Travelocity – How to Get the Best Deals on Flights, Hotels, Car Rentals (And More)

How do you find the best prices on flights? What about a great deal on a hotel or rental car? Where can you save the most money on a cruise or vacation package?

These are questions most of us ask ourselves when starting the research for a trip. There are so many online travel agencies (OTAs) and metasearch engines out there to use — how do you know which one offers the best price and service?

That’s a big question, but we’re here to help you out! We’ve previously reviewed lots of sites, including Expedia, Skyscanner, Kayak, Google Flights, Booking.com, and Hotwire. Now it’s time to review Travelocity.

In this post, we’re going to take you through Travelocity’s whole website to show you what you need to know to get the best deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, activities, and cruises.

Plus, we’ll look at some of the benefits of this site and do some price comparisons to see if Travelocity will really save you money.

What Is Travelocity?

Travelocity is an online travel agency that offers access to flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities, and vacation rentals. 

The site is owned by Expedia, which also owns Orbitz, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Trivago, and CheapTickets, among others. So, if you’ve used any of those sites, the format and functionality of Travelocity should look familiar.

Travelocity Flights

How to Book a Flight on Travelocity [Step-By-Step]

Searching for a flight on Travelocity is a simple process. First, select Flights in the main search box.

Then input your travel dates, destination, and the number of people traveling. You can select round-trip or one-way right above the destination. If you’d like to specify the airline, type of cabin, or a non-stop flight click on Advanced Options. Click Search to continue.

Your sorting and filtering options will be to the left of the search results. You might notice a search result offering a huge discount (up to 100%) on your flight if you book a hotel, too. We cover this in more detail in the Vacation Package section.

For more information on a flight, you can click on the Details & baggage fees dropdown. In light of COVID-19, you can also click on cleaning and safety practices to see what efforts are in place per airline partner. Click the green Select button once you’ve made your flight selection.

Then it’s time to select your return flight. Notice the price difference on some of the flights. You may see +$0 which means that the flight is included. Otherwise, you’ll see the additional cost for each flight listed. Click Select this fare to continue.

After you make your selection, you’ll most likely get a pop-up offering huge savings if you book a hotel with your flight. Just click No thanks to proceed with just a flight.

Double-check your flight details and price. Sometimes Travelocity may charge a booking fee, so be sure to double-check this if you want to avoid it. If you scroll down a bit, you’ll be able to upgrade to a higher cabin class. Click Continue Booking at the bottom of the page to proceed.

Next, fill out your passenger and payment information. Click Complete Booking to finalize your purchase.

Hot Tip: Travelocity charges booking fees on some of its flights. You’ll be able to see whether or not your reservation has a booking fee in the trip summary before you complete your purchase.

Protect Your Flight

Right before you complete your flight purchase, you’ll be prompted to choose flight insurance. Choosing whether or not to purchase additional flight insurance is a personal decision. In most situations, it’s probably unnecessary, but there are times when it can make sense.

However, if you’re using the right credit card, you may have the extra insurance you need without purchasing anything else. There are many credit cards with travel insurance as part of their benefits package.

Here are some of the best insurance options offered by major credit cards:

• Trip Cancellation Insurance: Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card, Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card, United℠ Explorer Card, Barclaycard Arrival^® Plus World Elite Mastercard^®
• Trip Delay Insurance: The World of Hyatt Credit Card, United Explorer card, Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Ink Business Preferred card

Price Match Guarantee

Travelocity’s Price Match Guarantee will refund the difference in price if you find a cheaper, identical itinerary online within 24 hours of booking.

This guarantee only applies to websites in English that quote prices in U.S. dollars. Everything about the lower-priced trip must be identical to the one you booked to qualify for a refund.

In addition to flights, this guarantee covers hotels, vacation packages, rental cars, and activities. Restrictions apply.

Hot Tip: If you’re a fan of Southwest Airlines, you’ll need to book direct. You won’t find Southwest flights on any online travel agency, including Travelocity.

Price Match Promise

Travelocity’s Price Match Promise is different from its Price Match Guarantee. Price Match Promise is an option that you can select to purchase with your flight. It refunds the difference in price between what you paid and the lowest price offered by Travelocity from the time you book your trip until the trip starts.

