Is It a Legit Booking Site?

Growing up, I always envied people who could take vacations to an exciting new destination every year. They seemed to make their arrangements effortlessly, too, and pack the trips with all sorts of great activities.

Many of these frequent travelers worked in jobs similar to mine, had kids, and had other obligations, so I wondered how they were able to afford all of the trips plastered on their social media accounts. They also seemed to be able to organize the perfect trip, no matter where they were going.

How do they travel so effortlessly?

I started researching some online sites for flight and hotel reservations. One of the sites I tried is Trip.com, and found it to be one of the more useful tools in my travel planning quiver.

Our Trip.com Review Approach

Let’s answer the question “Is trip.com legit?” by rating Trip.com on several factors. Competitive prices and choice of airlines, hotels, and trips options are one factor. Other factors I considered include ease of use, including the ease of making flight changes or receiving refunds.

Factors also include logistics, such as did my e-tickets arrive on time? Did I receive confirmation of my booking details promptly? And was my hotel room ready for me? I also will consider the company’s reputation within the business community and industry. Finally, I’ll consider the overall customer experience, dealing with questions such as whether customer support is available, and reviews from other users.

How Does Trip.com Work?

Trip.com is a comprehensive online travel agency and booking site. You can book flights, hotels, trains, car rentals, cruises, attraction tickets, and packaged tours. You can save by bundling several items together, such as hotel rooms, flights, and cars.

Trip.com is owned by an international company group, Trip.com Group Limited. Travel Singapore Pte. Ltd, which is part of that group, owns its US website.

Trip.com claims to have more than 400 member customers worldwide and is one of the world’s largest online travel agencies. It offers travel services in several languages, including English, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, and Korean.

It also has more than 2 million flight routes, connecting 5,000 cities. And it has more than 1.4 million hotels in its network. It has cooperative arrangements with reputable banks and credit companies, as well as many local and international tourism boards.

How to Use Trip.com To Find Cheap Flights

Trip.com is easy to use. Like most online travel sites, you plug your departure city and destination city into a search field and receive an array of choices. If you want a better deal than you’re offered, you can opt to receive a notification when the price drops.

For flights, you also can filter your options by the length of time, airlines, recommended, and duration. You can book a roundtrip, multi-city, or one-way ticket. Reading the details of your flight ticket, including baggage rules, change, and refund policy, is easy.

You also can earn Trip.com rewards and airline rewards. The site provides detailed information about the number of points flight tickets earn with the airlines.

Trip.com rewards come in the form of trip coins, which amount to about 5 percent of your ticket purchase price. You can use the trip coins on a future trip to increase your savings.

You book cruises, trains, and day tours in a similar way. Trip.com provides booking guarantees. If a seat on a flight or train is unavailable or the hotel fails to have a room for you on arrival, you’ll receive compensation.

Customer reviews of Trip.com are mixed, with five-star and one-star reviews and everything in between. Negative reviews most frequently cite customer service issues and difficulties with receiving a full refund for a canceled flight.

Some also complained about bugs on the online site or that a change request failed. One person complained that she accidentally booked the wrong date and could not make a change within the 24-hour grace period.

On the other hand, reviews are not always accurate, even if the reviewer expresses a detailed concern. Trip.com’s competitors have found that many reviews of its services are fake. Trip.com may be experiencing a similar level of fake reviews.

Trip.com does respond to negative reviews about 85 percent of the time, which is better than its competition. Travel.net also says Trip.com’s review scores are comparable to those of its competitors.

Positive reviews often cited a service-minded customer service approach that tried to resolve issues. They also said Trip.com’s prices were comparable to its competitors for domestic travel. Many also said it was a much better site to book travel in China than any other company, which tracks given the company’s ownership status.

Trip.com payment methods include Amex, Visa, Mastercard, and some foreign methods such as JCB (Japan) and Chinese debit cards.

See Related: Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred: What’s Better?

