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Best Online Travel Agencies

Booking.com is our top choice for making your trip arrangements

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Planning a trip can be easier through an online travel agency than if you handle each aspect of the planning separately. You can book hotels, air travel, rental cars, and more through a single site, and booking everything together sometimes results in discounts. By inputting a destination, a range of dates, and other preferences, you will see a list of options for each aspect of travel.

The best online travel agencies offer options from the largest number of airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and more. Look for sites that offer discounts for combining reservations for different aspects of your trip. For example, the best sites will have lower rates if you book both plane tickets and a hotel through their services. The best sites also provide reviews from customers who actually have booked through the service. These are our top picks.

• Best Overall: Booking.com
• Best Budget: Skyscanner
• Best Price Predictor: Hopper
• Most Innovative: Kiwi.com
• Best for Eco-Conscious: Kind Traveler
• Best for Social Impact: I Like Local
• Best for Design-Forward Homestays: Plum Guide
• Our Top Picks
• Booking.com

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Final Verdict

Frequently asked questions, methodology, best overall : booking.com.

 Booking.com

This industry leader offers one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms on the Internet.

Lots of options to choose from

Interface is easy to use

Numerous filters to customize your search

Tricky to tell whether changes/cancellations can be made with Booking.com or the vendor directly

Booking.com was founded in 1996 and has grown into an industry leader that stands out for being one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms out there. From one website, you can compare and book accommodations, flights (including one-way and multi-city flights), sightseeing activities, and even airport taxis. The website lists more than 28 million accommodation options, from hotels, hostels, and B&Bs to vacation homes and luxury resorts—you can browse more choices per destination on Booking.com than other online travel agencies. The website also performs well on cost and typically returns lower-than-average prices for flights and hotels. 

Booking.com's interface is also easy to use. On the home page, search for a hotel by entering your chosen destination and dates. Then, use the extensive list of filters—such as price range and distance from the city center—to narrow the results down and find the best fit. You can also search for a specific hotel, or seek inspiration by clicking through options grouped by destination or property type or by topic such as the country’s best Michelin-starred hotel restaurants or the top cities for vegan travelers. The flights, car rental, and other tabs are just as intuitive. 

Best Budget : Skyscanner

 Skyscanner

You can compare prices across airlines, hotels, and car rentals.

Simple interface

Option to toggle searches between specific dates or by monthly calendars

Search Everywhere button is great for spontaneous planners

Extra clicks are required to make a final purchase

Must read fine print for changes/cancellations—may need to deal directly with the vendor

Ads on the sidebar can be distracting

Find deals on airfare, hotels, and car rentals with an aggregator site like Skyscanner , which uses a metasearch engine to compare prices from all online travel agencies and the airline, hotel, or car rental company in question. Run searches with fixed dates, opt to compare airfare prices month to month, or click “Cheapest Month.” Searches also include options for nearby airports or non-stop flights only. With hotel searches, you can choose to select only from properties with free cancellation, a cleanliness rating of 4.5/5 or higher, or 3- or 4-starred hotels only. Car rental searches include an option to select “return car to different location.”

Once you’ve found the best rate, click on the link to be redirected to the third-party site to make your booking. Feeling spontaneous? The Search Everywhere button on the homepage offers a list of the cheapest flight deals for destinations both locally and across the world—just plug in your departure airport first.

Best Price Predictor : Hopper

The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting when flights and hotel rates will be cheapest.

Color-coded system makes it easy to determine cheapest days to buy

App is easy to use

Option to track flights and receive alerts when the best time to buy arises

Some have mentioned the app functions better as a research tool than a booking tool

Unclear whether Hopper will price match if you find a cheaper flight elsewhere

Hopper is a travel app available on iOS and Android that aims to help travelers save on airfare by usng historical data and their own algorithm to predict when flights will be cheapest. Just type in where and when you’d like to fly and Hopper will present you with a color-coded pricing calendar indicating how much tickets are likely to cost. (Green is the least expensive, then yellow, orange, and red for most expensive.) Hopper will also recommend you either buy now or wait, or you can choose to watch a trip and receive notifications on the best time to buy. In addition, the app has expanded to offer hotel and car rental price predictions, too.

Some newer features since the app’s inception in 2009 include an option to freeze a price for a limited time—for an extra fee—as well as exclusive app-only discounts. Hopper is free to download, and you can choose to book directly through the app, though some users mentioned they use Hopper as more of a research tool before booking directly with the airline or hotel. The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting flight rates up to a year ahead.

Most Innovative : Kiwi.com

This metasearch engine scours the web to piece together the ideal itinerary using planes, trains, buses, and more.

Creative itineraries get you where you need to go, especially if you’ve got a multi-stop trip

Kiwi Guarantee offers rebooking or cancellation protections

Nomad option appeals to travelers with a lot of flexibility

Creative itineraries mean you may not fly out of the same airport you flew into

Kiwi Guarantee has an additional fee

Charges all-in-one fee for booking flights, trains, buses (though you can always purchase a la carte)

Travelers planning multi-city destinations and seeking a bargain, as well as those looking to take planes, trains, and automobiles to get there, might consider Kiwi . Kiwi is a metasearch engine that scours and pieces together itineraries from various airlines (even if they don’t have a codeshare agreement), considers multiple airports (even if your arrival airport is different from departure), and offers booking options, whether you’re looking at very specific dates or more general ones (up to 60 nights).

Some will find the ability to make multiple bookings for a particular trip more convenient than going at it manually several different times, though note that you must opt into the Kiwi Guarantee program to access rebooking and refund protections should your reservation change or be canceled. Kiwi’s Nomad option allows you to plug in a bunch of destinations you’d like to visit and the length of your intended stay, and the website will churn out the most affordable itineraries for review.

Best for Eco-Conscious : Kind Traveler

A give-and-get business model means booking accommodations with exclusive perks, a donation to environmental organizations, and more.

All participating hotels include a local give-back component

Exclusive savings and perks

Participating hotels are located in some of the most beautiful places in the world

Inventory is much smaller compared to other booking platforms

Some of the amenities mentioned are based on availability only

In 2022, Kind Traveler (an online trave agency focused on hotel bookings) announced an increase in environmentally and socially conscious hotels, charity donations, voluntourism opportunities, and additional perks like waived resort fees or a welcome amenity.

Unlock exclusive hotel rates and perks from participating Kind Traveler hotels with a minimum $10/night minimum donation to a local charity. For example, stay at the Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives and receive up to $33 off the nightly rate and perks such as a food and beverage credit and an Earth Lab or Alchemy Bar workshop when you make a donation to Manta Trust. The organization funds coastal research to protect the island nation’s large yet fragile population of reef mantas.

Select from more than 140 participating hotels from the Hawaiian Islands to Bozeman, Montana, and the Maldives. Charities include wildlife, human rights, arts, education, and environmental preservation organizations.

