Have you ever tried to book a flight online and found a website that isn’t the airline’s? That’s called a third-party website. It could be a travel site that shows you prices from many airlines. At first, it sounds great. You see low prices and lots of options. But what is it really like to book your flight this way?

I did it—and I learned a lot. Some parts were great, and some were not so fun. Here’s my honest story so you can decide if booking through a third-party site is right for you.

Why I Chose a Third-Party Website

I wanted to visit my best friend who lives in Italy. I started looking at flight prices and saw that airline websites were a bit expensive. So I Googled “cheap flights to Italy” and found many third-party websites showing lower prices.

One of them had my flight for £40 less than the airline’s site. That sounded amazing! I clicked and started the booking.

Booking Was Fast and Easy

The booking process felt easy. The site asked for my name, date of travel, and card details. In just a few clicks, I was done. I got an email with a booking number and flight details.

It felt like magic—I saved money and booked a flight in minutes!

The Confirmation Delay

Here’s where it got a bit confusing. After I booked, I got an email that said, “We are confirming your flight with the airline. You’ll get a final email shortly.”

Wait, what? I thought I was done!

It took almost 3 hours before I got the second email saying my booking was confirmed. During that time, I was nervous. Did the booking work? Did they charge me? Should I call someone?

Lesson learned: when using a third-party site, confirmation can take time.

Customer Service Wasn’t So Great

I tried calling the number in the email to check on my booking. I waited on hold for 20 minutes before someone picked up. They were polite, but they couldn’t answer all my questions. They told me to “wait for the email.”

If I had booked directly with the airline, I could have called them instead. But since I used a third-party, I had to go through the site’s customer support.

That’s one big difference.

Changes or Cancellations? It’s Tricky

A few days later, I thought about changing my flight time. So I checked the website. It said I would have to pay a service fee, plus any airline fees, to make changes. The fee was £25 just for the site, not counting the airline cost.

I realized that changing flights is harder through third-party sites. Some don’t even allow it unless you buy extra insurance at booking.

If you think your plans might change, it might be better to book with the airline.

Day of the Flight – No Problems!

Finally, the day of my flight arrived. I used the airline’s website to check in. I entered my booking number, and it worked! I printed my boarding pass and went to the airport.

Everything went smoothly. I boarded the plane, and the flight was on time. No delays. My seat was comfy, and the flight attendants were nice.

What I Liked

• Lower price: I saved money

• Easy comparison: I saw prices from different airlines in one place

• Fast booking: I booked in a few minutes

What I Didn’t Like

• Delayed confirmation

• Customer service wasn’t helpful

• Hard to make changes or cancel

• Extra fees hidden at checkout

Should You Book Through a Third-Party Site?

If you're trying to save money and know your travel dates won’t change, third-party sites can be a good choice. Just make sure you:

• Read all the terms before you pay

• Double-check your name, dates, and airport

• Be patient while waiting for confirmation

• Use a trusted Flights from UK provider to avoid scams

Some websites like EasyFares show real prices with no hidden surprises. They help you find cheap flights and still offer good support. That’s better than many unknown third-party sites.

Final Thoughts

Booking a flight through a third-party website is a bit like ordering takeaway from a delivery app. You don’t deal with the restaurant directly. Most of the time it works fine, but if something goes wrong, it can be harder to fix.

Would I do it again? Yes, but only with a site I trust. I wouldn’t use a random one just because it’s cheap.

So, next time you want to save a few pounds on your flight, think about what matters most—price, support, or peace of mind. Sometimes, spending a little more means fewer problems later on.