You can track the price of your trip in your online itinerary. If the price drops, a refund request will be submitted automatically, and you’ll receive a refund after your trip is complete.

24-Hour Cancellation

Many flights booked through Travelocity offer free cancellation within 24 hours of booking. To cancel a flight, sign in to your account and find your Upcoming Bookings. Then select Cancel Flight under Manage Booking.

Some carriers like Frontier and Spirit Airlines require you to contact them directly to cancel.

Price Comparisons

Now, let’s take a look to see if Travelocity can save you money on your next flight.

Example #1: A round-trip economy flight from Seattle (SEA) to Dallas (DFW).

In this example, you could save about $10 by booking directly with the airline’s website. The good thing is that Travelocity was among the lowest-priced OTAs.

Example #2: A round-trip economy flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo (NRT).

This cost for this specific flight was consistent across the board. In this case, you would want to consider things like which OTA offers a rewards program or is offering a coupon code.

CheapOair had the lowest-priced flight available overall.

Bottom Line: Travelocity can save you money on flights — sometimes. Unfortunately, there isn’t 1 website that always offers the lowest prices. It’s best to price out your flight on a few different websites before choosing who to book through. You can also utilize price predictors, like the Hopper app. This mobile app helps you know when to book flights and hotels at the right time to save you money.

Travelocity Hotels

In addition to flights, you can also book a hotel through Travelocity. To get started, click on the Hotels tab in the main search menu.

How to Book a Hotel on Travelocity [Step-By-Step]

In the main hotel search box, enter your destination, dates of travel, number of rooms, and number of guests. Then click Search.

Your list of search results will be sorted by Travelocity’s recommendations. However, you can sort the list by any number of factors including price and rating by using the sort menu right above the search results. Click on the Sort by drop-down arrow to see additional sorting options.

You’ll see lots of filtering options to the left. Choose to filter your list by things like price per night, neighborhood, and amenities.

Click anywhere in a hotel listing to select that property.

Next, you’ll be able to choose a specific room category. Click Reserve to continue. Then choose whether you’re going to pay upfront, at the property, or reserve the room with a deposit (options may vary by hotel).

Then all you need to do is confirm the reservation details and provide your payment method.

Hot Tip: You won’t earn hotel loyalty points when booking a room through an online travel agency like Travelocity.

Protect Your Hotel

On the final booking page, right before you enter your credit card information, you’ll see a prompt to Protect your hotel. This is Travelocity trying to sell you travel insurance. This is a personal choice, but it’s important to understand all of your options.

Most hotels don’t charge any cancellation fees until the week or so leading up to your stay. Because of this, many situations where you might need to cancel a hotel reservation happen early enough that you would not be charged a fee.

This information will be clearly visible with your reservation details.

If you have the right travel rewards credit card in your wallet, there may be no need to purchase extra insurance for your hotel stay.

Many major credit cards come with trip insurance:

• Trip Cancellation Insurance: Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Ink Business Preferred card, United Explorer card, Arrival Plus card
• Travel Accident Insurance: United Explorer card, American Express^® Gold Card, The Platinum Card^® from American Express, American Express^® Business Gold Card, Arrival Plus card

Hot Tip: For more information about all of your insurance options, check out our guide on the best credit cards for car rental insurance.

Price Match Guarantee

Travelocity’s Price Match Guarantee stretches even further for hotel bookings. You will be credited or refunded the difference in price if you find a cheaper, identical rate online up to 11:59 p.m. PST 2 days before your scheduled check-in. Restrictions apply.

Price Comparisons

Let’s take a look at some price comparisons to see how Travelocity stacks up to other online travel agencies and hotel websites.

Example #1: A 7-night stay at the Majestic Colonial Punta Cana All-Inclusive Resort for 2 people.

In this example, Travelocity and all of the other sites are within $9 of each other, with the lowest price coming directly from the hotel’s website.

Example #2: A 7-night stay at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman for 2 people.

As you can see here, Travelocity offers the same exact price as the hotel’s website and 2 other OTAs.

