Third Party Sites: The Truth (Well, My Truth)
There’s always buzz about whether to book directly with airlines and hotels or to use third-party travel sites like Expedia or Hotwire to find “deals.” But is it actually worth it in the long run? What are the trade-offs, and what are you really getting (or giving up)? Based on personal experience, I’ll break it down.
The Cons
Let’s start with the downsides, because frankly, there are more of them than perks when it comes to third-party bookings.
1. The “Deal” Isn’t Always a Deal
I ran a test: a Delta flight from Boston (BOS) to Orlando (MCO), in late June 2025. On Expedia, the Main Cabin fare was $853.92 for two passengers. Then, using an incognito browser to avoid cookie influence, I checked directly on Delta, same flight, same price: $853.92. No savings there.
Then I priced a vacation package. Expedia offered the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort with a traditional room (2 double beds), bundled with the same Delta flight. Total cost? $3,264.86 ($2,871.11 now + $393.75 in resort fees).
Booking directly: the hotel via Marriott came to $2,415.38 including fees. Add the Delta flight, and you’re at $3,269.30. Expedia saves you… $4.44.
| Vendor | Service | Total |
| Expedia | Flight+Hotel | $3,264.86 |
| Delta | Flight | $853.92 |
| Marriott | Hotel | $2,415.38 |
| Vendor | Total Booking |
| Expedia | $3,264.86 |
| Delta | $3,269.30 |
| Savings | $4.44 |
Sure, maybe other searches would show bigger differences, but after years of testing, I’ve found this result pretty typical. Some might say saving a few bucks and booking everything in one place is worth it. But that brings us to…
2. Customer Service Nightmares
Ever tried calling Expedia or Hotwire? Long hold times, unhelpful reps, and almost no flexibility. If your plans change or there’s an issue, don’t expect much help. Expedia’s Yelp reviews back that up, showing a 1.8 star rating at the time of writing this. Hotwire is not better, with a 1.5 Pissed Consumer rating and only 30% of users would recommend them. Worse, if you call the hotel or airline directly, they’ll usually say, “This was booked through a third party, you’ll need to contact them.”
When you book direct, you’re working with the vendor who has full control over your reservation. They may not bend every rule, but they’re far more likely to work with you in unique situations.
3. A Personal Horror Story
After our wedding (which was moved up due to a family illness), a generous family member gifted us a hotel stay. To help them stick to a budget, I suggested using Hotwire’s “Hot Rate” deal—which hides the hotel name until after you book, only showing location, amenities, and star rating.
She selected a 4-star option. The result? Best Western Plus. Reliable, maybe, but not a 4-star property by any stretch. I spent four hours on the phone with Hotwire trying to get a change. After being told repeatedly that it technically qualified as 4-star, I finally reached a manager who offered to rerun the system. This time, we got the Wyndham Resort. A win? Not really, it was way more trouble than it was worth.
4. No Loyalty Recognition
If you’re loyal to a hotel brand or airline, booking through a third-party site means forfeiting your perks. I once booked an AC Marriott through Delta Vacations using a $150 credit from my credit card. I had top-tier Marriott status at the time, but received zero benefits. The one-night free stay was worth it. It however is worth losing out on upgrades, late checkout, or points to booked a paid night.
The Pros
Third-party sites aren’t all bad. Here are a few instances where they can shine:
- Last-minute bookings: One night, years ago, I was driving through the Carolinas and needed a place to call it a night. At 10 PM, Hotwire showed a local 4-star hotel for under $100. It turned out to be a great local resort.
- Hotel search tools: Sites like Expedia make it easy to browse multiple hotel brands and compare prices, especially if you’re not loyal to one chain. This also allows you to compare prices once you find what you want to book. – That said, Google Flights is my preferred
- Simple one-night stays: If you’re just booking a basic room for one night and don’t care about loyalty perks, the convenience might be worth it.
So… Is Booking Through Third-Party Sites How I Travel?
Nope.
Yes, Expedia is a third-party booking site. When you book through Expedia, you’re not booking directly with the airline or hotel, you’re booking through an intermediary. This means Expedia handles your reservation, and if you need to make changes or have issues, you’ll need to contact Expedia rather than the hotel or airline directly.
Yes, booking through Expedia is generally safe in terms of security and legitimacy, you’ll get a real reservation. However, the main risk is customer service. If your plans change or issues arise, you’ll need to work through Expedia (which has a 1.8-star Yelp rating) rather than dealing directly with the airline or hotel, which can lead to long hold times and limited flexibility.
Not always. In my price comparison test, I saved only $4.44 on a $3,200 vacation package (flight + hotel) by booking through Expedia versus booking the flight and hotel separately. After years of testing, I’ve found the savings are typically minimal and often not worth the trade-offs in customer service and loyalty benefits.
