Booking Tickets Directly Through Airlines vs. Third Party Platforms in 2022

I’ve recommended third-party platforms on my blog many times in the past. As a budget traveler for many years, third-party airline booking options and deals were one of the main ways I could afford to travel. 

Today, one of the biggest questions I receive as a travel blogger is how I book airline tickets in today’s market. Are third-party booking platforms, such as Kayak, Kiwi, and eDreams, still the best option? Are the additional benefits of booking directly through the airline? Let’s break it down.

Booking Tickets Directly Through Airlines vs. Third Party Platforms 

Do I still recommend travelers to book directly through third-party platforms?

No, not often.  

And I’ll tell you why. 

One significant detail separates why booking tickets directly through the airline is now preferred over third-party airline booking platforms. 

Customer service and rebooking options. 

I’ll rewind a moment to show a real-life example of why I will never book through a third-party booking platform UNLESS they have a high 4+ star review on Trust Pilot. 

Colombia, May 2017. Many of us had booked our flights through Kiwi's now disgraced airline booking platform. Back then, Kiwi was an up-and-coming booking platform that offered discounted flight options. Some flights were canceled the night before our flight back to the United States. Those who booked directly through the airline were promptly rebooked and offered alternative route options through the website or app. 

Those who booked through Kiwi were offered no solution from the airline because the reservation was booked and managed on a third-party platform. Kiwi’s customer service, which was ultimately their downfall, had not rebooked any of their travelers, leaving them with no flight out of Colombia less than 24 hours before departure. Instead of enjoying the last night of the trip, they spent 8+ hours on various customer service lines attempting to find a solution that allowed them to leave with the rest of the group. 

The Kiwi ticket was probably about $40 cheaper than booking directly through the airline. At the time, it seemed like an easy way to save a few dollars. But with the added stress and 8+ hours finding a solution, it was no longer worth the savings. 

Many do not realize that when a flight is not booked through a direct airline, it is not truly a reservation by that airline. Meaning all rebookings and customer service must go through the third-party platform. 

These third-party platforms also do not have mandatory regulations like airlines that protect your seat, cancellations, and rebookings. They offer promises of good deals, but it often comes with a cost. Also, new airline platforms are popping up daily, and some are not legit. 

Booking Tickets Directly Through Airlines

With the above being said, I still do not search for flights directly through the airline. Instead, I use google.com/flights to find and compare prices for various dates, destinations, and times.

When searching through Google Flights, it does not serve as a booking platform. Instead, it compares prices between airlines AND booking platforms and displays all available options. Once you choose what option you like, it will then redirect you to that specific airline or platform to make the purchase. 

Booking directly through airlines also helps gain status, which is what I think is the absolute BEST way to save money on flights and travel in 2022. I have an entire post dedicated to airline credit cards and mile programs here, but the short version is when you become loyal to a particular airline AND get their credit card, you earn miles & bonus miles, which you can then redeem on flights. You might not get the discounts and savings immediately, but eventually, you can trade these miles for entire flights. 

When you get an airline credit card, many offer bonus incentives. A common one from United is 40,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. 40,000 miles is equivalent to almost two round-trip domestic flights or one round-trip international flight to Europe or Central America. WAY better than saving $40 on a round-trip ticket to sit in a crappy back-of-the-plane seat. 

Third-Party Booking Platforms I Trust 

The easiest way to know if a third-party platform is trustworthy is to Google their name followed by ‘Trustpilot.’ Not only will you see a review, but you can also find helpful information such as this: 

I still occasionally use third-party airline platforms if I am having trouble booking directly through an airline. For example: recently, I was booking flights throughout Southeast Asia, where the airline was either difficult to translate, not translating correctly, or I didn’t have the documentation required to book because I am an international visitor. 

Instead, I booked through eDreams.net, which has a 3.6 rating on Trust Pilot (not ideal but not scammy) and also signed up for their Prime membership, which offers upgraded customer service if needed. Some additional trusted third-party booking platforms include: 

• Kayak 
• Orbitz 
• Priceline
• Travelocity 

Summary: Booking Tickets Directly Through Airlines vs. Third Party Platforms

My mantra has ALWAYS revolved around making travel affordable and finding good deals. As I’ve grown in the travel industry, I have learned a very important lesson: 

Spending a little bit more is ALWAYS worth your sanity and can save you more in the long run. I will never again save $30 to book through kayak.com instead of the airline. The number of times I’ve gotten stranded and ended up spending twice the amount I saved on additional food or accommodation is not fun to admit. 

Also, airlines aren’t that much more expensive these days! You can still find killer deals directly through United, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, etc. Flights deals and cheap booking platforms don’t have as much leverage as they once did. In the past two years, I’ve found MORE flight deals directly through airlines than external booking platforms.