Advice on Maximizing the Benefits of Trip.com

Trip.com is far ahead of its competitors in offering complete online travel agency services. You can maximize the site’s benefits by planning your entire trip there. If necessary, you can receive further assistance from a relevant team member by calling the customer success team number.

Here are other tips for making the most of Trip.com

• Read the booking details carefully for each flight, especially budget flights, to ensure you understand cancellation and baggage policies. You don’t want to lose money despite all the intentions to save it.
• Book flights with connections if you want to save money. Of course, the downside is that you may miss the connection if the first flight is late.
• To save money, consider traveling at off-peak times, such as weekdays and early morning hours.
• Check Trip.com’s deals page, especially if your travel dates are flexible.
• Don’t just read reviews, but also read the company’s responses to make up your own mind. Many people have bad travel experiences that have nothing to do with the booking company – and I suspect some bad reviews are related to prejudices against China. Also, it’s worth noting that dissatisfied people are much more likely to write reviews than people who have had a positive customer experience.

Pros and Cons

All online travel sites have advantages and disadvantages. Here are the pros and cons of Trip.com.

Pros

• Its network of hotels and airlines is enormous.
• The company has been around for more than two decades. Its longevity proves its legitimacy.
• Your flight ticket is available within 45 minutes of booking.
• The website is easy to use.
• Customer support is available via online chat, email, and phone. The contact number for customer service is 1 (833) 896-0077, and the company aims to answer within 30 seconds.
• You can change or cancel flights, generally based on the airline’s cancellation policy. If the flight was fully refundable, you’ll avoid a cancellation fee. You can make a refund request online. All flight tickets issued more than seven days before the flight date can be canceled within 24 hours of booking for a full refund. You will also receive a full refund and additional compensation for airline flight cancellations after flight confirmation.
• You can earn Trip.com rewards and your airline loyalty rewards.
• You can book your whole trip on one site, including transportation, lodging, airport transfers, and attractions.

Cons

• The company is not registered through the Better Business Bureau and has several complaints through the BBB. It seems most of the complaints have been resolved, however.
• The company has received a number of bad reviews. Several reviewers have reported unsatisfactory service during phone calls to customer service. Sometimes people have made multiple calls to try to resolve the same issue. Most customer success team members live in China, and cultural differences can be difficult for Americans to navigate. Reviewers report greater satisfaction with the online chat.
• Although prices are sometimes lower on Trip.com, you may receive better customer service and cancellation terms by booking directly through the hotel or airline. Sometimes pricing is better if you book direct as well.
• Limited payment options. For example, the company does not accept Discover. The only digital wallet it accepts is ApplePay. It also doesn’t accept any buy now, pay later options, such as Afterpay or Affirm.

See Related: Top Sites Like Skiplagged | Alternatives to Consider

Ratings

Now that we’ve taken the deep dive into Trip.com’s features, pros and cons, let’s see how the site stacks up.

Ease of Use: 4

I found the website easy to navigate, especially compared with other, more complicated sites that open a million different tabs and windows. I found making airline and cruise reservations easy. I was able to find excellent options for my departure, connecting flight, and return flight easily. Booking details were easy to find.

Soon after booking a flight, customers receive an email with a booking reference. Once the flight is ticketed, which is almost immediately, they receive another email with the ticket number. A receipt or payment confirmation is attached to the email, although you can retrieve the receipt at any time by logging into the site. You also can make a flight change on the site.

Features: 4

I like the comprehensiveness of the site, which allows me to build the perfect trip from start to finish. Filters are available to make finding my flight easier, but they are less comprehensive than some companies that handle only airline tickets, hotel reservations, and car rentals.

I also like that I can handle everything online, including online chat. I can also always check in on the status of my flight or train trip using the app or website.

I also like the ease with which I can compare ticket prices based on how many bags I’ll have or whether I want cancellation options.

Customer Service: 3

I never contacted customer service, so I have read reviews to determine my rating. The reviews indicate that customer service via chat is generally always excellent, while the effectiveness of phone support depends on which customer success team member you talk with.

I find the number of Better Business Bureau complaints troubling, but I also find comfort in the company’s prompt attention and response to the issues. In short, Trip.com does many things to provide a good customer experience, but it also could do much better.

Value for the Money: 4

Trip.com has competitive prices, especially for flights. If the price drops, many of its tickets can be exchanged for less expensive ones, with the customer receiving a refund for the ticket price differential.

As with many travel sites, however, you should check with the airline or hotel directly before booking on the site. Sometimes, prices and terms are better.

Trip.com vs Other Travel Booking Sites

I often find comparisons with similar companies to be useful in evaluating a product or service. Similar companies to Trip.com include Going.com, Airfarewatchdog, Skyscanner, Kayak, Momondo, and Expedia.com.

Trip.com vs Going.com (Formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)

Going.com is an excellent site to help you find cheap flights but does not offer the comprehensive travel services that Trip.com does. It’s just a cheap flight alert site – and while we absolutely love it, it’s not the kind of service that compares with Trip.com. Going offers limited free service and premium and elite memberships.

See Related: How to Use Going.com (Formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)

Trip.com vs Airfarewatchdog

Airfarewatchdog is also aimed at providing its users with a good price on a flight ticket but does not include hotels, attractions, cruises, car rental, or other comprehensive trip options. Airfarewatchdog is great for finding a cheap same-day flight ticket, but finding a ticket for a specific date in the future is difficult, especially if your travel dates aren’t flexible.

See Related: Airfarewatchdog Review: Is It Worth It?

Trip.com vs Skyscanner

The Chinese company that owns Trip.com also owns Skyscanner. Customers can get a cheap flight ticket, hotel room, or car rental via Skyscanner, which works with 1,200 providers. Skyscanner is unique in allowing travelers to filter based on the environmental impact of their flights. Skyscanner lacks the comprehensiveness of an online travel agency such as Trip.com.

See Related: Skyscanner Review: Is It Legit or a Scam?

Trip.com vs Kayak

Kayak comes close to providing comprehensive online travel agency services because it allows you to book bus and train travel in addition to flights, stays, and cars. It also has a handy “Best Time to Travel” feature. However, its deals are not always as up-to-date as Trip.com.

See Related: Kayak.com Review: Is Kayak Legit?

Trip.com vs Momondo

Momondo is a Danish company providing cheap flights. Kayak manages the company, which also allows you to book bus and train travel, hotel rooms, and car rentals. It has travelers in 30 international markets.

See Related: How to Use Momondo to Find Cheap Flights

Trip.com vs Expedia.com

Expedia.com is one of the oldest online travel agencies. Like Trip.com, it is a large company and has other sites like Orbitz and Travelocity within its group.

Unlike Trip.com, Expedia.com is a U.S.-based company, which may offer some advantages for U.S. travelers. However, Expedia often attaches high fees to airline bookings, and at least one travel review site finds its prices to be only average. Also, Expedia has fewer providers to choose from.

See Related: Is Expedia Trustworthy? Here’s Our Full Review

Customer Testimonials

Many people who write reviews about Trip.com testify to the company’s reliability. For the most part, Trip.com has been well-received by the majority of users.

One person writes that he booked a room and was given information but canceled before the online deadline. He had the full refund in his bank account by the next day. He said he would use the service again.

Another individual writes that mixed reviews had made her cautious about the site, but the $200 price differential on her flight ticket persuaded her to try Trip.com. She received her booking number and was able to check in on the provider’s website easily. She also appreciated the regular updates she received from Trip.com.

The Verdict: Is Trip.com Legit? Is Trip.com Reliable?

Trip.com is a legit and reliable company. It has partnerships with reputable brands such as United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Jetblue, Iberia, and Kuwait Airlines.

It has formed partnerships with reputable banks and hotels. It has been in business for more than 20 years and is also one of the largest online travel companies. You can feel safe using Trip.com to book your next trip, although to get the best deals, you should carefully compare the prices on the sites with those you can receive by booking directly with airlines and hotels.

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