Are these websites good?

Q: I have come across a few internet sites where one can book hotels, flights, cars etc. The three that I have checked have some good deals - they are TravelSource.com, Expedia.com and booking.com. How genuine and safe are these sites? - Rosh Reddy

A: You don't need to worry about most of the hotel and airline booking sites you will encounter on the Internet as your searches will most likely uncover the most-used sites. It would be very difficult for shady upstarts to get listed alongside the big, reliable operators. I have used two of the sites you refer to (expedia.com and booking.com) and they were both excellent. I have not tried www.travelsource.com. If you are unsure about a website you should check the details provided about the site. If there is a telephone number supplied try calling it to ensure there is someone at the end of the line. Also check whether the site is a member of any international or national travel organisation. You should also have a look at the hotel reviews provided by the site - if they have an extensive bank of reviews, then the chances of it being reputable are pretty good. Finally, you can do a google search such as "XYZ Travel complaint" or "XYZ Travel scam" and see if anything comes up. (9 May 2010)