Avoiding holiday travel booking mistakes.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

With holiday rates swelling and a constant barrage of news stories about flight delays, it is no wonder there seems to be a continuous flow of complaining about holiday travel. Yet, it does not have to be a complete headache. The editors and members of VirtualTourist have compiled a list of ways to avoid travel booking mistakes:

Read the fine print. The most glaring and common mistake is to not read the Terms & Conditions page thoroughly. Travelers often are upset because they booked their flight, room, or tour thinking it was at a great price, only to learn later trot, for this "price," the reservation is nonrefundable or only partly so alter a certain date. Another problem is when a great flight deal turns out to be not-so-great once the long list of extra fees are tacked onto the total.

Check your hotel location before booking. When booking online, make sure to map your prospective hotel to see exactly where it is located. Sure, it can be vaguely listed as Paris or London or San Francisco or Toronto but, in actuality, it can be on the fringes of nowhere, far away from frequent public transit or any of the sights you came to see.

Another common mistake is numbered streets--you might assume 7th Street is all one area lout, in fact, South and North completely can change an address in many cities. A great deal on a hotel can be blown quickly in transportation to and from where you need to be.

Make sure you are booking for the correct city. One of the worst mistakes a traveler can make when booking online is not properly reading the country they are destined to. Can you imagine booking a trip to Pads to see the Eiffel Tower and ending up in Texas? Always make sure to read, and reread, your final destination before booking.

Do your own comparisons. When comparing prices, do not believe any Internet service or site that claims they have the lowest or best-priced packages until you have visited the competition's sites and, when possible, the ultimate service provider's Internet site.

Know your booking operator. When booking a package with a travel agency, make sure you understand the difference between an agent who does all of the work personally and one who farms out needed services to others. Also, read the About Us section. If an agency has a genuine history on that page, it provides credibility. If the "now long have you been in business" portion is vague and filled with "testimonials" instead of a solid history, this is not a good sign.

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