you are really hurting yourself if you don鈥檛 get on the phone and at least find out what else is out there.鈥�
It鈥檚 not just about prices 鈥� it鈥檚 about availability, he added. And especially when you鈥檙e booking a hotel, there are questions you can ask a person you can鈥檛 ask a website.
鈥淐an my kids stay free? Can they eat free? Will you throw in free parking? Will you give me free Wi-Fi? Will you get rid of that dreaded resort fee? That doesn鈥檛 show up online.鈥�
So often, he pointed out, the only available airplane seats on a website are ones you have to pay extra for.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about the upsell,鈥� Greenberg said. 鈥淵ou owe it to yourself to get on the phone and ask if you can get that window seat or aisle seat without having to pay a premium.鈥�
When to book?
It used to be an easy call, Greenberg said 鈥� book your flights as far in advance as possible. But these days, it鈥檚 not so simple.
鈥淲e鈥檙e living in an unbelievable world of a global buyer鈥檚 market in travel right now,鈥� Greenberg said.
A couple of factors are at work, Greenberg said: The U.S. dollar is very strong against the pound and the euro right now, and foreigners are shying away from the U.S. in part because of 鈥渢he perceived notion that America is not welcoming, closed and inhospitable鈥� in the wake of President Trump鈥檚 so-far unsuccessful travel ban.
鈥淎 lot of people are choosing not to come to the U.S. What that means is, a lot of empty seats that would have been their return seats are now our seats if we want them.鈥�
So booking really far in advance 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 get you anything, unless you want to book for the day before Thanksgiving, or the Friday before the Super Bowl, but for most intents and purposes, anywhere between 30 and 45 days out, you鈥檒l be just fine,鈥澛燝reenberg said.
What does 鈥榦n time鈥� mean?
Airlines will brag about their on-time record, but Greenberg said such notions aren鈥檛 really much use. A flight is officially considered to have left on time if the plane pushes back from the gate within 15 minutes of its scheduled departure time.
鈥淪o the minute that nose wheel goes in reverse 鈥� within 15 minutes of your scheduled departure time, you鈥檙e on time. Now, of course, you could be sitting on the runway for 17 days 鈥︹��
So the real key to leaving on time, he said, is 鈥渏ust basic common sense.”
“You want an on-time departure? You call the airline before you make your reservation, and see if you can book the first flight out. Especially in a city 鈥� you know that the plane that鈥檚 the first plane out has overnighted at that airport the night before.鈥�
By the way, Greenberg said that, while the old conventional wisdom holds that the best time to book a flight is Tuesday around midnight, Greenberg said now, 鈥渂elieve it or not, it鈥檚 Sundays.鈥�
Is low-budget really cheap?
Many low-budget airlines load up their fares with so many fees that it鈥檚 hard to know whether you鈥檙e really saving any money. Greenberg said it鈥檚 a matter of how you travel.
Such airlines are 鈥渁 good deal for travelers if you鈥檙e a member of the witness relocation program, or a fugitive from justice, [and] you鈥檙e not carrying a lot of baggage,鈥� he joked.
鈥淚n all seriousness 鈥� as long as you can pack very sensibly, and you understand their rules, and you鈥檙e [OK with] having your knees up against your neck for four-and-a-half hours, you can get a good deal. 鈥� You have to look at these numbers carefully. 鈥� You might like to exhale at some point during the flight.鈥�
Go up the ladder
Whether you鈥檙e booking a flight, a cruise, a hotel or whatever, if you鈥檙e not getting the answers you want, Greenberg said, shoot higher.
鈥淣ever take a ‘no’ from someone who鈥檚 not empowered to give you a 鈥榶es鈥� in the first place,鈥� Greenberg said. 鈥淎lways go up the ladder. Be nice, be polite, be thankful 鈥� and get to somebody who understands your situation.鈥�
鈥淣ow, if they tell you 鈥榥o,鈥� then it really is 鈥榥o.鈥� But the first person you talk to usually is only empowered to tell you 鈥榥o.鈥� You need to talk to the person who is actually empowered to give you a 鈥榶es.鈥欌��
