Is It Legit to Book Cheap Flights?

Airfares, just like everything else, are soaring. I read a Consumer Price Index report that says fares rose more than 17 percent from March 2022 to March 2023. I don’t know about you, but I certainly need to save money any way I can, including on flight tickets.

So I decided to check out CheapOair, which bills itself as a reservation site for discounted airfares, hotels, and cars. I wanted to see whether it really offered cheap airfares and other good travel deals. I also wanted to see how easily I could make or cancel a reservation and whether I could earn points either with its own loyalty program or through airline programs.

I also wanted to see how many airlines and destinations the site offered and whether I could receive advice from travel experts if I needed it. I also want fees to be as low as possible. Finally, I wanted to consider reviews from other travelers so that I could determine whether CheapOair is a legitimate site for booking a cheap flight.

Our CheapOair Review Approach

So, here is how I looked at in reviewing CheapOair. I dove into the range of airlines it partnered with and the flight prices relative to average fares. Related to that, I also checked the destinations served, particularly whether it serves my favorite destinations!

I also considered how easy the site was to browse, book and cancel reservations. Additionally, I considered the range of hotels it offered and whether it offered airline and hotel package deals. Since all of us here at ViaTravelers are frequent travelers, I also looked at its loyalty point programs.

I then wondered if talking with travel experts was an option and how difficult it was. To get a sense of what other users think of CheapOair, I read plenty reviews from other users. Finally, I looked at the overall value of the site, its discounts and deals, along with its fees, to determine if I would use CheapOair to book my next vacation.

How CheapOair Works

CheapOair provides access to flight deals to more than 30,000 destinations throughout the world. It also partners with hotels and car rental companies to provide discounts. I found a variety of flights and hotels on the site and options to filter flights by airlines, layover times, price, brand, alliances, total flight time, and the site’s recommendations.

Choices included local hotel brands and national chains, small airlines and larger ones, budget providers, and premium ones. The site says it has more than 500 airlines, and at a glance, I saw this list includes Air France, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Aeromexico, Spirit, Emirates, and United.

Reviews of hotels from customers appeared beneath the hotel selections. The flight and hotel packages listed hotels first, then flight choices.

Fare and luggage rules were easy to find. The site offered free cancellation within 24 hours and options to cancel or change flight tickets online.

The site offers the option to pay via major credit card, Paypal, or Affirm, a buy-now-pay-later service that allows you to split the cost over up to 18 months. I was unable to easily find a way to list my airline and hotel loyalty numbers when booking; however, the site itself has a loyalty program.

The fees are a bit steep. CheapOair adds $35 per airline ticket and $42 per hotel room per night.

None of its discounted tickets are refundable, so you need to check your reservation carefully. If you make a mistake, you need to cancel and rebook before the 24-hour time limit expires.

They’ve tried to make it easy enough. I noticed a popup for help from a travel agent appears when you start going down the route of canceling your ticket.

The company also provides the option to call an agent to book or cancel your reservation rather than doing so online. You can also book through the app and earn double the loyalty points. You can use the loyalty points to receive even lower prices on flights and hotels.

I also noted that the site is a member of a few established associations, including the American Society of Travel Advisors and the Airlines Recording Corp. This alone is a pretty good sign CheapOair is legit, but let’s delve a little deeper.

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How to Save Money Using CheapOair’s Travel Bookings Features

CheapOair best meets the travel needs of single travelers who are firm in their travel plans, want great flight deals, and don’t care about a refund process.

Here are some tips on making the most of its features:

• You’ll receive a long list of choices. Use the filters to find the best flight deals for you.
• Be willing to make phone calls to their travel experts if you are unsure of where to stay or when to travel. CheapOair’s experts have received favorable reviews, so it seems like it’s worth getting over the social anxiety if it means results!
• Buy travel insurance to help protect your trip if you become ill or have to cancel your trip. You may be able to get a partial or full refund of your trip costs through your insurance if not on the site.

Pros and Cons

Like any site, CheapOair has some advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a closer look.

Pros

• The site offers great deals on flights, especially for last-minute trips. Flight and hotel bundles are typically really good deals.
• Trip booking is available online, through the app, or by phone.
• CheapOair offers a price match guarantee. If you find the same itinerary at a lower price within 24 hours of booking your trip, the company will match it.
• The site offers a robust filtering technology
• CheapOair offers the option for even greater flight deals by signing onto the loyalty program and booking via the app.

