Hotel and Airfare Packages: Worth It or A Waste?

Travel is the only thing you can purchase that makes you wealthier, in so many different manners. However, it can be expensive if you don’t know how to book your travel so that it’s more affordable. One way many people love to save is by booking a hotel and airfare package. You can add a rental car, entertainment and so many other options to that package, as well. However, it’s not always worth the deal. Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn’t.

During a recent trip to Chicago, my husband and I actually saved more than friends who joined us by nothing booking the package deal they booked. They ended up paying $200 more than we did for their hotel and airfare, even though we were on the same flights and stayed in the same hotel. I simply booked separately and paid less on our hotel than they by booking through the hotel itself. The advertised rates for the nights we were in the city were simply cheaper than they were with the package deal.

It’s not always the case, but it does help to check individual prices to see if the rates you’re being offered are worth it or not. Additionally, it’s always a good idea to consider that you have a bit more flexibility and freedom when you book separately. If the price is not too much of a difference, it might work in your favor to book separately.

Why do I say that? Upon our departure, two failed landing attempts and severe winds that forced up to pull up at the last minute just before we landed, we were diverted to Wisconsin. We didn’t know when the weather would calm down enough for us to land, when we would depart and if we would even make it to Chicago that evening. I would have been able to call the hotel  and cancel that night without a fee so long as I called by a certain time. They’d prepaid for their trip and hadn’t the same luxury (we did make it – 7 hours late).

At the end of the day, the package is usually the best deal. However, it’s not always the best deal, so do your homework and be sure you’re making the most educated decisions.

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