Best for Social Impact : I Like Local

Choose from a host of travel experiences with the peace of mind that 100 percent of the cost goes directly to local partners.

Social impact mission woven into organization’s business model

Immersive experiences led by local guides

Range of experiences offered

May not be best fit for those seeking upscale, luxury experiences and stays

Can’t sort experiences by a list of countries (though an interactive map is available)

No experiences outside of Africa and Asia

For an online travel agency with a booking platform designed to route dollars spent directly to the communities travelers intend to visit, consider I Like Local . Visit the website to browse a host of travel experiences in countries including Indonesia, Kenya, and Cambodia. Experiences include homestays and farmstays as well as wellness and culturally oriented experiences—from cooking and cycling tours to weaving classes.

To search for an experience, select from drop-down items like travel dates and experience categories, or view a global map and click on a country to view experiences that way.

The platform got its start in 2014 and has grown to 4,000 local hosts across nearly 20 countries. As a social impact organization, 100 percent of each booking fee goes to local hosts. To date, 16,000 travelers have booked with I Like Local.

Best for Design-Forward Homestays : Plum Guide

Browse and book seriously vetted, design-forward vacation homes.

Highly curated inventory of vacation rentals across the world

Design-forward

Thorough vetting process

Does not publish guest reviews

Other platforms have homes available across more destinations

When it comes to booking a vacation home, serviced apartment, or condo, travelers are spoiled for choice. Plum Guide is an online travel agency that specializes in accommodations—though not just any home makes its directory. The company claims that each potential home listed on its site must jump through 150 hoops to be included, from internet speed and mattress and pillow quality to the showers’ water pressure and the home’s proximity to dining, shopping, and attractions.

Search by a featured collection on the website such as “ pet-friendly homes ” or “one-of-a-kind homes in Palm Springs.” Scroll to the bottom of its homepage to view its top destinations, as well as a list of all destinations where Plum Guide homes are available, including Barbados, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, the U.S., and Turkey. Note: From the top right-hand corner of the site, use the dropdown menu to select currency of choice.

As long as you know what you value most out of your travel experience—such as affordability, social impact, or luxe accommodations—there’s an online travel agency to help plan your next trip. Be sure to read the fine print, as some agencies are third-party websites and not direct vendors. If you're not sure where to start, Booking.com is your best bet for a smooth user experience and hard-to-beat offers on flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements.

What Is the Biggest Travel Agency?

Our choice for best overall, Booking.com, is known as an industry leader with listings for all major hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and more. It boasts more choices for accommodations per destination than any other site, and we found its interface to be user-friendly.

Are Online Travel Agencies Worth It?

This depends on your needs and priorities. The best online travel agencies certainly can save time by booking everything all at once. However, if you're someone who is good at haggling and enjoys the details of planning a trip, you might be able to find better deals by reaching out to hotels or other destinations and speaking to someone personally.

Is It Cheaper to Book Online Than With a Travel Agent?

Not always. A travel agent you know and trust should have the experience and connections to find deals that can match or surpass what you'll find online. Additionally, if something goes wrong, travel agents provide you with an actual person you can use as an advocate to correct the problem . But if you don't have access to a good travel agent, online sites still provide plenty of ways to streamline planning and save money .

We considered dozens of online travel agencies and narrowed down the options based on user experience, volume and quality of inventory, unique offerings and specials, and customer reviews. We also assessed travel companies’ environmentally and socially conscious policies.

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The Complete Guide to Booking Travel Online

What is an online travel agency, and what are the best sites and apps to use to search for hotels and flights we break it all down for you..

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There’s a lot to navigate when researching and booking travel online.

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My first travel adventure was to Venezuela. I booked the ticket with a travel agent over a pay phone. The agent searched a dozen flight itineraries over a few days, all so I could save $15.

Times have changed. Today, flight searches start online , often on your mobile device. Passengers book either directly with the airline or hotel or with online travel agencies. Rarely do we get on the phone. In fact, American Airlines and United Airlines charge $25 to make a domestic flight booking by phone. And pay phones hardly exist anymore.

So, what is the best way to book online? Here is our complete guide to online travel agencies, search tools, and the variety of booking options available on both mobile devices and desktops.

What is an OTA?

An online travel agency, or OTA, is a website or mobile app that allows users to search for and book travel services such as flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities. The booking is made directly with the online travel agency but confirmed by the service provider, such as an airline or a hotel. As a customer, your relationship is with the OTA.

What are the main OTAs?

Many online travel agencies nowadays are owned by two main companies: Expedia and Priceline. The Expedia Group is the largest online travel agency in the United States with 70 percent market share, according to travel data firm Phocuswright. Expedia Group operates Expedia.com , Orbitz, Hotels.com , Trivago, CheapTickets , Hotwire , Vrbo , and Travelocity .

Priceline is a major competitor to Expedia, with global revenues larger than the Expedia Group. The company owns Priceline.com, Booking.com, Cheapflights, Momondo, and Kayak—the latter two being metasearch engines (more on that below).

There are also independent newcomers such as Hopper (a mobile-only booking tool) and Kiwi.com (which allows you to book flights on air carriers that don’t normally have a commercial relationship).

Are OTA fares lower than booking directly?

Generally, no. The fares that are displayed by an OTA will be similar if not slightly more expensive when compared to an airline’s website. They’re usually only a few dollars higher or lower. The OTAs charge a booking fee to the airlines, and often that fee is passed directly to consumers. For example, Lufthansa tacks on an additional $18 to any booking made through an OTA for Lufthansa flights. The same flights are exactly $18 cheaper on the airline’s website.

Where you can score a good travel deal through an OTA is when booking a last-minute hotel and flight package. Many OTAs have cut agreements with airlines allowing last-minute travelers to access lower rates than are typically available when passengers book a flight alone.

Are all airlines available to be booked through OTAs?

No. Many OTAs do not display flights from some of the low-fare leaders. For example, Southwest and Allegiant flights are not available through OTAs; the same goes for Ryanair in Europe. And, earlier this year United Airlines threatened to pull out of Expedia altogether, only recently signing a multi-year agreement to stay in. The airlines would rather not lose any margin to online travel agencies in an already low-margin industry and would rather maintain a direct relationship with the customer.

Are smaller OTAs safe to use?

Expedia and Priceline are the two largest players in the online booking space, but there are dozens of independent OTAs, such as CheapOAir, OneTravel, JustFly, and SmartFares. Confusingly, you might actually stumble on ads for these OTAs while using Expedia or Priceline sites. That’s because the larger OTAs earn revenue through advertising, sending passengers to smaller OTAs and charging those OTAs for the favor.

Buyer beware: some of these lesser-known OTAs are masters at hidden fees. For example, a flight search on JetBlue allows for free seat selection in many instances. If you perform the same search on FlightNetwork, an independent OTA, and select a seat, you will be charged an additional $25—despite the fact that JetBlue doesn’t charge a seat selection fee if you book directly.