Cons

• Fees, especially for those traveling with a large family, can really add up.
• Nonrefundable tickets and fares

How Do We Rate CheapOair?

Ease of Use: 5

The site is very easy to use. Like most discount travel sites, you plug in your departure airport and destination point and the dates of travel to receive a list of flights and hotels – simple! The site also offers the option for rental cars. I found it easy to browse the list of possibilities and to find the best flight by using filters.

Most CheapOair reviews praise the ease of travel bookings on the site and app and user-friendly guidelines. Even a client who identified himself in his review as older and not very tech-savvy had a rewarding first-time booking experience.

Features: 4

The filtering system is excellent. I especially like the option to choose the maximum layover I would accept.

The option of paying for my trip purchase over time appeals to me and my budget. I also like the large number of hotel and airline choices provided.

Customer Service: 3.5

I didn’t try the customer service contact line, but reviews on it are mixed. Some people say the travel agent provided too many options and left their heads spinning.

Others say they ended up booking a flight that cost them more than they expected. Others say the customer service was outstanding, and the agent helped them resolve their issues quickly. I guess it depends on what sort of service you’re after more than anything else.

Value for the Money: 3

The site potentially offers good value for the money, especially for single travelers who book frequent flights using the app and whose travel plans are generally firm. However, large families may find the fees to be cost-prohibitive.

CheapOair vs Other Sites

As part of my in-depth review, I compared CheapOair with other discount flight sites such as Going.com, Airfarewatchdog, Skyscanner, Kayak, and Momondo, so you don’t have to. In general, CheapOair compared well with these similar sites, but read on and see for yourself.

CheapOAir vs Going.com

For the most part, we have a lot of good things to say about Going.com (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights). Going.com offers the option to search for deals for free, but the best deals come to those who pay for premium or elite memberships. Unlike CheapOair, priority customer support also goes only to those who pay for it.

See Related: Going (Formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) Review: Is It Legit?

CheapOAir vs Airfarewatchdog.com

Airfarewatchdog.com has good fare deals for those who want to fly the same day or are flexible about flights at a future time. Yet, it doesn’t provide an option for searching for advance flights on a specific day.

It also has resources telling you the best days to travel or visit certain destinations. The site is free to use but has no rewards program.

See Related: Airfarewatchdog Review: Is It Worth It?

CheapOAir vs Skyscanner

Skyscanner, like CheapOair, has an excellent array of filters to aid in choosing flights. It also has recently added a C02 emissions filter, which is a great service for those like me who care about sustainable travel. It provides information to help you plan your vacation or holiday travel beyond just flight tickets, hotel bookings, and car rentals.

Research shows Skyscanner often has the cheapest flights of all discount flight sites. However, Skyscanner sends you to another site to finish my travel bookings, so it’s not quite the one-stop-shop like CheapOair. It also doesn’t always make details about baggage fees easily available.

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

CheapOair vs Kayak

Kayak also has a robust filter tool, allowing me to filter my flights by aircraft type as well as many other categories. They can also help you book accommodations, rental cars, as well as tickets to attractions and excursions.

Kayak has fewer fees than CheapOair and offers some flights with no change fees. However, Kayak’s deals aren’t as up-to-date as CheapOair’s.

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

CheapOair vs Momondo

Momondo offers cheap flights and packages, some with no change fees. In fact, the site charges no fees at all.

It also will include fares from other sites along with its own, which takes away the hassle of looking at multiple sites. However, compared to other sites, the company offers only average flight deals most of the time.

See Related: How to Use Momondo to Find Cheap Flights

The Verdict: Is CheapOair Legit? Worth Using?

Yes, definitely. CheapOair is a legitimate company that offers cheap flights, hotels, and car rentals. As with any travel site, you should read your booking details carefully before you commit.

You can find deeply discounted flight deals to just about any major city. You can also join its loyalty program and earn and redeem points for even better deals.

While we’ve tried out and worked with a lot of sites like these at ViaTravelers, I have to say CheapOair has stood out a bit for me. Compared to similar sites, I found CheapOair seamless to use. It just made sense, and anything that helps take the sting out of planning a trip is good in my book!

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