One thing to keep in mind when booking a chain hotel like this one (The Ritz-Carlton is part of Marriott Bonvoy) is that you won’t earn hotel points on your stay if you book through a third party and any status you have may not be recognized either.

Bottom Line: Travelocity may or may not offer the lowest price on your hotel stay. It’s best to price out your trip on a few different sites before booking. When you’re booking a hotel, keep in mind that if you want to earn loyalty points and take advantage of elite status you should book directly with the hotel.

Travelocity Vacation Packages

Travelocity also offers vacation packages that are advertised as big money-savers. A package can consist of any combination of hotels, flights, and/or car rental.

How to Book a Vacation Package on Travelocity [Step-by-Step]

To get started, select Vacation Packages from either of the 2 menus.

Then you’ll need to choose what options you want to book. Choose from:

• Flight + Hotel
• Flight + Hotel + Car
• Flight + Car
• Hotel + Car

Enter your destination, travel dates, and the number of people traveling. If you’re including a flight in your package, the search defaults to economy class. To select premium economy, business, or first class, click on the Advanced options drop-down box. Click Search to continue.

From this point, the search operates just as if you’re searching for a hotel, flight, or car separately.

Once you get to the second or third components of your package you’ll see how each selection affects the package price that you were quoted at the beginning of your search.

• If you see +$0, that option won’t affect your package price
• If you see a positive price that option would add to your package price
• If you see a negative price, that option will lower your package price
  

Hot Tip: When searching for a vacation package on Travelocity, the price you see is per person and includes all components of your package (hotel, flight, and/or rental car) plus taxes and fees.

Deal of the Day

You might notice a hotel that will most likely be the first in your results list that claims you’ll save 100% on your flight when you book this property.

So, are these deals for real? Will you actually get a free flight when you book? Here are this deal’s numbers in black and white.

• Deal of the Day cost (per person): $1,210.92
• Cost of the hotel if booked separately (per person): $1,400
• Cost of flight if booked separately (per person): $532.19
• Total cost of the package deal for 2 people: $2,421.84
• Cost of hotel and flights for 2 people if booked separately: $3,864.38

That’s a savings of $1,442.54 if you book the deal of the day instead of booking a flight and hotel separately. You’ll actually be saving more than the cost of the flights that they advertise.

In this example, there was a lower-priced room that was available if you booked separately. If you booked that room the total cost of hotel and flights would be $3,059.38. This still gives you a savings of $637.54. While that’s not equivalent to a free flight, it’s still a huge savings over making your bookings separately.

Hot Tip: Look for Travelocity’s Deal of the Day for huge savings on a vacation package.

Price Comparisons

Let’s take a look at another example of a Travelocity vacation package to see if it will save you money as advertised.

A package consisting of 2 round-trip flights plus a 7-night stay at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana costs $1,375 per person. The total price for this package is $2,749.56 with an advertised savings of $376.39.

• If you booked this hotel separately, you’d pay $2,011.31
• If you booked the flights separately, you’d pay $1,064.38
• Booking this vacation separately would cost you a total of $3,075.69

The actual savings here is $326.13. So, while it’s not quite up to the advertised savings, you’re still saving money by booking a package.

Bottom Line: Booking a vacation package through Travelocity will probably save you money. While the savings might not match up exactly to what’s advertised, it can still be quite significant. 

Travelocity Rental Cars

How to Book a Rental Car on Travelocity [Step-By-Step]

To book a rental car on Travelocity, click on Cars in the main search box or across the top in the main menu.

Enter your pick up location plus rental dates and times. If you want to specify car type, rental company, or add a coupon code, click on the Advanced options drop-down menu. Then click Search to continue.

You’ll be able to filter your results at the left using tons of options including Travelocity member discounts, car type, rental car company, and price. You can then sort your list from the menu right above your results.

The main price you see will be a per-day price, but the total price is easily visible right underneath the per-day price. Click Reserve once you’ve selected your vehicle.

Next, double-check your reservation details. You’ll also be able to add features like a navigation system or a child car seat. Click Reserve to continue.

Then you’ll need to input your payment info and make a decision about purchasing insurance (scroll down for more about rental car insurance). To the right of your screen, you’ll be able to see a breakdown of all the charges. Click Reserve Now to complete your booking.

