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

BY 

Katie Seemann

- UPDATED: April 26, 2021

1. Travel

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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.

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.

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.

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.

After inputting your traveler information, you’ll be prompted to add insurance. Since many credit cards come with 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.

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.

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.

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)

*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.

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

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.

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.

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

*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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.