What if you need to change your itinerary?

Itinerary changes are often a pain. If your plans change, it won’t matter whether you’ve booked directly with an airline or with an OTA—you’re going to pay fees for the privilege, if you can even change your ticket at all.

For example, CheapTickets.com, which is part of the Expedia Group, charges $25 to change or cancel a ticket if that change is requested after 24 hours of making the booking—it is free if you do so within 24 hours of booking. However, the fees go up from there. JustFly, an independent OTA, charges a $75 fee for changes to domestic flights in addition to airline change fees, plus the difference in fare, for tickets that can be changed. For an international trip, the fee rises to $200. That means to change an international flight with Delta (which charges a $100 change fee) booked through JustFly, you’ll be assessed $300 in fees, plus the difference in fare. At that rate, you may as well book a new flight. FlightNetwork indicates in its terms of service that changes may incur a change fee but doesn’t specify what those fees are. That hardly makes the few dollars you saved by booking with the OTA in the first place worth it.

What is an OTA price match policy?

To assure travelers that they are getting the lowest fare possible, many OTAs have a price match policy. The rules vary and so do the benefits.

For example, if you book with Orbitz and find a less expensive flight, car rental, or activity on any U.S.-based website within 24 hours of your booking, Orbitz will refund you the difference you paid. And it works: I have personally found a flight in the same class, on the same airline, for the same origin and destination cities, and requested Orbitz to refund the difference of around $35. Within a few weeks, I received a check in the mail. A similar program applies for CheapOAir, but there’s a catch—the price difference must be found on a major OTA such as Expedia or Travelocity.

Expedia has a particularly good price match policy, but you have to pay extra for it at the time of booking. Expedia offers the price match option as an add-on that costs between $5 and $30 when you book. With the price match applied, if the airfare on Expedia drops between 120 days of the flight and up to six hours before the flight, Expedia will automatically refund you the difference in fare. Unfortunately, fares generally do not drop substantially as the travel date approaches, so while this might give you peace of mind, it’s probably not worth the expense.

How do Google Flights and other travel metasearch engines work?

Frequent fliers are likely familiar with websites such as Google Flights, Kayak, Momondo, or Skyscanner. On these websites, passengers search on the site but are redirected to the service provider to complete the booking, such as an airline, rental car company, or hotel.

Metasearch started with a product called ITA Matrix, which is a tool for searching airfares online but not for actually booking online. ITA Matrix allows for multi-city searching, such as setting two different departure or arrival airports, and for offering a calendar view of fares for easier comparison. That company was acquired by Google in 2011, and savvy travelers swear by it to help find the least expensive fares online. Most consumers are more familiar with Google Flights, which has gained traction more recently not least because it has the benefit of being displayed first in search results on Google.

Metasearch engines receive distribution fees from the airlines for sending traffic to the supplier websites. There are no additional hidden fees for using a metasearch engine because you’re booking directly with the airline or hotel.

A major benefit of the metasearch engines is their price tracking tool, which lets users know whether the displayed fares are low, average, or high for the flight, allowing travelers to make a more informed decision on whether to book a flight or not . Google Flights and Kayak, for instance, both have price tracking tools.

Why not just book directly?

The airlines would definitely much rather you book directly with them. Over the past five years, they have gotten much better at marketing and selling their product directly to consumers online and through mobile sites and apps. But in the past, they weren’t so good at it. In fact, Delta, Northwest, United, American, and Continental got together to invest $145 million to launch Orbitz in 1999 to counter the threat from Expedia. Now Orbitz is owned by Expedia.

The airlines also try to encourage customers to book directly so that they can maintain a closer relationship with them. It allows carriers to connect bookings with loyalty programs and create special offers and discounts catered to individual passengers.

There is another benefit to booking directly. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires carriers to hold a reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours without payment or allow a reservation to be cancelled within 24 hours without penalty, so long as the booking is made at least seven days before travel. The law applies, however, only to U.S. and foreign air carriers that have websites marketed to U.S. consumers. This means that, in theory, an online travel agency does not have to offer such a policy, although most OTAs do.

What are the options for booking on your mobile device?

Airlines and the major OTAs all have apps to help you book and manage your trip on your mobile device, but their functionality is lacking compared to these websites’ desktop editions. For example, Expedia’s app doesn’t allow you to view flights on a month-view calendar. Kayak has an app with more bells and whistles and a better user interface, including a month-view calendar with color-coded pricing. It also has a handy “augmented reality” function to help you see if your carry-on bag will fit in the overhead bin (a feature originally developed by KLM). Point your phone’s camera at the luggage, and it’ll give you the dimensions.

While apps are improving and gaining in popularity, you still might find it easier to locate the best deals on flights and hotels by using your desktop, where you can have multiple tabs open and have all the available search tools at your disposal. Apps are fine for booking directly with an airline once you know which flights you want to book.

If you’re determined to use your mobile device, you may want to look into Hopper. Hopper is a mobile-first flight booking tool that has a solid price prediction tool. You can research travel options and book directly on the app. Another benefit of Hopper: Of its team of 300 employees, nearly half are dedicated to customer support and are based in Canada versus some OTAs and airlines that outsource much of their customer service further afield.

The bottom line?

Like many travelers, I enjoy a flight deal as much as the next person, but I also don’t like any added hassle. I typically start my travel searches using the ITA Matrix or Google Flights to get a general sense of the fares. It helps to know what is a good deal and what is expensive for a particular route. I do my research, typically on a desktop computer. When I’m ready to book, I’ll book directly with the airline. I’ve found that customer service is better when booking directly with the service provider. But I’ve also saved money by using OTAs and have booked with them, too. Whichever way you choose to book, you can be safe in the knowledge that finding and purchasing travel online is a lot easier today than searching for a deal with a travel agent on a pay phone.

>> Next: How to Get the Best Last-Minute Travel Deals

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Tracey Mosser Discovery Destinations Travel Fremont, OH

Chris Archer Good Life Travel Group Cumming, GA

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Kathy Schmauss Cruise Holidays Viera Melbourne, FL

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Judy Nickerson Judy’s Luxury Travel Monument, CO

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Tracey Gilbert Cruise Holidays Woodinville Seattle, WA

Maria Lindsey Cruise & Travel Specialists Anaheim Hills, CA

Melissa Feenstra Feenstra Travel Jenison, MI

Colleen Atherton Eaglewings Travels Wichita, KS

Lynn Johnson Neptune Travel LLC Chesapeake, VA

Shelley Horsfall Cruise Holidays Port Coquitlam Port Coquitlam, BC

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Larry Jackson Cruise Holidays of Viera Melbourne, FL

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Tina Hirr Cruise and Travel Experts Muskegon, MI

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Lynne Cox Cruise and Travel Experts Seattle, WA

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Stacy Coggan Vacations by Stacy Hainesport, NJ

Laura Dodson Cruise & Travel Specialists Portland, OR

Susanne Rose Cruise Holidays Oakville Oakville, ON

Christy Fitzharris Wheels Up Travel Co San Antonio, TX

Vickie Grysen Cruise and Travel Experts Spring Lake, MI

Mary Ellsworth Cruise and Travel Experts Seattle, WA

Fran Nolan Cruise Holidays Woodinville Phoenix, AZ

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Table of Contents

How does Expedia work?

