A number of travel sites will help you get money back if the price of a room or flight drops after you reserve. Many travelers have experienced the frustration of booking the best deal they could find on a room or flight after an exhaustive search, only to see or hear later that the deal could have been much better. These three services show you how to get a refund if the price drops. So which one is right for you? Here’s a guide to the sites, brought to you by Kosherica.

1) Tingo.com

How it works: Once you've booked a room and your card has been charged, Tingo keeps an eye on the rate and will automatically refund the difference to your card if the price drops (which happens to 1 of every 3 2-night reservations).

Benefits: Powered by super-site Expedia, there are a huge variety of hotels to choose from. The process is automated as well, meaning you have the security of not having to monitor rates on an hourly basis. Finally, there is no cancellation fee charged by Tingo itself (only charges per the hotel's policy)

Drawbacks: Tingo doesn't bring in to play actual rates offered by the specific hotels themselves, so you may miss out on a better rate by not booking directly with the hotel.

Summary: Amazing service. The flexibility and lack of risk within their cancellation policy means it's worth using the service, even if you plan to possibly book direct at a later time.


2) CheapAir.com

How it works: The megasite offers a new Price Drop Payback which gives customers a refund of any difference if the customer finds the fare has dropped before they travel.

Benefits: Prices can be quickly checked with the click of a button to see if the fare has changed.

Drawbacks: The service costs the user $9.95, and they payout is not automatic. The customer is forced to check manually for drops and request a refund. Most importantly, the refund is not given in cash - rather, it's given in the form of a rebate to apply to future bookings on the site.

Summary: Due to the fact that there is a $9.95 fee charged to use the service, and the refund not paid back to your credit card, we find the service to be inadequate.


3) Orbitz.com

How it works: The Price Assurance guarantee (you've probably seen the commercials) offers travelers a refund if the price of a flight or hotel drops after the book, similar to Tingo and CheapAir.

Benefits: The payout is quick and easy once the process is activated and completed.

Drawbacks: The biggest "Catch" to the policy is that someone must use Orbitz to book the lower fare that you can see before the policy is activated. If your $150 hotel booking is seen at $100 after you book, it won't matter unless someone else uses Orbitz to book the room at $100.

Summary: A quality service with quick payouts - however, the reliance on another person booking the same room at the same hotel (or flight) as you can lead to massive frustration. Overall, a good service to use, especially on popular destinations and routes.

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