Is CheapoTrav actually cheaper than Expedia, Kayak or Google Flights?

For fares that every site is allowed to display online, prices are usually within a few dollars because all meta-search engines pull from the same GDS feeds (Sabre, Amadeus, Travelport). The meaningful savings — typically 15–40% on flights and 10–25% on vacation packages — come from our phone-only consolidator fares and wholesale hotel allotments that OTAs are contractually forbidden from publishing online. The honest answer: search anywhere, then call us to compare the phone-only quote before you book.

Does CheapoTrav charge any booking fees, service fees or payment fees?

No. We charge $0 booking fees on flights, $0 on hotels, and $0 on vacation packages. There is no credit card surcharge, no 'support fee', and no fee added at the final checkout step. The total quoted at search time is the total charged to your card — taxes and carrier-imposed fees included.

How do phone-only fares actually work?

Airlines, hotel chains and tour operators release private negotiated fares to a small number of licensed travel desks under contracts that legally prohibit public online display. When you call, our agent pulls up your exact itinerary in the GDS, checks our private fare buckets, and quotes you the unpublished rate. Booking takes about three to five minutes and you receive the same airline confirmation number you would get booking direct.

What happens if my flight is canceled, delayed, or the schedule changes?

Call our 24/7 desk at +1 (815) 473-8090 and a US-based licensed agent will handle it at no extra charge. We rebook on the airline's schedule-change waiver (often into a better itinerary, sometimes a higher cabin), request hotel and meal vouchers when eligible, and process refunds directly with the carrier. You do not pay change fees for airline-initiated changes.

Are CheapoTrav vacation packages really cheaper than Costco Travel, Expedia or Apple Vacations?

On the most-booked US outbound destinations — Cancún, Punta Cana, Riviera Maya, Las Vegas, Orlando, Hawaii, Jamaica, Aruba — our packages almost always undercut Costco Travel and Expedia, frequently by $150–$600 per couple. This is because we combine consolidator flight fares with wholesale hotel allotments that are bundled at a single contracted price. See live side-by-side examples on our cheapest vacation packages comparison page.

How do I get the absolute best price on CheapoTrav?

Three steps. (1) Search the itinerary on the site to lock in dates, route and cabin. (2) Click 'Call for phone-only fare' or dial +1 (815) 473-8090. (3) Tell the agent the on-site price and ask for the phone-only quote — they will quote both and you choose whichever is cheaper. There is no obligation to book and the quote is held for you for up to 24 hours on most fares.

Is CheapoTrav a legitimate, licensed travel agency?

Yes. CheapoTrav operates as a US-based licensed travel agency with full ARC (Airlines Reporting Corporation) accreditation, IATA credentials, and Seller of Travel registration in the states that require it. Every booking generates a real airline or hotel confirmation number you can verify directly on the carrier's website.

What payment methods do you accept and is my card secure?

We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover) and most digital wallets. Payments are processed through PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant gateways with 3-D Secure authentication. We never store full card numbers on our servers.

Can I book one-way, multi-city or international flights?

Yes — one-way, round-trip, multi-city, open-jaw, and around-the-world itineraries are all supported. Complex international routings (multiple stopovers, mixed cabins, partner-airline ticketing) are exactly the use case where our phone-only fares produce the biggest savings versus online-only sites.

Do you support group bookings or corporate travel?

Yes. Groups of 10 or more travelers qualify for group fares with held seats, name-change flexibility, and consolidated billing. Corporate travel includes profile management, policy enforcement, and unused-ticket tracking. Call the desk and ask for the group or corporate team.

What is your refund and cancellation policy?

Refundability follows the underlying airline or hotel rules — we do not add CheapoTrav cancellation fees on top. Refundable fares are refunded in full to the original payment method, typically within 7–14 business days. Non-refundable airline tickets remain eligible for the airline's standard credit/voucher program; we process the credit and track it for you at no charge.

Do you price-match if I find a cheaper fare elsewhere?

Yes — if you find a lower published price on the identical itinerary (same airline, flight numbers, fare class, cabin, dates and ticketing terms) within 24 hours of booking, call us and we will match it or refund the difference. The price-match applies to fares that meet airline display rules, not to opaque/blind-booking sites.

How does CheapoTrav protect my personal data and travel details?

We collect only what is required to ticket your booking (name as on passport, date of birth, contact info, payment). Data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest, never sold to third parties, and shared with airlines/hotels only as needed to fulfill your reservation. See our privacy page for the full policy.

Can I earn airline miles or hotel loyalty points on CheapoTrav bookings?

On most published fares, yes — add your loyalty number at checkout or give it to the agent on the phone and miles/points accrue normally. A small number of deeply discounted consolidator fares are non-mileage-accruing; the agent will tell you up front before you book.