Is expedia reliable, ways to get a good deal on expedia, expedia is legit.

Expedia is an online travel agency (OTA) that might come up in your search when you’re searching for travel deals, including flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and activities. In 2023, Expedia launched a loyalty program called One Key, allowing travelers to earn and redeem rewards across its three most popular brands: Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.

Let’s take a look at how Expedia works and whether it’ll save you money.

Because Expedia is a travel agency, its website or app's travel search features will return you results from multiple companies. For instance, if you search for a hotel in Miami, Expedia will display options from brands like Marriott , IHG , Hilton and Hyatt , and even boutique hotels.

Booking on Expedia is much faster than going to each company’s individual website, since it can be a good way to compare prices from multiple options at once.

How to find and book travel on Expedia

Like other OTAs, you’ll book travel using Expedia’s website or app.

If you’re on a computer, once you’re on the site’s homepage, you can enter your search details. Expedia allows you to book hotels, flights, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and even things to do.

Once you’ve completed your searching, you’ll be taken through the booking process. As an OTA, Expedia acts as the intermediary between you and the actual travel operators.

Many hotels and rental car agencies have restricted the ability to earn points or elite status credits when using an online travel agency for bookings. This does not generally apply to airlines, so you can usually still earn miles for flights booked through OTAs.

This means that if you were looking for a stay and chose to book a Marriott hotel through Expedia, Expedia would take your booking, head on over to Marriott to confirm availability, then process your reservation. It’ll then pass on those reservation details to the Marriott hotel.

» Learn more: Everything you need to know about booking travel on Expedia

You might be cautious of go-betweens or third-party booking sites, but Expedia is a legitimate, well-known online travel agency that’s been around for years. Microsoft originally launched the Expedia website in 1996. These days, Expedia is part of the larger Expedia Group, which includes brands such as Hotels.com , Orbitz, Hotwire, Travelocity, Vrbo and CarRentals.com.

All this is to say that Expedia is a reliable company. This isn’t some shady, fly-by-night operation.

However, you’ll always want to be careful when booking with a third party. It may be harder to change or cancel your reservation, and it might be wise to confirm any reservations directly with the travel operator. You’ll want to be sure that the details of your travel are correct and the reservation was actually made.

» Learn more: The pros and cons of booking through online travel agencies

Expedia can offer cheap travel deals across the spectrum, but it doesn’t just stop at your booking. There are a few other ways to help pump up the savings on your vacations.

1. Use a travel credit card to get rewards

If you aren’t already using a credit card to book your travel, you ought to be. In addition to earning bonus points on your purchases, some credit cards provide travel insurance free of charge as long as you use the card to purchase the trip.

When booking your trips, use a credit card that maximizes earnings on travel. This includes options such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , which earns 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points per dollar spent on all travel.

NerdWallet values Chase points at 2.2 cents each if you take advantage of transfer partners. That means you’ll be getting a 7.8% return when using this card to book travel, including bookings made on Expedia.

on Chase's website

on Citibank's application

• 5 points per dollar spent on travel (including flights) booked through Chase's travel portal.

• 2 points per dollar on other travel (including flights).

Annual fee: $95 .

• 10 points per dollar on hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Chase's travel portal.

• 5 points per dollar on air travel purchased through Chase's travel portal.

• 3 points per dollar spent on travel and dining not booked with Chase.

Annual fee: $550 .

• 3 points per dollar spent on air travel.

• 3 points per dollar on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.

Terms apply.

Annual fee: $150 .

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

2. Sign up for One Key Rewards

If you book any travel with Expedia, it’s worth it to sign up for One Key, the site’s free member rewards program. As a member, you’ll receive 2% OneKeyCash for each $1 you spend on travel as well as elite status based on each travel segment booked. One Key is a unified program for Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, so the loyalty perks can be earned and redeemed across all three programs.

By signing up for One Key, you become a Blue member, which — according to Expedia — allows you to save at least 10% on more than 100,000 hotels globally. As you move up the tiers in status, your savings and benefits increase with higher discounts.

Triple-dip your reward earnings by stacking your credit card bonus points and One Key rewards by using a shopping portal when booking.

You can also opt to get an Expedia credit card if you really want to pledge your loyalty to the brand.

» Learn more: The One Key Rewards guide

3. Take advantage of Expedia’s best price guarantee

Expedia has its own best price guarantee when booking hotels, which will refund you the difference in cost if you find a cheaper price elsewhere. There are restrictions for this process — the cheaper option must be identical to Expedia’s offering, and you must be able to provide proof. If you’ve found a lower price, submitting a claim for a price match can be a good way to save money on your hotel bookings.

However, before you go ahead with your Expedia booking, you’ll want to check the prices for hotels when booking directly. This is because major hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott often not only match a lower price you found elsewhere, but they’ll also provide up to a 20% to 25% discount on the entire stay or bonus points.

» Learn more: The pros and cons of Expedia

4. Skip rental car insurance if you already have coverage

As we mentioned above, Expedia offers the ability to rent cars. Along with the booking, you can also opt to include extras, such as additional drivers and rental car insurance.

But is Expedia car rental insurance a good deal? Not usually — rather than paying extra for this benefit, use a travel card that offers complimentary rental car insurance . This includes options such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express , among many other cards. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Best credit cards for online travel booking websites

Expedia has grown to become one of many large travel brands under the Expedia Group designation. While booking travel via an OTA can save you money, you’ll always want to double check your reservations with the travel provider and only book reservations that you are fairly confident that you’ll keep. Canceling can be a huge headache.

However, when stacked together with multiple ways to earn rewards, Expedia can be a great way to save some money on your travels.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

How To Avoid Travel Agency Scams (And Fake Booking Sites)

Fraudsters advertise cheap travel via fake websites, social media ads, and phishing messages. Learn how to spot and avoid common online travel scams.

Irina Maltseva

Contributor at Aura

Irina Maltseva is a growth marketer with 10+ years of experience in digital marketing. After being scammed by Airbnb and Booking.com, Irina joined Aura to help the company on its mission to create a safer internet for everyone.

Jory MacKay

Aura Cybersecurity Editor

Jory MacKay is a writer and award-winning editor with over a decade of experience for online and print publications. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Victoria and a passion for helping people identify and avoid fraud.

Aura’s app keeps you safe from scams, fraud, and identity theft. Try Aura for free.

