Travel is now open so we can start planning our vacations. However, in recent times, travel is now very expensive. So, travelers are looking for ways to get the cheapest flight booking deals out there. Is direct Vs 3rd party flight booking options, cheaper? There are so many tips on how to find the cheapest flight for travel. However, not all are applicable and tested. You can read my post on how to find the cheapest flight for your travel.
I love to search and compare plane tickets from different airlines to the gest the best deal. However, it will be quite stressful to hop from one airline website to another. So, to make this easy you can use an aggregator like Expedia or sky scanner. So, you can either book your flight ticket direct from the airline or through the 3rd party site. This post will aim to provide answer to the nagging question, “is it better to book flight tickets direct vs 3rd party sites”.
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Direct vs 3rd party Flight tickets, which is better?
There is no hard and fast rule on which of these options is best. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Below are the pros and cons along with all you need to know.
Direct Airline flight ticket booking
One of the ways you can book your flight ticket is through the airlines. Airlines offers various deals on their site for available flights. So, you can just go to the airline like air peace for example and book your plane ticket.
The flight fees on the airlines website is based on 3 major classes: Economy, business class and first class. The lowest class of flight is the economy. This also the cheapest flight ticket you can book for your travel. However, if you’re looking for class for your flight, you can opt for business class or first class plane ticket.
There are perks of booking directly from the airlines (Direct Vs 3rd party booking). Many travelers argue that in case of issues or emergency flight changes, airlines services are better. Some 3rd party agent or websites charge extra for the “inconvenience”. Below are the other perks of booking directly from Airlines.
Flight cancelation or reschedule
In recent times, the uncertainty around the pandemic may lead to flight cancellations or a need to reschedule your flights. It is easy to reschedule your flight directly from the airline. Can I cancel a flight booking direct from airlines? Yes sure. There are times you need to cancel or make changes to your booking. This you can easy do with the airlines.
Unlike if you compare direct vs 3rd party agents, you will need to 3rd party websites first. These agents will ask for extra charges or fee to make changes to your flight tickets. So, it is advisable to book flights directly from airlines for the ease of making changes to flight books.
Also, in the event of a cancellation, it is easier to deal directly with the airlines for a refunds of your funds. So, you can get your refunds without hassle with little or no fees.
Earn flight miles or points
Another reason when comparing booking your flight tickets direct Vs 3rd party, it is said you earn miles if booked from airlines . So many airlines offers your miles to encourage flight booking directly on their website. I love to book from 3rd party website because I can compare flight deals. However, I couldn’t get a friend to book on the same 3rd party website because of the miles he enjoys with a air peace flight booking.
This points or miles you can use to get a discount on your next flight ticket fees. On the other hand, most 3rd party website offers very discounted fares from airlines. So, you may not get the extra advantage of earning points using 3rd party website.
These reward points you can easily redeem when you book your next flight.
3rd party online flight booking
The other option to book a plane ticket is through 3rd party sites or agent. These sites liaise with airlines to book your flight on your behalf. There are so many 3rd party websites for online flight booking you can use. However, the best website for flight booking is relative.
This is because these sites have their use. So, you can use any 3rd party website like expedia, sky scanner, travelstart etc to search and book cheap flight tickets for your travel.
3rd party sites offers discounted flight fares
Flight ticket purchase through 3rd party sites has its advantages too. The main one is the getting the best flight deals available for your travel. So, if your goal is to get cheap plane tickets for your travel, use 3rd party sites. I would recommend using travel start Nigeria, if you’re in Nigeria.
Travelstart is a search engine and online flight booking sites you can use to book your flight tickets. Just like 3rd party sites. Travelstart pools the flights and prices from several airlines. This will enable you compare and choose the best flight deals available from the airline of your choice. So, if you need to get the best deals for your flight, opt for 3rd party sites.
Although, to get the best flight ticket deals, you need book your flight ahead of your travel dates. You need to book your local flights within 1 month or 3-6 months for international travel.
This is because the prices of airplane ticket rises as your travel dates gets closer. So, it is impossible to get cheap last minute flight tickets. Although, there are cases that last minute flight is inevitable like a work meeting or a burial travel. Below are other benefits of booking from 3rd party airlines.
Flight cancelation refunds
You can cancel and ask for refunds on your flight tickets from 3rd party website. This sites will then liaise with the airline on your behalf and get your refunds. However, this service comes with an extra charge or fee. In which in most cases are quite outrageously high for some 3rd party website.
I normally use Travelstart to book both my flights for local and international travel. They offer free cancellation or reschedule of flight for travelers. However, you need to buy their Travelstart cancellation product ( Flexible travel date fee). This will allow you cancel your flight within 48 hours of departure for free.
Earn and redeem points or miles
Another perks you can get from booking direct from airlines is earning points you can redeem for a discount your flight tickets. This you can also enjoy with some 3rd party website for online flight booking.
Travelstart Nigeria also enables you to earn miles from airlines. All you have to do is to sign up for frequent flyer number from your preferred airlines. This you need to add at check out for your flight booking.
So, asides the discounted fares from this 3rd party website, you get to earn miles too. This points you can also redeem using your frequent flyer number on the airline of choice.
Although booking flights direct vs 3rd party has its pros and cons. Most 3rd party websites are now offering the same benefit as booking directly. So, if you need to book cheap plane tickets for your travel and still enjoy the benefit of direct booking, opt for Travelstart. You click here to book your international flight ticket. Also for local flights in Nigeria, click here to book.
