The City of Angels awaits! Los Angeles is a world-class metropolis and a magnet for visitors from all over the world thanks to its vibrant culture, temperate climate and an endless list of attractions.
Los Angeles (Photo_: Nancy Dushkin via Flickr)
You won’t want for things to do once you’ve arrived, but where’s the best place to get a cheap vacation package to L.A.? There are literally dozens of reputable travel booking companies that offer vacation package deals to Los Angeles, and we have compared them all according to factors like price, special deals, customer feedback, and cancellation policies. Here are our top three favorites travel companies for booking vacation packages to Los Angeles:
EXPEDIA
Expedia took the top spot for vacation packages to Los Angeles. A top-tier travel booking company, Expedia offers a great selection of hotels and flights. You can sometimes a lower rate on a particular hotel or flight, but the combined package rate will usually match or beat those savings. Expedia is also our choice for booking family vacation packages. For travelers coming from New York, Atlanta or Vancouver, Expedia offers savings of between $150-$400 for a 4-star hotel on a 3-night stay, and savings increase with the length of stay. Expedia offers free cancellation of both hotels and flights if you cancel within 24 hours after making the booking. Expedia also offers Vacation Waiver insurance which allows you to cancel your package penalty-free after 24 hours.
2. PRICELINE
Priceline is largely comparable to Expedia in terms of flight and hotel options, and we found its user interface slightly more intuitive and easier to use. After conducting a thorough price comparison of numerous packages, we found Priceline’s rates were a bit higher, on average, than Expedia’s. The notable exception was for short stays of one night, for which Priceline often offered better rates than Expedia. Priceline also offers a good selection of vacation package deals that are worth checking out before you make a booking. Priceline guarantees a full refund of the flight segment if you cancel within 24 hours of making the booking, but JetBlue, Spirit Airlines and Air India are not covered by this policy.
3. JETBLUE VACATIONS
JetBlue is a low-cost carrier that offers combined flight and hotel booking packages through JetBlue Vacations. They currently offer cheap vacation packages to Los Angeles from New York, Buffalo, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando. The downside is that JetBlue Vacations’ selection of hotels is more limited than Expedia’s or Priceline’s, and the fact that you only book flights on JetBlue. We always recommend checking Expedia and Priceline before booking with JetBlue Vacations as you’ll sometimes pay a lot more on certain trips. Unlike Expedia or Priceline, JetBlue will charge you fees if you cancel or change a vacation package. JetBlue charges a $70 per-person fee if you cancel or change a package 60 days or more from the departure date, and a $135 per-person fee if you cancel within 60 days of the departure date. Keep in mind that this does not include potential change/cancellation fees charged by the hotel.