Do online travel booking platforms really help you save on your travel costs?
Airfares around the world have seen an increase in prices due to high fuel costs, rising inflation and pent-up demand for travel.
According to Pulse Communications, this extra pressure on consumer wallets has led to increased competition in the online travel market and revealed where consumers can really find the best deals.
“For example, Discovery’s platform Vitality Travel says it can save its customers up to 75% on flights. But closer investigation shows that to qualify for the maximum discount you may incur additional costs and subscription fees -- which means paying a monthly fee long after your holiday is a distant memory,” said the company.
It said that in its quest to uncover which companies can be relied on for international travel discounts, it conducted a price comparison for 4 leading travel providers, including Travelstart, Flight Centre, Vitality Travel and eBucks Travel.
“An online price-check was recently conducted to compare return flights on specified dates between Johannesburg and popular international holiday destinations.
“In a fiercely competitive market, it’s valuable to know who will save you hours trawling online for flights and triple-checking the small print for hidden costs,” they added.
It said that although flight prices are likely to change as their departure dates get nearer, the fares below reflect the live prices in June 2023.
“In fact, the results show that when it comes to offering the lowest international airfares, Travelstart consistently comes out on top,” said Pulse.
The company found that when looking at the Johannesburg to Maldives route, Emirates costs 51% less on Travelstart vs going direct to the airline and on the Johannesburg to Istanbul route, Vitality Travel also beats booking directly with the airline, which advertises the route at an additional 32% of the cost.
Commenting on how Travelstart has maintained its status as one of Africa’s “go-to” sites for the best airfares, Travelstart’s CEO, Stephan Ekbergh, said it’s about being transparent with their customers and consistently negotiating “the best deals with suppliers that have trusted us for decades”.
He said with fares on the rise and potentially due for another spike before we enter peak holiday season, travellers should book early.
“Travellers need to plan and book well ahead. With demand increasing we could very well see spikes in fares towards the end of the year.
“Booking your holiday early has some serious benefits -- the fares available now are likely the best you'll find. Prices usually increase closer to departure so it boils down to this: the sooner you book, the cheaper,” said Ekberg.