Top 5 Myths the Travel Industry Wants You to Believe
As avid travellers we’ve come across many travel myths that are often presented as guidelines or even rules to the new adventure seeker. Where these myths started is anyone’s guess, and how they’ve continued to be presented as fact is slightly disturbing.
Are they based in old truths that have since evolved?
Were they started by the travel industry to keep you paying for things you don’t need?
Are they perpetuated by friends who are trying to be helpful without knowing any better?
To help expose these travel myths as the fraud they are, here are the Top 5 Myths the Travel Industry Wants You to Believe!
Travel Myths #1: The Best Rates are by Booking Directly
Have you ever been told that the absolute best way to ensure you get the lowest rate for a flight or hotel is by calling the airline or hotel directly? That way you avoid those pesky markups from online booking engines and you can even get those “insider deals” from the manager on-call.
This is one of those travel myths that we’ve personally seen debunked a number of times. Though you may get a decent rate or an added discount by calling directly, you’re still only 1 person making 1 reservation.
Have you noticed that most places offer “group rates” that are generally only available when booking 10 or more reservations at once?
Have you also been part of a conference where there’s an “event rate” for the venue of choice?
How is it that these group or event rates are almost always lower than any rate you could receive on your own? The answer lies with the power of buying in bulk. If you can guarantee the sale of 10, 100, or even 1000 rooms, the venue is happy to drop the individual rate for each room.
Now imagine what would happen if you could tap into the power of bulk-purchasing tens of thousands of rooms each time you want just 1 room …
Travel Myths #2: VIP Perks are Reserved for Elite Status Only
From airlines to hotel chains to credit card perks, we all know that the best perks go to those with the highest status, right?
Well, the answer to that may not be as clear as you’ve been led to believe. As far as the companies running those programs are concerned, the more points you are able to rack up the higher “status” they’ll bestow on you.
Did you know that many of these companies also have secret, invitation-only clubs reserved for those “special few” who meet their criteria? Entry is generally based on spending a ton of money in a short time-frame, though official rules are not available to the general public.
What kinds of perks are we talking about here? Elite status normally gives members exclusive access to airport lounges, ticket or room upgrades, automatic rebooking in case of cancellation, personal concierge, or occasional gifts like luggage tags, monogrammed bathrobes, or champagne flutes (champagne optional).
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always believed these elite members deserved those perks because they’re using those services more …. but what about the average traveller? How can anyone who doesn’t travel for business ever gain access to those clubs? And how can you take advantage of a seat-sale or other promotion offered by a competing airline or hotel chain?
The short answer is …. you can’t. At least not through traditional channels.
Luckily, there are travel groups flipping this archaic model on it’s head and bringing VIP perks to the masses. All done without locking you into specific airlines, hotels, travel dates, or destinations.
Travel Myths #3: There’s a “Magic Hour” for Booking Flights
I don’t know about you, but I often see people asking what the best time to book flights is to get the lowest price. More often than not, there are people posting answers about some “magic time” to book.
It usually sounds something like 2:00 on a Tuesday, 28 days before you leave … blah blah blah. I really hope you’re not falling for this. I’ve even dedicated an entire blog post to this very subject in the past.
We’ve been there. We’ve tested it. We’ve got the t-shirt … well, maybe not the t-shirt part.
Flights are like anything else, they fall under the rules of basic economics: when demand increases price increases, and when demand decreases price decreases.
We’ve been able to find a travel group that allows you to get the absolute best price available without having to time the market. How do they do it? They provide price guarantees at the time of booking, and continue to monitor the price fluctuations of your flight package until you board the plane. If the price drops, you get rebooked at the lower price. Simple.
Exclusive Online Event Invitation
In this great video my wife and I provide even more tips on overcoming these (as well as 2 more) travel myths. It’s time to take back the upper-hand from the travel industry!
Note that at the end of the video we reference an amazing live event that has since passed, but if you follow the link and register you’ll be among the first to get notified for the next event!
Was this helpful for you? If so, please share it with a friend who you think would get value!
Be sure to comment below and let me know what Travel Myths you’ve been able to bust!
P.S. If you’d LOVE to start Your Own Blog with “Just 3 Clicks”, check THIS out!
Was this valuable for you? If so I’d really appreciate your comments below and shares on social media.
Resources
Here is a list of the resources mentioned in this post:
Check Into Freedom – a community dedicated to helping the average traveller take the adventures they dream about on their current budget and vacation schedule
Freedom Lifestyle – let’s work together to create an online income that travels with you
Great tips Bruce and I don’t there is a certain time to book to get great rates!
