LoungeBum

Hi

I hope you guys can help me out trying to figure this one.

I travel a lot, sometimes the bookings are done by my company and sometimes by me. so having this option of making my own bookings which is the best strategy for points/benefits and what is lost by using travel websites.

I was recently in Singapore and my company did a booking on Expedia and I was not able to get the points in my Honors account. they did let me use the executive lounge as a gold member, but the agent told me that some locations could not let you use the lounge if your booking was done in certain websites. I believe this has something to do with the fare.

Now does airlines and hotels treat travelers differently by from where they purchase their tickets/rooms?

I guess one of the main issues is that any changes, cancellations has to be done directly with the agent you book your itinerary, but what other known benefits can be removed when purchasing tickets/rooms at this sites?