In this article:

Aura’s digital security app keeps your family safe from scams, fraud, and identity theft.

Is It Safe To Book With an Online Travel Agent? 

It’s more common than ever for Americans to book travel online, either directly or through a third-party booking site. But is it safe to book travel online? Not always.

Scammers use fake, spoofed, or misleading online travel booking websites to steal your money and passwords or gather personal information that they can use to steal your identity. According to a recent survey [ * ]:

35% of American travelers say they’ve been scammed while booking online travel.

While travel agency scams pose a year-round threat, they become especially dangerous during the holiday scam season when more people are looking for travel deals to visit family or get away on vacations. 

In this guide, we’ll explain how online travel booking scams work, the latest schemes to watch out for, and how you can stay safe and find a great deal on your next flight, hotel, or vacation.

{{show-toc}}

What Are Travel Agency Scams? How Do They Work?

Travel agency scams occur when fraudsters advertise cheap airfare or “free” vacations on fake websites and social media ads, or through phishing emails, texts, and calls — and then trick you into sharing sensitive information or sending money.

What makes travel booking scams so dangerous is that travelers are accustomed to providing payment and personal information when paying for flights. This includes everything from your credit card numbers to your Social Security number (SSN), passport details, and full address. 

If scammers get access to this kind of personal information, they can use it to steal your identity , empty your bank account, or take over your online accounts .

Here’s how a typical travel agency scam works: 

• Fraudsters create fake travel agencies, or they spoof popular booking sites like Booking.com and Expedia . Most travel scams involve fake — but legitimate-looking — websites for travel companies. Fraudsters may create their own discount travel websites or even spoof popular booking sites. Some scammers even post fake support phone numbers on Google in hopes that you’ll call them when you need to book or change flight details.
• When you call or book online, you’re asked for personal and financial information. These scam services are designed to harvest your personal information or steal your payment details. Even if you end up with a legitimate flight, your information can be sold online to other scammers or identity thieves. (Stolen and forged American passports sell for an average of $850 on the Dark Web [ * ].)
• After booking, you discover that the flight details are different. Fraudulent airline ticket confirmation numbers won’t match real flights, and hotels won’t know about your reservation. If you try to call the “agency” back to resolve these issues, either their number will be disconnected or they’ll pressure you into paying more to “solve” the problem.

While some travel scams are flat out fraud, others are run by legitimate companies that charge excessive add-on fees, have non-existent refund policies, or sell misleading offers at too-good-to-be true discounts. 

The bottom line: Falling for a travel agency scam can put you and your family at risk of fraud or even identity theft. Consider protecting yourself with Aura’s all-in-one digital security solution. Learn more about how Aura keeps you safe from scams, fraud, and identity theft →

The 5 Latest Travel Agency and Online Booking Scams

• Spoofed Booking.com , Expedia , and other booking sites
• Unfamiliar websites offering bargain deals for expensive flights
• Fraudulent airline customer support numbers in Google searches
• Robocalls or messages offering "free" vacation packages
• Follow-up phone calls asking for more information about your booking

Creating online travel and airline scams isa high priority for scammers who know that people are willing to pay serious money and provide sensitive information to get good deals on flights and hotels. 

Here are some of the latest online booking scams to look out for.

1. Spoofed Booking.com , Expedia , and other booking sites

Scammers know that many people who book travel online trust sites like Expedia , Booking.com , and Airbnb . 

In this scam, fraudsters create look-alike websites to mirror these booking platforms, and then link to them via phishing emails or social media ads. But if you book a flight, hotel, or vacation rental through one of these spoofed sites, you’ll lose your money and hand over sensitive information to cybercriminals.

These look-alikes aren’t limited to booking sites. Scammers also spoof major airline carriers — phishing for airline credentials and stealing credit card information that users store in their accounts. 

How to spot and avoid a fake or spoofed travel booking website:

• Double-check the URL. Scammers create websites with URLs that look similar to sites with which you’re familiar (such as Airbnb-booking.com ). Always make sure you’re on the company’s official domain before entering any information. For added protection, check the site’s SSL certificate by clicking on the padlock icon next to the URL, and make sure it was issued to the travel company through which you’re trying to book your reservation.  
• Hover over links in emails before clicking. If you receive an email or see an ad promoting a travel deal, check the link before clicking to ensure that it leads to the company’s official website. 
• Be wary if your usual login information doesn’t work. Fake websites won’t know your username and password. If you get an error when trying to log in, or if you’re redirected back to the login page, you may have given your password to fraudsters. Quickly log in and change your credentials to secure your account.  ‍
• Don’t store financial data in your loyalty accounts. Scammers can crack your password or steal it from a bogus site, giving them full access to your credit card details. Although inconvenient, it’s much safer to physically type in your credit card or loyalty plan number each time you make a purchase.

2. Sketchy travel agencies offering bargain deals for expensive flights

One of the most common travel booking scams involves con artists advertising cheap travel packages on social media platforms or via phishing scams. But this is much more elaborate than just a fake ticket scam. 

Fraudsters purchase and sell what’s called a “reservation hold.” This is a tool used by legitimate travel agencies to hold a ticket price without paying the full amount. When you purchase a “hold,” you receive an official email or text from the airline with a booking confirmation number that works — but only for a week, until the hold expires. 

How to spot and avoid a discount travel scam:

• Avoid “too good to be true” deals. Heavily discounted plane tickets or vacation deals are red flags. If you can’t find the same or a similar deal on the airline’s website (or on trustworthy third-party booking sites), it’s most likely a scam. 
• Always request that an e-ticket number be sent to you. Holds can look identical to travel confirmations but won’t contain a ticket number. If you haven’t given up your payment information yet, don’t — it’s a scam.

💡 Related: How To Spot and Avoid the Latest Airline Scams →

3. Fraudulent airline customer support numbers in Google searches

Scammers list their phone numbers as airline customer service hotlines to attract a constant flow of potential victims. People desperate to change or rebook their flights search for the airline’s customer service phone number via Google, and call one of the first results to show up — not realizing that it may have been manipulated by scammers. 

How to tell if you’ve called a spam number:

• You called a number that appeared in a Google search. Victims have reported calling spoofed customer service numbers that appeared to be from Air France , Delta , American Airlines , and Southwest Airlines [ * ]. The best way to ensure that you call a verified support line is to go to the airline’s official website, find its customer service center, and call the number listed there.
• You’re redirected multiple times. Scammers use technology to spoof their phone numbers to include U.S.-based area codes. When you call those numbers, you’ll speak to someone who redirects you to an international phone number. This may happen several times before you speak with a “representative.”
• They send you texts from a different number. Help desk employees send a confirmation to you via text from a phone number you’ve never seen before. Sometimes, these texts contain spelling or grammatical errors or incorrect flight information.