Car Rental Protection

Right before you complete your booking on Travelocity, you’ll be asked to choose whether or not you want to purchase car rental insurance.

The good news is that if you’re using the right travel rewards credit card, you might already have insurance, so you can decline the coverage offered by the car rental agency.

Most credit cards require you to pay for the entire rental on the card and turn down the collision damage waiver (CDW) offered by the car rental company to be eligible for their coverage.

Here are some great credit card options that come with car rental insurance:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve^®
• United Club℠ Card
• Amex Platinum card

Hot Tip: For more information about insurance options, check out our guide to credit card car rental insurance.

Price Comparisons

Will booking your rental car through Travelocity save you money? Let’s find out.

Example #1:

For this example, we searched for the cheapest overall price for a week-long rental on each site to see who offered the lowest overall price.

In this case, Travelocity and Expedia offered the lowest prices by over $20 (Travelocity is owned by Expedia so they’ll often have the exact same deals)!

Example #2:

In this next example, we searched for a weekend rental on Travelocity for a compact car. We then compared that exact rental on other sites.

In this example, Priceline is the clear winner and would save you about $35.

Bottom Line: You can book a rental car through Travelocity, but it’s a toss-up whether or not you’ll save money over another website. Price out a few options with other car rental websites before making your booking. 

Travelocity Cruises

How to Book Cruises on Travelocity [Step-By-Step]

Booking a cruise on Travelocity could not be easier. Select Cruises from the top bar or search menu, enter your destination, dates, and number of travelers, and click Search.

You can then sort by departure date, price, or length in the top sort bar or use the left filter bar to adjust cruise length, departure port, cruise line, and more.

Select your cabin experience (like inside, oceanview, balcony, etc.) and click Continue. You’ll next be able to select your cabin type. Any changes in the location or square footage may affect the pricing, and you’ll see price adjustments accordingly.

You’ll then see available cabin room numbers and the available deck plan. After selecting your cabin room, click Continue.

At the final booking page, you’ll enter traveler details, dining options, and your payment option. You’ll also see the deposit due in the Trip Summary at the right of the page.

When all details are entered, click Complete Booking.

Hot Tip: Does travel insurance cover coronavirus? Our latest guide covers what type of insurance you might need for your next adventure. 

Price Comparisons

Will booking your cruise through Travelocity save you money? Let’s take a look.

Example #1:

In this example, we searched for a 7-night Caribbean cruise for 2 adults on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas in February 2021.

In this case, the majority of websites we checked offered the exact same price, but Cruise.com offered the best rate and the best onboard credit deals.

Example #2:

In this next example, we searched for a 10-night Europe Cruise for 2 adults on Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Norwegian Spirit in March 2021.

In this example, both Cruise.com and Norwegian bundled gratuities into their pricing. If you prefer to set your own gratuity rate, you might consider cheaper quotes from Cruise Direct, Expedia, or Travelocity. Otherwise, Cruise.com’s rate is quite attractive and included a cash-back reward.

Bottom Line: When choosing where to spend your cruise dollars, shop around and consider any extras offered (like onboard credit, free specialty dinners or drinks, or free gratuities) or if earning loyalty points (like One Key Rewards) would be valuable.

Travelocity Things to Do

How to Book Things to Do on Travelocity [Step-By-Step]

To find activities to do on your next vacation, start by selecting Things to do in the main search box or the search bar at the top of the page. Enter your destination and dates of travel, then click Search.

You’ll be able to filter your results with the options to the left. You’ll be able to browse by things like type of activity (sightseeing, boat tours, helicopter tours, etc.), tickets, and interests (outdoor, culture, spa, shopping).

The price you see is per person and you’ll easily be able to see if there’s free cancellation. Click anywhere in the activity box to continue.

Next, you’ll want to check your specific travel dates. This page will also give you a lot of information about the tour or activity such as what’s not included, any age or mobility restrictions, and pick-up and drop-off locations. Click Book to continue.

Finally, you’ll just need to supply your credit card information. If you have a promo code you’ll be able to enter it here.