Thanks Linda, glad to have helped
Wow, I’ve always book directly because I was told that’s how you get the best rate, also I’d book my flight weeks in advance. Thank you so much for exposing these myths.
Yes, Demetri … it was a total change when i found out that these were just myths!
Awesome tips Bruce. I am embarrassed to admit that I’ve actually fallen for number three before. Thank you for clearing that up.
No need for embarrassment George! I think we’ve all fallen for that one as it’s pretty prevalent online 🙂
Great post here, Bruce! Next time I travel, I will surely keep these myths in mind…Thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome Sherri, glad you got value
Ahhh The “Magic Hour”….My mom and aunt are always on the computer seeking the “elusive magic hour” for booking flights…gonna send them this blog post
Dr. Lisa
Happy to be able to help you and your family Dr. Lisa!
Love this post! I have bookmarked it so next time I am flying I will make sure to check these myths. Thanks Bruce.!
Thanks Gordon, so glad you enjoyed the post!
While it’s true that THE best way to find the best right is not ALWAYS going directly to the airline, it actually often IS true if the airline is having a special. Best bet is to check all discount sites. Do it again from a dif computer. Then check directly with airlines to make sure not missing a special they are having that didn’t show up elsewhere. I’ve saved hundreds doing this. Though you are right it’s not common that this is the cheapest way, it’s still a good thing to check! 🙂
Thanks Brooke, definitely always best to do our homework. Regardless of seat-sales or special offers, I’ve still seen group buying power beat those prices.
Really interesting. Thanks for sharing and offering another perspective to what we often easily assume is true!
Your very welcome Elisabeth, thanks for dropping by!
Great and helpful tips, Bruce! Thank you for sharing, I will try this out for next bookings.
Just asking – you mention the Top 5 Myths but I can only find 3 – did I overlook something?
Cheers & thank you for sharng your tipps – Birdie & Hendrik
Glad to have helped you out Hendrik. As for the other 2 myths, they’re in the video 😉
Very insightful article. #3 is something I’ve definitely fell victim to in the past but your logic definitely makes sense here.
Thanks Adam, I think we’ve all fallen for that one!
I must say this really was a fascinating read. And admittedly, I have fallen for that whole “magic hour” idea for a long time although thankfully, I’ve managed to see sense. Great post and I will be sharing it with a few friends who cling tenaciously to these myths
Thanks so much Gareth, happy to have helped you and your friends 🙂
ahuauhauhua you are absolutely right, every time I book a flight there is some of my friends that told me: Hey man, just book a flight 1 month before, you will find the best price!! Just a metropolitan legend…. 😀 Great tips and helpful information, thanks for sharing
Thanks Davide! Isn’t it funny how people still cling to these myths?
Thanks for sharing and uncovering these myths 😉 I never book direct as I’ve realized it’s better to compare prices with ones found on discount sites and sites like skyscanner etc first. There definitely is no such thing as a magical hour. lol
Thanks Kristine, couldn’t agree more with you!
Some insightful callouts there in your post . But in India, so far, my experience by booking directly has been wonderful..always better than any other way of booking at least.
Glad to hear you’re getting a great experience directly in India, but have you ever tried tapping into the power of group buying?
There’s so much mystery going on with booking flights. Luckily, I try to use my miles as much as I can… but I think you may be right about the no timing behind it. It just varies a lot depending on various factors. Thanks for the reminders and tips.
You’re very welcome. Using points is a great way to travel 🙂
Thank you so much for busting these myths, Bruce 🙂 I usually opt for direct bookings and plan my flight tickets well in advance. But after reading your post, this is going to be really helpful.
So glad you got some value out of this post! Thanks for dropping by
I rarely book direct so agree with you on that one. Great tips and nice to make people aware of their options.
Thanks so much Cliodhna! Glad you stopped by 🙂
Thanks for posting this. Not a lot of people privy to this information are willing to share!
You’re very welcome Victoria! Hope these tips help you out
Great busting of these travel myths. I think the first one is most popular. In today’s time many aggregator websites offer fantastic deals, after all it is the angel investor who is footing the bill!
Thanks so much for dropping by; glad you received value from this post!
A very useful post! I relate to most of your de-mystification points. Seriously, who can know when exactly a specific booking is cheaper? Good for me I am a skeptical by nature!
That skepticism is definitely serving you well when it comes to these myths Ilana!
Good points. It takes work to find low prices.
You’re right Chris. It’s definitely not as easy as just buying at a certain time.