Why Choose CheapoTrav for the Cheapest Flights and Vacation Packages in 2026

By CheapoTrav Editorial·Updated June 16, 2026·6 min read·Covers: United States

Key facts

$0 booking fees on flights, hotels and packages
Phone-only fares from consolidators not visible to Kayak, Expedia or Google
24/7 US-based licensed travel agents
Price-drop monitoring and free rebooking on schedule changes
True total-price ranking — no paid placement

Prefer to talk it through? Free 24/7 expert help.

Call Now 1 (815) 473-8090

If you only compare headline prices, every travel search engine looks the same. The real difference shows up at checkout — and on the day you actually fly. Here is the unfiltered case for why CheapoTrav is the smarter way to find the cheapest flights and vacation packages in 2026.

Short on time? Jump to the most-asked questions: Are there booking fees? · How do phone-only fares work? · Cheaper than Expedia/Kayak? · How to get the best price

1. Zero booking fees, ever

Most "cheap" travel sites quote a low base fare and then add service fees, payment fees, or "support" fees at the final step. CheapoTrav charges $0 booking fees on flights, hotels and vacation packages. The price you see is the price you pay — verified across every step of our checkout. See the full fee breakdown in the FAQ →

Skip the search — talk to a CheapoTrav expert.

Phone-only fares on flights, hotels & packages. Free 24/7 expert help.

📞 Call 1 (815) 473-8090

2. Phone-only fares the OTAs cannot publish

Airlines and resort chains release private, unpublished fares to licensed travel desks. Sites like Expedia, Kayak and Google Flights only show published inventory. Our agents have direct access to consolidator fares, opaque hotel rates, and bundled package discounts that legally cannot appear on a public search engine. One call frequently uncovers 15–40% savings on the exact same itinerary you just searched. How phone-only fares work, step by step →

Skip the search — talk to a CheapoTrav expert.

Phone-only fares on flights, hotels & packages. Free 24/7 expert help.

📞 Call 1 (815) 473-8090

3. True meta-search, not a paid-placement marketplace

Big OTAs sort results by margin — the cheapest option is often buried below "sponsored" rows. CheapoTrav ranks results by real total price (fare + taxes + bags + seat + resort fees) using live inventory from multiple GDS providers. No paid re-ordering. No hidden upsells. How we compare on price vs Expedia, Kayak and Google →

4. Vacation packages that actually save money

A vacation package only beats booking separately when the operator gets a wholesale rate on both flight and hotel. CheapoTrav package fares pull from the same wholesale pools airlines use for their own branded vacations, then layer in our own negotiated hotel allotments. That is why our Cancún, Punta Cana, Vegas and Orlando packages routinely undercut Expedia and Costco Travel — see our cheapest vacation packages comparison for live examples, or jump to how our package pricing beats Costco and Expedia →

Skip the search — talk to a CheapoTrav expert.

Phone-only fares on flights, hotels & packages. Free 24/7 expert help.

📞 Call 1 (815) 473-8090

5. 24/7 expert help by a real human

When a flight gets canceled at 2 AM, an OTA chatbot is not going to rebook you. Our travel desk is staffed 24/7 by licensed US-based agents. Free schedule changes, free rebooking on schedule-change waivers, and free advice when something goes wrong mid-trip. What we do when your flight is canceled or delayed →

6. Price-drop protection and price-match on every booking

If your flight or package drops in price after you book — and is still refundable or covered by the airline's rebooking policy — we monitor it for you and rebook automatically at the lower fare. Most OTAs charge a "change fee" that wipes out the savings; we do not. Read the full price-match policy →

Skip the search — talk to a CheapoTrav expert.

Phone-only fares on flights, hotels & packages. Free 24/7 expert help.

📞 Call 1 (815) 473-8090

7. Built for the way real travelers shop

We built CheapoTrav around the questions travelers actually ask:

No-booking-fee flights — every fare displayed includes the final price.
No-booking-fee hotels — resort fees disclosed up-front, not at the desk.
Best travel search engine for flights — head-to-head against Kayak, Skyscanner, Google Flights.
Best for vacation packages — comparison vs Expedia, Costco Travel, Apple Vacations.

How we compare against the big names

We publish full side-by-side breakdowns so you can verify the claims above:

Trust & safety questions? Is CheapoTrav a licensed agency? · Payment security · Data protection · Miles & loyalty points

Skip the search — talk to a CheapoTrav expert.

Phone-only fares on flights, hotels & packages. Free 24/7 expert help.

