There is nothing better than finding cheap flights and hotel deals online to see some of the world’s natural wonders, especially when it is an all-inclusive option, where you won’t need to worry about expenses while you are there. Other than buying a couple of gifts for those back home. Additionally, it is super easy to book a holiday these days thanks to smartphones.
Literally everything can be completed in just a few clicks, and then you have your holiday booked and ready to go. That being said, there are a few hidden risks when it comes to booking a holiday. This is why you should always read the small print, because it can completely change your holiday. Here are some tips before you get your holiday booked.
Research Before Reservation
A common mistake, but something that everyone should be doing is their research. As we mentioned before, it is super easy to book a holiday through your mobile phone, especially with more websites allowing Apple Pay. This means that you need to check the legitimacy of the website, and if you are going through an agency, consider checking those as well. The best way to do this would be to check their reviews. Ensure that they have a sufficient number of reviews that appear natural and not paid for. Their star rating shouldn’t be a perfect 5 stars either, unless they’re an ultra-luxury hotel, so if it is, that should be a red flag.
Other details to look out for when reviewing travel websites and agencies include whether they have a physical address. Along with this, there needs to be a clear refund policy, so double-check this as well. There is no such thing as too much research, and it is certainly better to be safe than sorry and lose hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.
Make Sure You Know Your Rights
As a traveller, there are rights that you have, and you need to be aware of. The first one is that you have consumer rights, even when you are paying online. This essentially means that the consumer has used a service or bought a product. When booking online, this is very important to remember.
Terms and conditions should always be read, especially when spending a lot of money on your holiday. A good and well-trusted company will always have clear terms and conditions. Make sure you read them through carefully before making your payment, and you understand their refund policy along with the service guarantees. Ensure that the company sticks to their word.
If you are using a travel company that you have never used before, reading the terms is essential. You could seek an expert in this field who can help you get the compensation. Similar to the role of a professional negligence solicitor, who would seek compensation for you if you haven’t received the promise from a professional, such as a lawyer. But in this case, it would be a holiday claims solicitor.
Protect Yourself Before You Buy
To ensure that you are safe when you are booking your holiday, you need to use a secure payment method. This includes using a credit card rather than a bank transfer. Not to mention that you should always have travel insurance and always read your coverage details with your travel insurance.
Once you have booked your holiday, something else that you should consider is saving all of your booking confirmations, receipts and any emails that you have had with anyone involved in the booking. All of this is very important because if you do need to make a claim, you need all of the evidence that you have.
Double and Triple Check The Details
There is a lot of information that you need to know once you have booked your holiday. You don’t want to make a mistake at the end of the. Travel times and dates are a no-brainer for checking, but also checking your baggage limits is essential. If you do exceed your baggage limit, then you could pay a fine, which gets your holiday off to the wrong start. Finally, you need to cross-check with the airline company as well as the accommodations website that you will be staying in.
To Conclude
Although it is always fun to book a holiday at the spur of the moment and get excited about what you have booked. Before you book any expensive holidays, you should always ensure that you are booking the right place to go. If you do make any mistakes, it could cost you a lot of money. Not to mention the additional time and stress that it will cause.
When you are booking a holiday, be productive in reading all of the small print and terms and conditions, especially if you are booking through a company that you have never used before. At the end of the day, booking a holiday and travelling should be a lot of fun, and it shouldn’t cause you any stress or additional costs. No matter where you are booking your holiday, whether it is a destination to see the Northern Lights or even a spot in South Africa, you always need to ensure that you are booking safely and carefully.