💡 Related: How To Identify a Scammer On The Phone (With Examples) →

4. Robocalls or messages offering "free" vacation packages

While the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) prevents legitimate telemarketing companies from calling you without your consent, scammers still use robocalls to target millions of potential victims every day [ * ]. 

One of the most popular schemes involves offering “free” vacation packages, or claiming you’re the winner of a sweepstakes you never entered. If you accept the prize, you end up either paying more for a bad vacation — or worse. 

Here’s what could happen on a “free” vacation:

• You’re hard-sold during a timeshare presentation. As part of the “prize,” fraudsters may pressure you into buying into an expensive real estate timeshare in Mexico (or other foreign countries).
• You have to pay for taxes, fees, and other hidden costs. While the flight and hotel may be free, scammers ask for your credit card information to pay for expensive (and unmentioned) fees, taxes, and costs. 
• Your hotel and flight are significantly worse than promised. When you ask specific questions about accommodations and activities, scammers say it’s “highly rated” or “luxury” instead of providing concrete details. You’re almost certainly not getting a five-star hotel for free from a random robocall.
• You won’t have travel insurance. These holidays won’t offer or be covered by travel insurance, meaning that if you have a medical emergency, or if a natural disaster prevents you from traveling, you’ll be on the hook. 

The bottom line: If you’re offered or told that you’ve won a free vacation from a random robocall, it’s a scam. To keep you safe, Aura uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically screen your incoming calls and texts, and can block scammers before they reach you. Learn more about how Aura saves you from spam and scams →

5. Follow-up phone calls asking for more information about your booking

In this sophisticated scam, fraudsters use cheap or last-minute flights as bait — and then call you directly after you book to claim that there was an issue with your personal information, credit card, or the flight itself. 

For example, they may claim they need your SSN to “secure” your ticket, or that your credit card was declined and you will lose the ticket unless you use a wire transfer or payment app. 

How to tell if someone is scamming you over the phone:

• They called you. Consider any incoming call from an unfamiliar number or person a red flag. If someone calls you claiming to be from an airline or travel agency, hang up and call them back via the company’s official phone number. 
• You’re put under pressure to act now . Phone scammers want you to act while they have you on the phone. If someone threatens you with fees or “losing” a flight that you’ve already paid for, this is a huge red flag. 
• You’re asked to pay via alternative methods. Legitimate companies will not ask you to pay via gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrencies, or payment apps like Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App. Always try to book and pay with your credit card, as it offers the highest level of consumer and fraud protections.

Did You Fall for a Travel Agency Scam? Do This

Whether you sent money or gave sensitive information to a fake travel booking site, you need to act quickly to protect yourself from fraud and identity theft. 

Here’s what to do if you think you’ve been the victim of a travel agency scam: 

• Secure your identity and online accounts. Fake travel booking websites can steal your passwords or give hackers enough information to access your other online accounts (email, online banking, etc.). Make sure you’re using unique and strong passwords across all of your accounts. For added security, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible. 
• Freeze your credit. A credit freeze can prevent fraudsters from using your stolen information to take out loans or open accounts in your name. To freeze your credit, contact each of the three credit bureaus individually: TransUnion , Experian , and Equifax .
• File a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). An official identity theft report with the FTC is required to dispute fraud and protect you against some of the worst dangers of identity theft . You can file a report online at IdentityTheft.gov. 
• Check your bank and credit statements. Carefully review your latest transactions, and look for any suspicious activity. You can also run a free credit report on AnnualCreditReport.com to look for signs of identity theft, such as unfamiliar loans, accounts, or mortgages.
• Notify your bank’s fraud department. Call your bank’s official customer service line and ask to close any compromised accounts or cards. They’ll be able to help you open new ones and recommend additional security features.
• Report the scam to the proper authorities. There are different agencies to contact, depending on the type of scam to which you’ve fallen prey (and what happened). If you have information that could lead to an arrest, file a police report with local law enforcement. To file a consumer complaint against a company in the travel industry, contact your state’s attorney general’s office . You can also help protect other victims by reporting the scam to the FBI and the FTC.
• Try to get your money back. Your ability to get a refund after a scam depends on the payment method used. For example, if you sent a scammer gift cards, contact the company or retailer from which you bought the cards. For payment apps like Venmo or Zelle, you can try to reverse pending payments. Here’s a full guide on how to get your money back . 
• Monitor your passport numbers and other sensitive information. Scammers may wait to use your stolen personal information, which is why it’s so important to monitor your identity and credit. Try Aura’s award-winning identity theft protection solution free for 14 days to monitor your sensitive information and get access to 24/7 White Glove Fraud Resolution support and up to $5 million in identity theft insurance. 

How To Stay Safe While Booking Online Travel

While everyone would love to get a great deal on their next trip, legitimate deals are hard to find. 

The truth is that, in most cases, the best and safest thing you can do is book through official channels. It may cost a bit more, but you’ll know that your flight is real and that you’ll have access to proper support in the case of a problem. 

If you choose to use a third-party booking site or travel agency, make sure you follow these steps to keep yourself and your family safe: 

• Google “travel agencies” and check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Do a Google search for [Agency/website] + “scam” or “fraud” to find reviews or warnings from previous customers. You can also check the company’s reviews on the Better Business Bureau ’s website.
• Use standard payment methods. Credit card providers offer fraud protection and limited liability if you do get scammed — which is much safer compared to other payment options such as debit cards, payment apps, wire transfers, and gift cards. 
• Use a virtual private network (VPN) when shopping for flights. A VPN will block your location, IP address, and other information from websites, making it harder for scammers to target you with tailored airline scams. As an added bonus, using a VPN can often uncover legitimate deals on flights. 
• Don’t disclose personal information over the phone. If someone calls you and requests sensitive information — such as your passport details , SSN, credit card numbers, or 2FA codes — it’s almost certainly a scam. Hang up, and contact the company or agency directly. 

Booking travel online doesn’t have to be risky — especially if you protect yourself with Aura’s all-in-one digital security solution. 

With Aura, you get award-winning identity theft protection with the industry’s fastest fraud alerts, advanced digital security tools to protect you from hacking and online scams, 24/7 U.S.-based White Glove Fraud Resolution support, and up to $5 million in identity theft insurance for you and your family. 

Don’t let travel scammers ruin your trip. Try Aura free for 14 days .

Award-winning identity theft protection with AI-powered digital security tools, 24/7 White Glove support, and more. Try Aura for free.

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Always there for you, how do you decide who to trust with your vacation.

1. As an American who chose to make Greece her second home 20+ years ago, our founder Carole understands what vacation means to you. You work hard to earn your vacation, and we will make sure you make the most of it.

2. The best recommendations come from the locals, and we have made ourselves part of the local community. We go beyond telling you where to go and what to see. We make sure you're connected with the right local expert, driver or guide, so you get there. We will recommend local restaurants and dishes to try, boutique hotels that secretly have the best views in town, and tell you our favorite stores to pick up souvenirs like olive oil or handmade ceramics.

