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Booking Cheap Travel With Vayama – Flights, Hotels, Car Rentals & Transfers [Review]

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Katie Seemann
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Katie Seemann

Senior Content Contributor and News Editor

386 Published Articles 62 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 29U.S. States Visited: 29

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, F...
Edited by: Kellie Jez
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Kellie Jez

Director of Operations & Compliance

6 Published Articles 1223 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 10U.S. States Visited: 20

Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...

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How do you find the best deal on a flight or hotel room for your next vacation?

That can be a hard question because there are so many websites out there like Expedia, Hotwire, Orbitz, and Trivago that claim to offer the best deals and prices. We’ve reviewed each one to see how they work and to find out if you can actually save money. Now it’s time to take a closer look at Vayama.

In this post, we’ll detail how Vayama works and run some price comparisons to see if this website can save you money.

What is Vayama?

Vayama is an online travel agency (like Priceline or Expedia) that you can use to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and transfers. It has been around since 2007 with a focus on international travel (although you can book domestic travel, too).

Vayama’s parent company, Travix International, is based in Amsterdam and also owns other websites like BudgetAir and Cheaptickets.

Vayama Flights

Here’s a step-by-step guide to searching for a flight on Vayama.

You’ll start by inputting your departure and destination cities, dates of travel, the number of travelers, and a class of service.

Vayama flight search
Image Credit: Vayama

Next, you’ll be able to filter and sort your results list. Filtering options like the airline, number of stops, departure times, alternate airports, and flight duration are available on the left side of your screen. Then you can sort your results list by price or trip duration using the drop-down arrow on the upper right-hand side.

Vayama search results filtering and sorting
Image Credit: Vayama

Within each search result, you can easily see the other available flight times that won’t change your price. Once you’ve selected the flight you want, click Book flight.

Vayama flight search results
Image Credit: Vayama

Next, you’ll be prompted to upgrade to a Plus Ticket. This only allows you the ability to change your ticket dates but doesn’t include free changes. You’ll still be required to pay $100 per ticket plus any fare difference for changes. “Upgrading” to a Plus Ticket doesn’t come cheap and it doesn’t get you much, so it’s generally not a good idea.

Standard Vs Plus Ticket on Vayama
Image Credit: Vayama

After inputting your traveler information, you’ll be prompted to add insurance. Since there are many credit cards with rental car insurance like trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and lost or delayed baggage insurance, the extra coverage offered through Vayama shouldn’t be needed.

In some situations, when travel insurance does make sense, you’ll want to research all the options out there before purchasing any coverage.

Vayama flight insurance options
Image Credit: Vayama

After declining the insurance options, you’ll be prompted again to add extras to your ticket, including a service package and flight delay compensation. In 99.9% of cases, these options aren’t a good idea — decline these and move on.

Vayama service packages
Image Credit: Vayama

Finally, you’ll be able to enter your payment information and complete your reservation. If you’d like to see a breakdown of your price, click on Taxes and agent imposed fees. This will allow you to see how much you’re paying in taxes and fees, but unfortunately, you won’t be able to see the specific breakdown. Vayama does charge fees of up to $25 on domestic tickets and up to $50 on international tickets.

Fees on flights purchased through Vayama
You’ll be able to see the amount of taxes and fees in your ticket, but unfortunately, you won’t be able to see a specific breakdown of where those taxes and fees come from. Image Credit: Vayama

Bottom Line: Vayama charges fees for booking flights. You’ll pay up to $25 on domestic flights and up to $50 on international flights — which generally makes flights booked through Vayama more expensive than other websites.

Price Comparisons

Let’s take a look at some examples to see if booking a flight with Vayama can save you money.

Example #1: A round-trip economy flight for 1 person from New York City (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX)

Example #2: A round-trip economy flight for 1 person from Boston, MA (BOS) to Dublin, Ireland (DUB)

SCROLL FOR MORE

Flight

Vayama

Expedia

Hotwire

Orbitz

Priceline

JFK-LAX

$291.70

$285.70

$285.70

$285.70

$287.35

BOS-DUB

$559.26

$560.44*

$560.44*

$559.26*

$559.33

*No change fees

In the first example, Vayama came in as the highest price.

In the second example, all of the flights were within about $1 of each other. While Vayama tied Orbitz for the lowest price, the ticket through Orbitz included a no change fee policy, so in this case, you’d want to purchase your ticket directly through the airline or through Orbitz.

Bottom Line: Unfortunately, Vayama usually isn’t a great option for flight deals. Between hefty booking fees and restrictive tickets, it usually makes sense to purchase your flight elsewhere.

Vayama Hotels

You can also use Vayama to search for hotels.

When you click on Hotels in the main search box, you’ll be taken to Booking.com, a Vayama partner. Then you can input your destination, travel dates, number of rooms needed, and number of people traveling.

