Booking travel using websites such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotels.com has never been easier but site navigation, search results for hotel selections, flight options and price can differ dramatically. A little homework and comparison shopping can save hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars off your next trip.

I recently took a "test drive" on these four travel booking sites using this itinerary:

Roundtrip from San Francisco to Chicago, including flights and hotel. I chose United Airlines as the carrier of choice and Days Inn as the hotel. Dates used were outside 30 days of departure.

Orbitz - $669 per person. Both flights were one-stop. Navigating the site was a breeze. As I was comparing flights and alternative hotels, a chat box appeared asking if I needed help. I didn't need any help so I closed the box. Quite a nice feature for those who are new to booking travel online.

Travelocity - $715 per person. Outbound flight was non-stop, which is always preferred, and the return flight was 1-stop. Is the increased fare worth the non-stop flight? Good question. If you layover you might burn that savings at an airport lounge or restaurant. I would rather get to the final destination as quickly as possible. A nice feature in navigation is the ability to select +/- 3 day travel window. This option might enable you to get an even better deal.

Expedia - $745 per person. Outbound and inbound flights were non-stop. Navigation was a bit challenging. Compared to Travelocity and Orbitz, it took four additional clicks to select specific flights and hotel. Someone who has little experience booking online may find Expedia overwhelming. On the positive side, there is an option to view available seating.

Hotels.com - $687 per person. As with Expedia, both flights were non-stop. It's not surprising since Hotels.com is an operating company of Expedia. After navigating beyond the first page the site closely resembles that of Expedia. It's very busy and the options are a distraction rather than a benefit.

In this exercise Orbitz gets my vote for ease of use but I'll take Travelocity for getting me to where I want to go in the shortest amount of time.

Now for the surprise: If you are willing to go one more step you may even save more money. I checked United Airlines "United Vacations" site which bundles flight, hotels and car rentals. Guess what? The United package using the same flights and hotel as the travel planning websites came in at $533 per person and I was even able to select seats on the spot!

Learn more about this author, Rob Whitley.
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