Family & Multi-Generation Travel

Culinary tour of greece, small group journeys, how it works, let’s connect.

Whether you want to see historical sites or go island hopping around the Cyclades Islands, we want to hear about it. In addition to a phone consultation, you will also complete a travel planning questionnaire. This helps us to get to know you better and understand your style of travel. We will ask questions like what you want to see, your travel style and your expectations so that we can create a plan for your Greek adventure.

Creating Your Itinerary

Based on your travel requests, we will create a custom itinerary for you that includes a mix of our suggestions and must-have experiences. If you like the initial itinerary, that’s great! If you want to make some changes, we will revise your itinerary until you are happy and excited about your trip.

It’s time to go to Greece!

Once your itinerary has been finalized and your trip has been booked it’s time for your vacation to begin! We will make sure you have everything you need before you go so you can travel confidently and comfortably.

Carole Heiman-Kezios

It’s time to see the real greece ..

Welcome to Real Greece.

We specialize in helping curious travelers experience the history, culture, food, and flavors of Greece with our custom travel planning and concierge services.

We know how stressful planning a vacation can be, especially if you are the one planning for your whole group. The pressure you feel to plan an epic trip can be overwhelming and you do not have time to research, plan and execute a trip to a destination you’ve never been to before.

This is where we come in. As travel experts specializing in Greece, we take the time to get to know you and then we turn to our little black book of in-country partners to create an itinerary just for you.

You are unique, so your trip to Greece should be too. Our goal is to create a trip that fits you, your style, your interests and your budget. Your itinerary will allow you to immerse yourself into the local culture, food, wine and customs of Greece without the unnecessary stress travel planning can bring.

By the end of your trip, we hope you love Greece just as much as we do!

Dreamworthy Destinations

MAINLAND GREECE

CYCLADIC ISLANDS

PELOPONNESE

Travel tips & inspiration.

Embrace Tradition and New Beginnings: Celebrating Clean Monday in Greece

Your Ultimate Guide to Booking a Flight to Greece

Enhance Your Greek Adventure: Essential Reads before you travel to Greece

Discovering the Timeless Charm of Syros: A Perfect Retreat in the Cyclades

Where did Santorini get its name?

Girls, Girls, Girls… When it comes to bees, it’s all about the girls!

What our clients are saying.

312-867-7407

[email protected]

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DREAMWORTHY DESTINATIONS

Mainland Greece Crete Cycladic Islands Peloponnese

We know the stress, time, and details that come from having to plan your own vacation. It's exhausting, expensive, overwhelming and often boring. We're here to change that. ‍ We create luxury travel experiences that are tailored to your wants and needs - so you can do what matters most! Recharge, relax, and spend time with the ones you love!  ‍ Welcome to Real World Travel!  ‍

Why Choose Us

How we get you there., let's talk, plan your trip, pack your bags, destinations.

This was one of the best experiences we have ever had! Melissa helped us plan the trip of a lifetime! For our honeymoon we wanted something secluded, private and fun and wow did she deliver! She arranged transportation, excursion and and a dreamy stay. We will be planning our next trip soon! Highly recommend!!

"melissa real world is the real deal dealt with her once to book our peru trip and we aren't going anywhere else... ever professional to the core, customer obsessed, details, details, details, communication queen, easy going style to just name a few things that melissa embodies. my family is in love with her give here a try and be a convert like us", rahul jalali, we took a wonderful 9 day trip to morocco with some friends and melissa planned such a beautiful trip full of the perfect balance between culture, adventure, and relaxation. everything from the guides to the transportation to the hotels and riads was perfect and well researched and comfortable. i am planning on making real world travel a part of my resource list for all of my future trips i hope you'll do the same., melissa welytok parrish gosh, you did such a great job with this trip we've said that out loud every day thank you, melissa is one of the best travel planners. period. meticulous, detailed, fantastic communications. she has created so many good memories for our family via excellent trips and being flexible with our needs. she organized our peru trip last year and jordan/egypt this year. the planning started 9 months back and she kept bringing suggestions to make it teen friendly. as a result our family is super happy with her services and we can't wait to get going on the next trip planning. thank you melissa for creating wonderful time for our family., it was such a joy working with melissa to plan a special trip with my sisters. her detailed planning, including every connection and activity, even dinner reservations, allowed us to enjoy stress free time together in the places we've always wanted to see. we're already looking forward to having her plan our next adventure, every detail was thought of an the follow up from melissa and team was impeccable, allowing us to truly enjoy our european adventure everything went so smoothly from the private transfers, custom tours, and even organizing our dining experiences to ensure we were sampling the best local flavors. looking forward to working with melissa on our next trip, travel journal, travel love, let's book the best vacation you've ever had., join our newsletter.

Put-in tours

Original tour agency in moscow and st petersburg..

Onboard a Soviet van!

Welcome to Russia!

We are Sergey and Simon, a Russian and a Frenchman, both  passionate about Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and classic cars. Together, we have created Put-in tours. Our goal is to help you experience Russian culture off the beaten path. Join us onboard our classic Soviet van and let’s get rolling!

In Moscow we offer you a city tour to discover most of the city in an original way as well as a night tour to admire the lights. Our pubcrawl is ideal to explore Moscow’s night-life and have fun. If you are craving to discover Russian culture, come impress your senses during our monastery diner or join our 100% Russian Banya Excursion . The latest will also bring you to Sergiyev Posad and it’s famous monastery!

For the most extreme travellers, our shooting tour will deliver your daily dose of adrenaline whereas our tank excursion will let you ride a real tank and shoot a bazooka.

We also offer help to receive your visa , safe and multilingual airport transfers , as well as organisation services for team-building events or bachelor parties .

All our excursions (but the monastery diner) happen onboard our Soviet military vans and can be covered by our  professionnal photographer or videographer.

In Saint Petersburg

We welcome you in Saint Petersburg onboard our Soviet van to discover the imperial city with our city tour and night tour .

Continue your discovery in style! The adrenaline lovers will like our shooting tour  which brings 3 Russian weapons to the tip of your trigger finger.

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At Put-in tours, we put you in our classic Soviet vans to go explore Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Russian culture off the beaten path. Discover our Moscow city guided tour, visit Moscow by night, join our banya & Sergiyev Posad excursion, visit and dine in one of Moscow's oldest monastery or even Luzhniki stadium, before you party on our famous pubcrawl! Original and atypical tours : Shoot AK47 and a bazooka after riding on a tank with our tank & bazooka excursion ! Extreme tours: Fly a fighter jet in Moscow onboard a L-29 or L-39 aircraft!

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2024 federal budget's key takeaways: Housing and carbon rebates, students and sin taxes

Budget sees nearly $53b in new spending over the next 5 years.

What's in the new federal budget?

