HOTEL

Booking holidays online: some practical tips to save money

As the years go by, it is becoming easier and easier to book one's holidays online. Some sites even offer all-inclusive flight plus hotel packages, a formula that is sure to save a lot of money that would otherwise be spent relying on classic travel agencies.

According to a survey conducted by the Milan Polytechnic University, in fact, online sales in the field of transport now account for two thirds of the total, while in the field of accommodation they account for about half of sales.

Perhaps not everyone knows, however, that even when booking online there are ways to save money. Some are trivial, others are a bit more technical, and can only be discovered by patiently analysing the market, the internet and everything behind it.

Freepik
Tips and tricks for saving money by booking travel online
As the years go by, it is becoming easier and easier to book one's holidays online. Some sites even offer all-inclusive flight plus hotel packages, a formula that is sure to save a lot of money that would otherwise be spent relying on classic travel agencies. According to a survey conducted by the Milan Polytechnic University, in fact, online sales in the field of transport now account for two thirds of the total, while in the field of accommodation they account for about half of sales. Perhaps not everyone knows, however, that even when booking online there are ways to save money. Some are trivial, others are a bit more technical, and can only be discovered by patiently analysing the market, the internet and everything behind it.
Freepik
The day you book changes the price
The analysis was conducted by Expedia. Studying millions of flights worldwide, it emerged that Sunday is the day on which you can save the most on your flight, up to 15%. In contrast, Friday is the day on which prices cost the most throughout the week (+5%). Further savings then depend on the day of travel: leaving on a Wednesday, for example, you save around 15% on domestic flights and 10% on international flights.
Freepik
Browser settings are important
In order to pay less, it is very useful - from the user's point of view - to change geolocalisation, use different browsers when searching and use incognito surfing. The reason? This specific type of online surfing, if you don't know, prevents airlines from checking activities and preferences, thus preventing price increases.
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Watch out for fraud
As the volume of online bookings has increased, so has the number of frauds to which customers are exposed. Phishing attempts, fake gift cards and fictitious surveys are the most common scams. This is precisely why it is imperative to be very careful and do everything correctly. The best advice is to only book from official sites, avoid leaving the platform to start a private correspondence, read reviews very carefully, always be wary of prices that are too low and, above all, only pay through official channels.
Freepik
Some countries are more susceptible to fraud
Expedia's own analysis mentions the United States, Ireland, India and the United Kingdom as the countries where it is easiest to run into scams and fraud, and for which the utmost care is needed when booking flights, offers and facilities without first visiting them. Italy is also bad, as only 63% of e-commerce sites for tourism purposes have adopted the Dmarc protocol for certifying the veracity of senders in electronic communications.
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