Book Travel With Confidence: A Pre-Payment Guide

Map the chain of suppliers

A booking site, airline, hotel, and tour operator may all be separate businesses. Record who takes payment, who issues the ticket, and who must solve each kind of problem.

Confirm names and dates carefully. Correction fees can be significant even when the original booking was inexpensive.

Model a disrupted trip

Before paying, ask what happens if a flight moves, a connection is missed, or you need to cancel. Separate connected bookings may not protect the whole itinerary.

Keep essential evidence

Save confirmations, terms, receipts, and important conversations offline. During disruption, note times, names, alternatives offered, and expenses.