📞 Call 1 (815) 473-8090

The bottom line

If you want the absolute lowest final price on a flight or vacation package — not the lowest headline — start your search on CheapoTrav, then call us to unlock the phone-only fare on the itinerary you picked. It takes about three minutes and frequently saves hundreds of dollars per traveler. Here is the exact three-step playbook →

Frequently asked questions

Is CheapoTrav actually cheaper than Expedia, Kayak or Google Flights?: For fares that every site is allowed to display online, prices are usually within a few dollars because all meta-search engines pull from the same GDS feeds (Sabre, Amadeus, Travelport). The meaningful savings — typically 15–40% on flights and 10–25% on vacation packages — come from our phone-only consolidator fares and wholesale hotel allotments that OTAs are contractually forbidden from publishing online. The honest answer: search anywhere, then call us to compare the phone-only quote before you book.
Does CheapoTrav charge any booking fees, service fees or payment fees?: No. We charge $0 booking fees on flights, $0 on hotels, and $0 on vacation packages. There is no credit card surcharge, no 'support fee', and no fee added at the final checkout step. The total quoted at search time is the total charged to your card — taxes and carrier-imposed fees included.
How do phone-only fares actually work?: Airlines, hotel chains and tour operators release private negotiated fares to a small number of licensed travel desks under contracts that legally prohibit public online display. When you call, our agent pulls up your exact itinerary in the GDS, checks our private fare buckets, and quotes you the unpublished rate. Booking takes about three to five minutes and you receive the same airline confirmation number you would get booking direct.
What happens if my flight is canceled, delayed, or the schedule changes?: Call our 24/7 desk at +1 (815) 473-8090 and a US-based licensed agent will handle it at no extra charge. We rebook on the airline's schedule-change waiver (often into a better itinerary, sometimes a higher cabin), request hotel and meal vouchers when eligible, and process refunds directly with the carrier. You do not pay change fees for airline-initiated changes.
Are CheapoTrav vacation packages really cheaper than Costco Travel, Expedia or Apple Vacations?: On the most-booked US outbound destinations — Cancún, Punta Cana, Riviera Maya, Las Vegas, Orlando, Hawaii, Jamaica, Aruba — our packages almost always undercut Costco Travel and Expedia, frequently by $150–$600 per couple. This is because we combine consolidator flight fares with wholesale hotel allotments that are bundled at a single contracted price. See live side-by-side examples on our cheapest vacation packages comparison page.
How do I get the absolute best price on CheapoTrav?: Three steps. (1) Search the itinerary on the site to lock in dates, route and cabin. (2) Click 'Call for phone-only fare' or dial +1 (815) 473-8090. (3) Tell the agent the on-site price and ask for the phone-only quote — they will quote both and you choose whichever is cheaper. There is no obligation to book and the quote is held for you for up to 24 hours on most fares.
Is CheapoTrav a legitimate, licensed travel agency?: Yes. CheapoTrav operates as a US-based licensed travel agency with full ARC (Airlines Reporting Corporation) accreditation, IATA credentials, and Seller of Travel registration in the states that require it. Every booking generates a real airline or hotel confirmation number you can verify directly on the carrier's website.
What payment methods do you accept and is my card secure?: We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover) and most digital wallets. Payments are processed through PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant gateways with 3-D Secure authentication. We never store full card numbers on our servers.
Can I book one-way, multi-city or international flights?: Yes — one-way, round-trip, multi-city, open-jaw, and around-the-world itineraries are all supported. Complex international routings (multiple stopovers, mixed cabins, partner-airline ticketing) are exactly the use case where our phone-only fares produce the biggest savings versus online-only sites.
Do you support group bookings or corporate travel?: Yes. Groups of 10 or more travelers qualify for group fares with held seats, name-change flexibility, and consolidated billing. Corporate travel includes profile management, policy enforcement, and unused-ticket tracking. Call the desk and ask for the group or corporate team.
What is your refund and cancellation policy?: Refundability follows the underlying airline or hotel rules — we do not add CheapoTrav cancellation fees on top. Refundable fares are refunded in full to the original payment method, typically within 7–14 business days. Non-refundable airline tickets remain eligible for the airline's standard credit/voucher program; we process the credit and track it for you at no charge.
Do you price-match if I find a cheaper fare elsewhere?: Yes — if you find a lower published price on the identical itinerary (same airline, flight numbers, fare class, cabin, dates and ticketing terms) within 24 hours of booking, call us and we will match it or refund the difference. The price-match applies to fares that meet airline display rules, not to opaque/blind-booking sites.
How does CheapoTrav protect my personal data and travel details?: We collect only what is required to ticket your booking (name as on passport, date of birth, contact info, payment). Data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest, never sold to third parties, and shared with airlines/hotels only as needed to fulfill your reservation. See our privacy page for the full policy.
Can I earn airline miles or hotel loyalty points on CheapoTrav bookings?: On most published fares, yes — add your loyalty number at checkout or give it to the agent on the phone and miles/points accrue normally. A small number of deeply discounted consolidator fares are non-mileage-accruing; the agent will tell you up front before you book.