Expedia vs Travelocity: Which Is Better for Family Package Deals?

It can be very frustrating when trying to plan a family vacation. In addition to considering everyone’s interests and preferences, you also have to consider the cost. Everyone wants to create lasting family memories, but planning an affordable vacation for the whole family does not need to be overwhelming. What makes this difficult is finding a website to help you plan your vacation.

There are so many options available for booking that it can be overwhelming. This article will give you a comparison of two popular options used by thousands of American families looking to take affordable vacations. Most American families do not realize that there is a difference in what they pay and the services provided by Expedia vs Travelocity.

By the end of this article, you will understand which option is more beneficial for families looking for a family vacation package. We will explain how each of these websites works for families, provide you with a comparison of package deals offered by both Expedia and Travelocity, and inform you which is cheaper. At the end of this article, you will feel comfortable choosing which website to book your next family vacation on.

What Is Expedia – And Why Families Use It

As one of America’s top online travel booking sites, Expedia provides a wide variety of families with a single platform to plan their vacations. On Expedia, you can find and book anything related to traveling, such as airfare, hotel reservations, car rentals, and even vacation packages. Allowing families to plan their entire trip on a single website eliminates the need for families to visit multiple websites to book all the pieces to their vacation.

Families also use Expedia because it allows them to purchase vacation packages that include both their flight and hotel stay. Purchasing vacation packages through Expedia has proven to save families hundreds of dollars off their total bill by booking their travel arrangements together rather than separately.

Additionally, families can sort through the various travel options based upon specific family-friendly features such as pools, complimentary breakfast, and adjoining rooms. Many families also read reviews written by other parents to help them make educated decisions regarding their vacation choices.

To learn more information about affordable European Family Flights, please click on the link to our article Cheap Flights to Europe for Families.

What Is Travelocity – And Why Families Use It

Travelocity is another well-established travel booking website that was founded in 1996. Travelocity offers all of the same travel booking options as Expedia. They allow families to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages all within the same website. Similar to Expedia, Travelocity allows families to book vacation packages that combine flights and hotel stays.

However, the user interface for Travelocity is less easy to navigate than Expedia. When booking a family vacation, this ease of navigation is important when you are booking for several people and are working against the clock.

We will continue to compare both websites head-to-head in the section below.

Expedia for Family Package Deals

Family-Friendly Features and Filters

In addition to these features, Expedia has a variety of filters that help families narrow down their options. Families can search for hotels with family rooms, connecting rooms, or suites, so there is enough space for everyone. Also, families can search for hotels based on the amenities that are important to them (e.g., pools, kids’ clubs, free breakfast, cribs available).

Reviews become an even bigger asset in this case. Families can look at reviews from other families that have stayed at the hotel and find out if the property was suitable for their children. Reviewers will often write in detail about whether the hotel worked for their children. Therefore, reviews give families a much clearer idea of what the hotel is really like.

Pricing Transparency and Cost Breakdown

Another way that Expedia stands out for families is the clarity regarding where their money is going. In the past, many websites did not clearly show the cost of booking a single element of a trip versus booking a complete package. With Expedia, once you have selected a package, you can see the individual cost of the flight, hotel, and all relevant taxes and fees.

In addition, when you view the results of your searches, you will be able to see the total amount you would save by booking a package instead of booking elements separately. For example, you may see something like “Save $200 when you book your flight and hotel together”. This gives you an immediate comparison of the benefits of booking a package vs. booking each part separately.

Real Family Scenario: The Johnson Family Trip

Here’s how the Johnson family – mom, dad, and kids aged 8 and 12 – booked their vacation to Orlando on Expedia. First, the family entered their departure airport (Orlando) and their travel dates. Then, after clicking “Search”, they were presented with dozens of different possible flight and hotel packages.

Next, they filtered for hotels that offered pools and family-friendly features, and sorted them by price to see which ones fit into their budget. They noticed several package deals that saved the family anywhere from $150-300 compared to booking each segment separately.

Ultimately, the Johnsons chose a mid-range hotel close to Disney World that had good family reviews combined with non-stop flights that wouldn’t subject the kids to extended layovers.