Vayama hotels through booking.com
Image Credit: Vayama

You’ll be able to filter your results list using the parameters at the left including:

  • Budget
  • Rating
  • Distance from the center of town
  • Reservation policy
  • Property type
  • Amenities
  • Neighborhood
  • Hotel chain
  • Accessibility

You can then sort your refined results list using the options at the top of the list. Each result will give you lots of information at a glance including price (without tax), cancellation policy, and any extras like free breakfast.

Vayama hotels results list
Image Credit: Vayama

After selecting your hotel and room you’ll be able to see the final price, including tax, before entering your payment information and completing your reservation.

How to book a hotel through Vayama final price
Image Credit: Vayama

Price Comparisons

Can you save money by booking your hotel through Vayama? Let’s find out!

Example #1: A week-long stay at Marriott Fort Lauderdale North in Florida for 2 people

Example #2: A week-long stay at The Grand at Trafalgar Square in London for 2 people

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Hotel

Vayama

Agoda

Expedia

Hotels.com

Trivago

Hotel’s Website

Marriott Fort Lauderdale North

$1,155.99

$941.29*

$941.22

$941.22

$941.22

$916.43

The Grand at Trafalgar Square

$1,000.00

$1,002.16

$870.13

$994.41

$994.41

$1,250.20

*Non-refundable

Vayama came out as the most expensive in the first example and in the middle of the pack in the second. It’s important to remember that no single website will always have the best prices, so it’s good to shop around a bit before making a hotel reservation.

Hot Tip: If you book a hotel that has a loyalty program, like Marriott or Hilton, through a third party website like Vayama, you generally won’t earn hotel loyalty points and any elite status you have might not be recognized. 

Vayama Cars

When you rent a car through Vayama, you’ll have access to over 1,600 suppliers including brands you know and trust like Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, Avis, and National.

On the Vayama home page, click on Car Rental in the main search box, then enter your pick up location and rental dates.

Vayama Car Rental
Image Credit: Vayama

Filter your results list using the parameters on the left, including supplier, price range, and car specifications, as well as car size and price above the search results.

Each search result will show the price, car rental company, and any special offers like free cancellation.

Vayama Cars filtering and sorting
Image Credit: Vayama

Next, you’ll be prompted to add car rental insurance. Before you do this, check your wallet — many credit cards come with car rental coverage! Some cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card even come with primary rental coverage, meaning you don’t have to submit a claim with your existing insurance first.

car rental insurance through Vayama
Image Credit: Vayama

Finally, you’ll be able to input your payment information and complete your reservation.

Price Comparisons

Let’s look at some price comparisons to see if you can save money renting a car on Vayama. We compared prices found on Vayama to prices found at some of the most popular car rental companies.

Example #1: A week-long rental for the lowest priced car possible

Example #2: A week-long rental on a Midsize SUV

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Type of Rental Car

Vayama

Budget

Dollar

Hertz 

National

Cheapest available

$341.11

$368.69

$352.17

$385.67

$403.91

Midsize SUV

$439.01

$478.73

$518.48

$640.09

$526.18

The good news here is that in both of these examples Vayama came in with the lowest price! While it’s always smart to compare prices on different websites, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to save money by booking a rental car through Vayama.

Hot Tip: For more tips, check out our complete guide to saving money on rental cars.

Vayama Transfers

If you don’t need to rent a car, but still need a ride, you can schedule a Vayama transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide to arranging your transfer.

Click on Transfers in the main search box, then you’ll be taken to Vayama’s partnership site with Mozio.

How to search for a transfer on Vayama
Image Credit: Vayama

Enter your pick-up and drop off locations, date, pick-up time, and the number of travelers. If you enter an airport as the pick-up location, you’ll be able to enter your landing time instead of a pick-up time.

Vayama transfer
Image Credit: Vayama

Your results list will include different types of transportation, from sedans and SUVs to private limos, vans, and busses. Each result will display important information including:

  • Price
  • Approximate ride time
  • Cancellation policy
  • Number of passengers and baggage allowed
  • Amount of free waiting time
Vayama transfer search results
Image Credit: Vayama

Once you’ve selected your transfer, you’ll be able to input your payment information and complete your booking.

Final Thoughts

Vayama is one of many online travel agencies that can help you book flights, hotels, and rental cars. Unfortunately, this site doesn’t shine as bright as some others.

Hefty booking fees mean Vayama often doesn’t offer the lowest price. However, this website does show some promise when it comes to booking rental cars. In both of our examples, Vayama came out with the least expensive price, so be sure to consider Vayama the next time you need a rental car.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vayama legitimate?

Yes, Vayama is a legitimate company. However, this site charges booking fees and has a questionable track record when it comes to customer service (based on crowdsourced accounts).

Who own Vayama?

Vayama is owned by Travix, an international company operating in 39 different countries. Travix also owns CheapTickets, BudgetAir, and other online travel agencies.

Can I change or cancel my flight on Vayama?

All tickets purchased through Vayama are non-refundable. Some tickets allow changes but are subject to airline change fees, fare differences, and an additional $100 per person change fee from Vayama.

Katie Seemann's image

About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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