Some airlines and hotels - Pulling the plug on discount websites. Future fees may be coming with these sites. Hotels want your direct calls !

So many folks that I know, use websites to buy their airfare and hotel.  I do not.  My fear has always been “the fine line rules” that no one reads !

Though many folks have been successful in using these sites, I have found that others have NOT.  Unless you’re in the industry like I am, you usually never hear about the unsuccessful usage.  Samples I’ve heard have been, hearing 2 weeks later, that their reservation are no longer being honored or when needing to back out, they couldn’t and/or couldn’t receive assistance.

I’ve always told folks, that I buy “directly” from airline sites, as that’s what I’ve read to do, in past years, from Industry Travel Writers.  And with hotels, they’ve told me themselves, the better rooms given to folks who call and buy direct … And if they just call, they most often match.

I also believe these sites cause confusion for folks.  Rates are not always lower !  Yet I find folks seldom check-out original sites, like USAirways or call the hotels directly !  SAVINGS they may be missing !

Read below … Understandably, hotels are tired of their losses !  Most hotels are franchises … This means they are individually owned, like our local McDonalds. 

Soon folks may miss out on more savings by using these sites, if there’s not aware ….

Here’s the “short of the story” on CBS This Morning  ….

“Customers bargain-hunting for the best online travel deals may find fewer options than before. Third-party sites like TripAdvisor and Expedia are featuring less options because airlines and hotel are holding back their business ….

When they started these OTAs ... it came at a time when airlines were in big trouble financially. So they went to them and said, 'Hey, let us sell all your unsold inventory. We'll be your friends," Greenberg said. "Airlines are doing better now than since the Wright brothers. They don't think they need them …

So far, Greenberg said, Delta Air Lines has removed their schedule and fair information from over 12 different sites including TripAdvisor, Hipmunk Inc. and CheapOair.com.

Hotels are stepping onto the battlefield too. Greenberg said a variety of hotels are turning away from third-party sites and may not honor existing reservations booked through OTAs.

"The big brands like Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood -- they charge high franchise fees. Now the owners are upset, who are operating those hotels. Why? Because they are getting most of their bookings online from people like Expedia and Travelocity and they have to pay them a commission," Greenberg said.

Greenberg offered one piece of advice: Pick up the phone, and call the individual hotel. Customers may be able to find better deals that way …

About 52 percent of all the inventory is online. What about the other 48 percent? That's what they hold back. You should have that conversation even if we weren't doing this particular story," he said”.

Go here for uTube video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/airlines-hotels-pull-plug-discount-websites-tripadvisor-expedia/