Here is exactly what the Johnsons paid on Expedia:

• Round-trip flights for four: $923
• Hotel accommodation (4 nights): $1,277
• Taxes and fees: $200
• Total: $2,400

As they looked at the final bill, the Johnsons realized they had saved $275 compared to if they had purchased each item individually. And, overall, it took them approximately 15 minutes from the time they began to complete their booking.

Travelocity for Family Package Deals

Family-Friendly Features and Filters

You’ve looked at several family vacation packages on Travelocity and found that some features are very good while others are somewhat lacking. While there is a family section where you can choose from kid-friendly hotels, family resorts, and rooms with two beds, there aren’t nearly as many choices as other travel websites offer.

While you can narrow down your search by choosing items such as pools or rooms that connect, the visuals are not as clear or easy to use as other travel websites.

While the customer reviews do reference family-related experiences and may help you find an inexpensive package deal, the reviews do not include any family-specific categories. Therefore, you will have to sift through all of the reviews and try to determine if any of them apply to your specific needs.

Pricing Transparency and Cost Breakdown

While the base prices of Travelocity are competitive, the prices of add-ons are not always transparent. For example, you’ll see the cost of the main package deal at first, then you’ll begin to see taxes, resort fees, and booking fees being tacked on to the total cost as you progress through the checkout process.

In addition, the platform shows you the total cost of the package before you confirm your purchase, but it is not broken down as much as the costs are on other travel websites. This makes it difficult to compare the true costs of different packages when searching for the best deals on multiple websites.

Real Family Scenario: The Johnson Family Trip

When the Johnson family researched Travelocity for their Orlando vacation, they were able to find similar hotel and airfare options to those they found on Expedia, but they thought the experience was less polished. A package deal for two adults and two children (ages 8 and 12) would cost the Johnsons $3,247 for five days at a mid-range resort located close to Disney World.

Here is exactly what the Johnsons paid on Travelocity:

• Round-trip flights for four: $1,198
• Hotel accommodation (4 nights): $1,849
• Taxes and fees: $200
• Total: $3,247

Their Travelocity total came to $847 more than the identical Expedia booking, a significant difference for a family watching every dollar. The booking process also took 15 minutes longer because of the less user-friendly interface.

Although the Johnson family liked Travelocity’s customer service reputation, they did not think the overall user experience lived up to their expectations for fast, convenient trip planning.

Head-to-Head Comparison Table

When looking for budget-friendly family vacations, both websites have specific strengths and weaknesses that will either help or hurt your travel-booking process. The side-by-side comparison below compares which website does what well, and which website struggles in areas important to budget-conscious families.

When comparing this chart as a whole, Expedia prevails in nearly all categories that matter to budget-conscious families, such as price transparency, how easy it is to book, and cancellation options. Please see below for our final review.

Which One Saves Families More Money

Real-World Family Savings Comparison

The Johnson family was able to save an additional $847 on their Orlando trip by selecting Expedia. Is this a singular occurrence or consistent results?

London Family Adventure (7 Days, 6 Nights)

The Chen family’s London vacation comparison showed:

*Travelocity has no Enterprise partnership, car rentals must be booked separately from flights, resulting in increased costs and complexity for families.

Your London savings with Expedia: $423

Expedia’s partnership with Virgin Atlantic resulted in saving $325 on flights alone. Travelocity simply cannot compete with that.

Your Total Potential Savings

Between the two scenarios, choosing Expedia over Travelocity saved the families a combined total of $1,270. The numbers are clear.

Let’s make it official here, our final verdict for budget-conscious American families:

• Orlando: $847 savings
• London: $423 savings
• Total potential savings: $1,270

Our Winner for Families

Expedia easily beats out Travelocity when it comes to budget-conscious families that want affordable family vacations. Here are reasons why you should choose Expedia over Travelocity:

• Massive savings: Families will save an average of $1,270 more on family packages than those using Travelocity’s services.
• Streamlined booking: The website allows for easier searches of cheap family package deals with fewer clicks and more clearly listed prices.
• Better protection: More flexible cancellation policies are offered by Expedia, allowing for better protection of your family vacation investment.

Book your next family vacation through Expedia to stretch your travel budget. Look at some of our articles on [cheap family flights to Europe] and [affordable family vacations in the USA] to begin planning your next family adventure while keeping money in your pocket. Every family needs a vacation, and it shouldn’t take much to make it happen.

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