Hot Tip: When booking activities through Travelocity, don’t forget to use a credit card that earns bonus points on travel. Many cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card include travel agencies as part of the travel category, so that means you’ll earn 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on Travelocity purchases.

Price Comparisons

Will booking your activities through Travelocity save you money? Let’s take a look.

As you might have guessed if you looked through the other price comparisons in this post, Travelocity can save you money but not always.

A site like Travelocity is a great way to search for activities. Once you find an activity you’re interested in, you can do a quick price comparison to see if it’s cheaper to book directly with the company or not.

You’ll be able to see the tour operator in each results box. Just type that name into Google to find the company’s website for a quick price check.

Travelocity Vacation Rentals

If a hotel isn’t quite your speed or you prefer the convenience of a condo, apartment, or private home, check out Travelocity’s vacation rentals.

How to Book Vacation Rentals on Travelocity [Step-By-Step]

To begin, click on Vacation Rentals in the main menu at the top. Then input your destination, travel dates, and the number of guests and click Search.

If you’re looking for something specific, use the filtering options at the left. You can narrow your search by price, number of bedrooms, location, property type, and more. Once you have made your selection click anywhere in the results box to continue.

Next, you can choose specific rooms if applicable plus get more information about the property. Once you’re ready to proceed, click Reserve.

You’ll then fill out your credit card information and choose whether or not you want to purchase trip insurance (refer to the Hotels section for more information about hotel protection insurance). The total price and price breakdown will be on the right side of your screen.

Travelocity Promo Codes

One reason people use online travel agencies like Travelocity is to save money, so promo codes and coupon codes are something to keep an eye out for.

How to Use a Travelocity Promo Code

If you have a Travelocity promo code, enter it when you’re filling out your credit card information. You’ll see a small arrow next to Enter a coupon or promotion code — click this to open the promo code box. Enter your coupon code and click Apply Coupon. Then continue filling in your credit card information to complete your reservation.

How to Find Travelocity Coupons and Promo Codes

Sometimes Travelocity will offer a promo code right on its website. These can be listed on the home page or show up in a pop-up box.

Current Travelocity Coupon Codes

View Travelocity’s official page for coupons and promo codes for the most current offers. A sample of recently available offers included 10% off select hotels, $75 off select flight + hotel packages (minimum 3-night stay), and $150 select flight + hotel packages (minimum 1-night stay).

There are also coupon websites that may have Travelocity coupon codes. Here are a few to check out:

• Brad’s Deals: Travelocity coupons
• Business Insider: Travelocity coupon codes
• Coupons.com: Travelocity coupons & promo codes
• DealCatcher: Travelocity coupons & promo codes
• Groupon: Travelocity promo codes and discounts
• Rakuten: Travelocity cash-back
• RetailMeNot: Travelocity coupon codes
• Savings.com: Travelocity coupon codes
• Slickdeals: Travelocity coupons & promo codes

Hot Tip: Cash-back site Rakuten can deliver extra savings on your Travelocity reservation when you start your search through its portal. Learn more about how to shop and earn on Rakuten in our detailed review.

Travelocity Member Discounts

Create a Travelocity account and you’ll be eligible for member discounts on hotels, cars, activities, and vacation rentals. You could save an extra 10% or more on select hotels.

Travelocity Mobile App

Travelocity offers a free mobile app that can be used to book hotels, flights, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, and activities on the go. You can download the app on your phone or tablet through the App Store, Google Play, or scan the QR code here.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, sign in to your Travelocity account to keep track of all your trip details by clicking on Trips at the bottom of your screen.

You can also contact Travelocity customer support directly through the app by clicking on Account in the lower right-hand corner and then selecting Support > Chat with us now.

Travelocity Mobile App Coupon Code

If you’re planning to book a hotel stay through Travelocity, try booking it on the app. By using code APP15 you can save 15% off of your first mobile hotel booking.

Final Thoughts

Travelocity is a huge website offering everything from hotels and flights to vacation packages and activities.

If you’re looking for a great deal, vacation packages are the way to go. You’ll most likely save a good amount of money when booking a hotel, flight, and/or rental car together.

While the savings don’t always match up to the advertised amount, we found that 9 times out of 10, booking a vacation package on Travelocity is a great way to save some cash.