If your wanderlust has had you wondering how to score travel to a dream destination for less, look no further than secondhand vacations.
Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy, says the “fairly new trend” of buying trips from people who have had to cancel their nonrefundable stays has cropped up with an increased interest from travelers hoping to save.
Websites such as SpareFare, Roomer, Plans Change and Transfer Travel offer discounted accommodations to would-be travelers who can purchase trips from someone who’s no longer able to make it.
“They’re sort of like eBay,” Henderson said. “You can go and bid on ‘used’ vacations — people who can’t take their trips are selling on these marketplaces.”
While there are variables to the markdowns, savings are still on the horizon with these sites.
For example, a luxury cruise from Virgin Voyages — five nights for two adults, complete with an extra-large sea terrace — that was originally listed at $3,192 is now being offered for just $2,600 — a nearly 20% discount.
One recent Roomer offer in the Netherlands had a five-night stay at Urban Residences Rotterdam, originally priced at $753, available for just $50.
While secondhand sites can provide travelers with another tool in the hunt for bargains, Henderson explained that there’s a caveat when it comes to ticket changes.
“It is really, really, really hard, especially these days, in a post-9/11 world, to change the name on an airline ticket,” he said. “You would have to find out if the airline will allow you to change the name. A lot of times, there’s fees for ticket name changes, and there could even be a ticket repricing.”