Travelocity is an online travel booking website, that allows one to book not only airline tickets, but also hotel rooms, rental cars, rail tickets, cruises, travel deals and activities as well, including things like tickets to attractions. Travelocity was rated number four out of ten in online travel site ratings, but like most other travel booking sites, has had it's share of complaints from unsatisfied customers. Most of the complaints, however, seem to be issues customers have had with the customer service line that is based overseas, as many of them are these days.

Key Features And Strengths

One great feature of this site is called "Experience Finder," which is a link located at the top of some of the pages of the website. Information can be found here that otherwise might have been difficult to find about desired destinations. One can look up their destination there, by clicking the destination button on the left hand side, and then choosing their destination. Or, by clicking on the experience button on the right hand side, a very interesting array of experiences are found. These include things like history of an area, sightseeing destinations, theme parks, fairs and festivals, to girlfriend getaways, family friendly destinations, to food and wine destinations, cultural finds and beach destinations. This is a very interesting feature of the website, and includes a wealth of very good and unique information about each destination.

Another nice feature is the price match guarantee. If a customer finds a lower price within 24 hours, Travelocity will match the price plus provide the customer with $50 towards their next purchase. However, there are stipulations with this, which should be carefully taken into consideration. In the fine print, it's stated that the price found must be for the identical booking, exactly matching all details, and once you contact Travelocity stating your find, there is another stipulation. When Travelocity investigates the price, the price must be there when they investigate... for example, one cannot take a "screenshot" of a lower price found on another website that was available for a short time, then is not available when Travelocity investigates the price. This is something to keep in mind before one relies too heavily on the "price match guarantee". And in more fine print, all of Travelocity's decisions are final. So, with that in mind, the price match guarantee may be a difficult thing to obtain.

Some more nice features are Travelocity points, which are earned and can be redeemed on future travel, and the ability to choose one's own seats when traveling by air. There is also a travel protection plan, which reimburses the customer for cancellations, however, it covers a traveler only under certain circumstances, and the consumer must be aware of the fine print before accepting travelers insurance.

There are also no booking fees to book most flights, cars, cruises and vacation packages. And if one is traveling with a large group, rooms can be found for more than four people at decent prices. Travelocity's website also features an "off the beaten path" section, within the" Experience Finder" which is very nice for finding those out of the way places, and reviews of restaurants and fun places to see. Some interesting ideas can be found here.

Ease Of Use

The website itself can be a bit confusing to use at times, but it is helpful to scroll to the bottom where there is a comprehensive list of website topics. One can also experience some difficulty with some of the links, such as the customer care link.

The website tends to be very busy at times, resulting in customers attempting to book their vacations, then getting messages that the website is experiencing difficulties. Then, according to many that have complained, the consumer is directed to call the customer service number to make their travel arrangements, and find later that they were charged with a $30 fee for making their reservation plans over the phone. In effect, being penalized for issues with Travelocity's website, then having a difficult time reversing the charge.

There is a nice travel blog feature on the website where potential customers can read reviews posted by other travelers that booked through Travelocity. Good information can be found there about experiences on cruise lines and other information pertaining to destinations and travel packages.

Customer Service
According to many of the complaints filed, the biggest issue with Travelocity seems to be their customer service department. Reports of people contacting someone that does not have a good command of the English language, making translation very difficult, to difficulties with getting issues resolved, to reports of anywhere from four to seven hours on the phone without resolution can be discouraging. Although there are other reports as well about transactions that went smoothly. The problem seems to arise when it is necessary to contact customer service to correct an issue. Things as simple as a misspelled name seem to be difficult to resolve, or other seemingly simple issues such as an incorrect date or flight number.

People's experiences with a company can be very different depending on circumstances, and one must be aware that online reviews are usually going to be about transactions that did not go smoothly, or were not resolved to the customer's satisfaction. It is wise to look through reviews of using Travelocity as a service, but also to keep in mind that all transactions do not have the same result.

That being said, the biggest piece of advice before one uses Travelocity to make travel plans is "caveat emptor"... which is latin for let the buyer beware. This usually means that the seller won't be responsible for quality of products or services, unless it is stated in a written warranty. The customer should always be cautiously aware that difficulties can result from any transaction, and go into the transaction with full awareness of this. Being an alert and careful consumer is always the best advice.