Whenever I have to book flights for a trip, the first travel website I start with is Travelstart. I’ve used it to book and plan a trip overseas as well as numerous domestic trips.
Here is what I like about Travelstart:
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All the airlines in one place
Travelstart has all the domestic and international carriers listed so you don’t have to shop around to get the best deal. Just enter your flight date and time and all the available flights are presented in a way that is easy to compare.
Deal with one company
Even if you fly with multiple airlines, Travelstart handles the booking on your behalf and you don’t have to deal with each airline individually. It’s like having your own travel agent.
More than flights
Travelstart not only has cheap flights but also car hire and hotel bookings. The company acquired the majority stake in SafariNow.com in 2017 so it has a big footprint in the accommodation booking market. For comprehensive deals, you can also book complete holiday packages to satisfy all your travel needs in one go.
Cancellations and refunds
When booking flights, there is the option to add the cancellation product to your booking. This allows you to cancel your flight up to 48 hours prior to departure and still receive a full refund. Another nifty feature is the Visa Denied Service. This allows you a refund on your flight ticket in the event that your Visa application is rejected.
It is easy to book and plan complicated routes and transfers.
The routes and transfers offered by Travelstart are guaranteed. You will be able to make the connecting flight unless the airline is forced to cancel a flight. This beats having to do all the complicated planning yourself, especially on a multi-leg journey. For instance, on my trip to Bali, I had three connecting flights to Johannesburg, Singapore and Denpasar. Without Travelstart it would have been a nightmare to coordinate these layovers.
Taking some flak
The company has received some flack in online reviews. When flights are cancelled or delayed, it’s Travelstart that takes the heat from customers and not the airlines. Even though I have not experienced any bad service personally, some of my close family members were stranded recently when flights were unexpectedly cancelled. The company should improve their communication with clients, especially when updates from airlines are just as bad or even worse.
Having said this, for the sake of convenience and time-saving, my first stop will still be Travelstart to book my next flight.
This article was published in partnership with Travelstart.