Social sharing.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland today tabled a 400-page-plus budget her government is pitching as a balm for anxious millennials and Generation Z.

The budget proposes $52.9 billion in new spending over five years, including $8.5 billion in new spending for housing. To offset some of that new spending, Ottawa is pitching policy changes to bring in new revenue.

Here are some of the notable funding initiatives and legislative commitments in budget 2024.

Ottawa unloading unused offices to meet housing targets

One of the biggest pillars of the budget is its housing commitments. Before releasing the budget, the government laid out what it's calling Canada's Housing Plan — a pledge to "unlock" nearly 3.9 million homes by 2031.

The government says two million of those would be net new homes and it believes it can contribute to more than half of them. 

It plans to do that by:

• Converting underused federal offices into homes. The budget promises $1.1 billion over ten years to transform 50 per cent of the federal office portfolio into housing.
• Building homes on Canada Post properties. The government says the 1,700-plus Canada Post offices across the country can be used to build new homes while maintaining postal services. The federal government says it's assessing six Canada Post properties in Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia for development potential "as a start."
• Rethinking National Defence properties. The government is promising to look at redeveloping properties and buildings on National Defence lands for military and civilian use.
• Building apartments. Ottawa is pledging a $15 billion top-up to the Apartment Construction Loan Program, which says it will build 30,000 new homes across Canada.

Taxing vacant land?

As part of its push on housing, the federal government also says it's looking at vacant land that could be used to build homes.

It's not yet committing to new measures but the budget says the government will consider introducing a new tax on residentially zoned vacant land. 

• Freeland's new federal budget hikes taxes on the rich to cover billions in new spending
• Are you renting with no plans to buy? Here's what the federal budget has for you

The government said it plans to launch consultations on the measure later this year.

Help for students 

There's also something in the budget for students hunting for housing.

The government says it will update the formula used by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program to calculate housing costs when determining financial need, to better reflect the cost of housing in the current climate.

The government estimates this could deliver more aid for rent to approximately 79,000 students each year, at an estimated cost of $154.6 million over five years.

• Updated Federal budget's funding boost for defence spread out over multiple years
• Liberals pledge $9B in new money for Indigenous communities in 2024 budget

The government is also promising to extend increased student grants and interest-free loans, at an estimated total cost of $1.1 billion this year.

Increase in taxes on capital gains

To help cover some of its multi-billion dollar commitments, the government is proposing a tax hike on capital gains — the profit individuals make when assets like stocks and second properties are sold.

The government is proposing an increase in the taxable portion of capital gains, up from the current 50 per cent to two thirds for annual capital gains over $250,000. 

New investment to lead 'housing revolution in Canada,' Freeland says

Freeland said the change would impact the wealthiest 0.1 per cent.

There's still some protection for small businesses. There's been a lifetime capital gains exemption which allows Canadians to exempt up to $1,016,836 in capital gains tax-free on the sale of small business shares and farming and fishing property. This June the tax-free limit will be increased to $1.25 million and will continue to be indexed to inflation thereafter, according to the budget.

The federal government estimates this could bring in more than $19 billion over five years, although some analysts are not convinced.

Disability benefit amounts to $200 per month 

Parliament last year passed the Canada Disability Benefit Act, which promised to send a direct benefit to low-income, working-age people with disabilities. 

Budget 2024 proposes funding of $6.1 billion over six years, beginning this fiscal year, and $1.4 billion per year ongoing, for a new Canada Disability Benefit.

Advocates had been hoping for something along the lines of $1,000 per month per person . They'll be disappointed.

According to the budget document, the maximum benefit will amount to $2,400 per year for low income individuals with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64 — about $200 a month.

• Federal government plans to lease public lands for construction through new housing strategy
• Alberta premier says she's prepared to take Ottawa to court over housing deals

The government said it plans for the Canada Disability Benefit Act to come into force in June 2024 and for payments to start in July 2025.

Carbon rebate for small businesses coming 

The federal government has heard an earful from small business advocates who accuse it of reneging on a promise to return a portion of carbon pricing revenues to small businesses to mitigate the tax's economic costs.

• What's behind the carbon tax, and does it work?
• Federal government scales back carbon tax rebates for small businesses

The budget proposes to return fuel charge proceeds from 2019-20 through 2023-24 to an estimated 600,000 businesses with 499 or fewer employees through a new refundable tax credit.

The government said this would deliver $2.5 billion directly to Canada's small- and medium-sized businesses.

Darts and vape pods will cost more 

Pitching it as a measure to cut the number of people smoking and vaping, the Liberals are promising to raise revenues on tobacco and smoking products.

• Just Asking  wants to know:   What questions do you have about quitting smoking or vaping? Do you think sin taxes will encourage smoking cessation?  Fill out the details on  this form  and send us your questions ahead of our show on April 20.

Starting Wednesday, the total tobacco excise duty will be $5.49 per carton. The government estimates this could increase federal revenue by $1.36 billion over five years starting in 2024-25.

The budget also proposes to increase the vaping excise duty rates by 12 per cent effective July 1. That means an increase of 12 to 24 cents per pod, depending on where you live. 

• 'Stay the hell away from our kids': Health minister vows to restrict nicotine pouches — but how?

Ottawa hopes this increase in sin taxes will bring in $310 million over five years, starting in 2024-25.

More money for CBC 

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has mused about redefining the role of the public broadcaster before the next federal election . But before that happens, CBC/Radio-Canada is getting a top-up this year. 

The budget promises $42 million more in 2024-25 for CBC/Radio-Canada for "news and entertainment programming." CBC/Radio-Canada received about $1.3 billion in total federal funding last year.

The government says it's doing this to ensure that Canadians across the country, including rural, remote, Indigenous and minority language communities, have access to independent journalism and entertainment.

Last year, the CBC announced a financial shortfall, cut 141 employees and eliminated 205 vacant positions. In a statement issued Tuesday, CBC spokesperson Leon Mar said the new funding means the corporation can balance its budget "without significant additional reductions this year."

Boost for Canada's spy agency 

As the government takes heat over how it has handled the threat of foreign election interference, it's promising more money to bolster its spy service.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is in line to receive $655.7 million over eight years, starting this fiscal year, to enhance its intelligence capabilities and its presence in Toronto.

• CSIS chief defends his spies' work after PM casts doubt on reliability of agency's reports
• Trudeau says it's his job to question CSIS intelligence, call out 'contradictions'

The budget also promises to guarantee up to $5 billion in loans for Indigenous communities to participate in natural resource development and energy projects in their territories.

These loans would be provided by financial institutions or other lenders and guaranteed by the federal government, meaning Indigenous borrowers who opt in could benefit from lower interest rates, the budget says. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catharine Tunney is a reporter with CBC's Parliament Hill bureau, where she covers national security and the RCMP. She worked previously for CBC in Nova Scotia. You can reach her at [email protected]

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