# Booking Platforms Reference

## Flight Search Sites

### Google Flights (flights.google.com)
- **Best for**: Price insights, fare tracking, "Explore" map for flexible destinations
- **Features**: Price graph showing cheapest dates, fare alerts, "Any dates" flexible search
- **Tips**: Use "Price graph" to find cheapest travel window; "Track prices" for email alerts; filter by number of stops, airlines, times

### Skyscanner (skyscanner.com)
- **Best for**: "Search Everywhere" feature for cheapest destinations from any origin
- **Features**: Whole-month price calendar, multi-city search, price alerts
- **Tips**: Use "Everywhere" as destination to find cheapest flights globally; check "Whole month" view for best dates

### KAYAK (kayak.com)
- **Best for**: Hacker Fares (mix airlines for cheaper round trips), price forecasts
- **Features**: Hacker Fares combine one-way tickets on different airlines; "Price Forecast" predicts if fares will rise/fall
- **Tips**: Enable "Hacker Fares" for potential 20-40% savings on round trips; use Explore map for flexible travelers

### Momondo (momondo.com)
- **Best for**: Price trend insights, finding hidden cheap fares
- **Features**: "Flight Insight" shows if price is high/low/typical, best time to book
- **Tips**: Check the price prediction and booking window advice before purchasing

### Hopper (app only)
- **Best for**: Price prediction with 95% accuracy, price freeze feature
- **Features**: "Watch" a trip — notifies when to buy; "Price Freeze" locks fare for days/weeks for a small fee
- **Tips**: Start watching flights 2-3 months before domestic, 4-6 months before international

### Priceline (priceline.com)
- **Best for**: Express Deals — up to 60% off with hidden airline names
- **Features**: Express Deals show price/times/stops but hide airline until purchase; "Pricebreakers" show 3 options
- **Tips**: Best for flexible travelers who prioritize price over airline preference

## Hotel Search Sites

### Google Hotels (google.com/travel/hotels)
- **Best for**: All-in pricing comparison, street view integration, review aggregation
- **Features**: Shows total price including taxes/fees across multiple booking sites; map-based search
- **Tips**: Always check "total price" toggle; compare the direct booking price vs OTA prices shown

### Booking.com
- **Best for**: Genius loyalty program (10-20% off), free cancellation options, largest global inventory
- **Features**: Genius Level 1 (10% off after 2 stays), Level 2 (15% + free breakfast), Level 3 (20% + room upgrades)
- **Tips**: Sign in for Genius discounts; filter "Free cancellation" for flexibility; check "Secret Deals" for members

### Hotels.com (One Key rewards with Expedia/Vrbo)
- **Best for**: One Key rewards program (earn on hotels, use across Expedia/Vrbo/Hotels.com)
- **Features**: Member prices visible when signed in, price match guarantee
- **Tips**: Book through app for extra discounts; rewards work across the whole Expedia family

### Trivago (trivago.com)
- **Best for**: Pure price comparison across 400+ booking sites, finding the absolute cheapest rate
- **Features**: Compares prices from Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Agoda, and hundreds more side-by-side
- **Tips**: Use as your final comparison check before booking; sort by "Price" to see cheapest across all sites

### Expedia (expedia.com)
- **Best for**: Bundle discounts (flight+hotel), One Key rewards
- **Features**: "Bundle & Save" — up to 30% off when combining flight+hotel; members-only pricing
- **Tips**: Always check bundle price vs booking separately; use for package deals

### Priceline Hotels
- **Best for**: Express Deals — deeply discounted hotel rooms with hidden hotel name
- **Features**: Shows star rating, neighborhood, amenities — but hotel name revealed after booking
- **Tips**: Best for travelers who care about location/stars more than specific brand

### Agoda (agoda.com)
- **Best for**: Asia-Pacific hotels, often cheapest rates for Asian destinations
- **Features**: "Secret Deals" visible to members, AgodaCash loyalty credits, price guarantee
- **Tips**: Check Agoda first for any Asia travel; their inventory in SEA/East Asia often beats competitors

## Deal Aggregators & Alert Services

### Going.com (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights)
- **Best for**: Flight deal alerts — average savings ~$200 per deal, sometimes 60-90% off
- **Features**: Free tier (limited deals), Premium ($49/yr — all deals), Elite ($199/yr — premium + mistake fares)
- **Tips**: Set departure airports; respond fast to deals — they disappear within hours

### Secret Flying (secretflying.com)
- **Best for**: Error fares and mistake fares — occasionally 70-90% off
- **Features**: Free to browse; posts error fares, fuel dump fares, positioning route deals
- **Tips**: Act immediately on error fares; book directly with airline for protection; don't call to "confirm"

### The Points Guy (thepointsguy.com)
- **Best for**: Credit card rewards strategy, points/miles valuations, redemption guides
- **Features**: Points valuation charts, best-use guides for every loyalty program
- **Tips**: Check monthly valuations before transferring points; read "sweet spot" redemption guides

### Travelzoo (travelzoo.com)
- **Best for**: Curated "Top 20" weekly deals — every deal tested by editors
- **Features**: Flight deals, hotel packages, all-inclusive resorts, local deals
- **Tips**: Check "Top 20" every Wednesday; deals are vetted and bookable — not clickbait

### Dollar Flight Club
- **Best for**: International flight deal alerts from US cities
- **Features**: Free and premium tiers; alerts for deals from your home airports
- **Tips**: Pair with Google Flights for verification; book within hours of alert

### AirfareWatchdog
- **Best for**: Human-curated fare deals — real editors verify every deal
- **Features**: Domestic and international deal alerts, including small/regional airports
- **Tips**: Set alerts for specific routes; deals are verified as bookable before posting

## Rental Car Sites

### AutoSlash (autoslash.com)
- **Best for**: Automatically applies coupons, monitors for price drops after booking — completely free
- **Features**: Submit existing reservation — AutoSlash monitors and alerts if price drops; also finds initial deals
- **Tips**: ALWAYS submit your rental car booking to AutoSlash for tracking; rebook when prices drop (usually free cancellation)

### Costco Travel (costcotravel.com)
- **Best for**: Discounted rental car rates + free additional driver + no young driver fee (often)
- **Features**: Exclusively for Costco members; includes benefits like additional drivers free
- **Tips**: Compare Costco rates with direct booking — often 10-30% cheaper with extra perks

### KAYAK Cars
- **Best for**: Cross-platform rental car comparison
- **Features**: Compares across all major rental companies; price alerts for cars
- **Tips**: Use KAYAK to find the best rate, then book direct or through their link

### Discover Cars (discovercars.com)
- **Best for**: International rental car comparison, especially Europe
- **Features**: Compares local and international rental companies; full insurance options
- **Tips**: Best for European rentals; check insurance options carefully — CDW/theft coverage varies

## Package Deals

### Costco Travel Packages
- **Best for**: All-inclusive vacation packages — flight+hotel+transfers+resort credits
- **Features**: Costco-negotiated rates; often includes $100-500 resort credits, airport transfers, breakfast
- **Tips**: Compare total package cost vs booking each piece separately; resort credits add significant value

### Travelzoo Packages
- **Best for**: Curated package deals with guaranteed savings
- **Features**: Flight+hotel bundles, all-inclusive resort deals, cruise packages
- **Tips**: "Top 20" often includes outstanding package deals

### Expedia Packages
- **Best for**: Custom flight+hotel bundles with member pricing
- **Features**: "Bundle & Save" with up to 30% off; One Key rewards on packages
- **Tips**: Build custom packages and compare total vs individual booking prices

## Credit Card Travel Portals

### Chase Travel (Ultimate Rewards portal)
- **Best for**: 1.5x point value with Sapphire Reserve (1.5 cents/point), 1.25x with Sapphire Preferred
- **Features**: Book flights, hotels, cars through portal; pay with points at boosted rate
- **Tips**: Transfer to partners (Hyatt, United, Southwest) for potentially even higher value; Reserve gets $300 annual travel credit

### Amex Travel
- **Best for**: 5x Membership Rewards on flights booked through portal (Platinum), Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) program
- **Features**: FHR includes room upgrade, late checkout, $100 hotel credit, breakfast; 5x on flights is excellent earn rate
- **Tips**: Use FHR for luxury stays — the $100 credit + breakfast often offsets the rate premium; transfer MR to ANA/Virgin for outsized value

### Capital One Travel
- **Best for**: Price protection (powered by Hopper), price match guarantee, no blackout dates
- **Features**: Price Drop Protection refunds difference if price drops after booking; 10x miles on hotels, 5x on flights with Venture X
- **Tips**: Built on Hopper technology — good predictions; $300 annual travel credit with Venture X