The Ctrip/Trip.com GBU thread
Apr 17, 2025 | 6:44 pm
#76
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: HNL
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Apr 17, 2025 | 8:42 pm
#77
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/SZX/RGN/TFU
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Posts: 2,475
While I don't know about the US, for Europe and Middle East it is sometimes cheaper to book on ctrip than agoda/booking for the same hotels. Sometimes ctrip is significantly cheaper than trip.com too and vv.
Apr 18, 2025 | 12:49 am
#78
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Apr 18, 2025 | 1:46 am
#79
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 5,136
IME, they offer very good rates at specific properties (i.e. those they have negotiated with) in markets that are popular with Chinese tourists (e.g. New York, Las Vegas, London, Paris, Madrid, most places in Asia, etc). I don't usually compare them with other OTAs, but they are often much cheaper than booking through hotel group websites/apps. .
Interestingly the rates on ctrip and trip can be quite different, so what is being supported by promo pricing on trip is expensive on ctrip, and vice versa.
As always, YMMV.
Apr 18, 2025 | 7:10 am
#80
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,368
As other posters have said, it depends on the hotel. Why not use a site like TripAdvisor to compare pricing from various OTAs (trip.com is usually included in the comparison, but ctrip.com isn't).
Apr 18, 2025 | 7:44 am
#81
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TMK, TA doesn't include member only discounts in metasearches of OTAs that aren't part of the Priceline/Booking/Expedia ecosystem. I believe Google is a bit more transparent in this respect, but is a waste of time for China hotel searches, of course.
Apr 18, 2025 | 7:01 pm
#82
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/SZX/RGN/TFU
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This hotel was not available on booking/trip.com etc, only on ctrip and gowhere app.
Apr 19, 2025 | 2:20 am
#83
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,368
I don't have statuses with any of the OTAs because I normally book directly with hotels where I do have statuses. But I wonder how significant are those member-only discounts from any of the OTAs? In situations where I do need to book hotel stays via an OTA, I often find a few OTAs (e.g. Agoda) often offer a much greater discount (as much as 15-25%) on their TA links (than if you book direct with the OTA or via a cashback referral site).
Apr 25, 2025 | 1:25 am
#85
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: SQ, QF, UA, CO, DL
Posts: 3,902
I use trivago to see options and pricing. In the last two years, trip.com has been showing up as the cheapest or equal to the cheapest in some less traveled cities. Their app is very easy to use so I have booked on trip.com multiple times for Taiwan and Japan. Hotels in the US require more research, or you can get hit with unexpected parking fees, destination fees, resort fees and the like. Have not personally seen a case where ctrip was cheaper than trip.com outside of China.
Apr 25, 2025 | 2:38 am
#86
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I use trivago to see options and pricing. In the last two years, trip.com has been showing up as the cheapest or equal to the cheapest in some less traveled cities. Their app is very easy to use so I have booked on trip.com multiple times for Taiwan and Japan. Hotels in the US require more research, or you can get hit with unexpected parking fees, destination fees, resort fees and the like. Have not personally seen a case where ctrip was cheaper than trip.com outside of China.
May 10, 2025 | 1:13 pm
#87
Join Date: Jan 2024
Posts: 162
I wonder if I am better off using Trip.com Airport Transfer from TVS Tangshan Sannhe Airport to the City Center and use the Diamond Free Upgrade to "Middle class car" or take the risk of catching a regular taxi from a relatively small regional Airport at 10:30 p.m. at night. Last flight of the day.
Unlike in Tier 1 cities, if you book the Trip.com Airport Transfer from TVS the Ouyacar driver waits for only one hour if the flight is delayed.
Unlike in Tier 1 cities, if you book the Trip.com Airport Transfer from TVS the Ouyacar driver waits for only one hour if the flight is delayed.
Last edited by wwtknoyb; May 10, 2025 at 1:28 pm
May 11, 2025 | 4:26 am
#88
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/SZX/RGN/TFU
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Posts: 2,475
I wonder if I am better off using Trip.com Airport Transfer from TVS Tangshan Sannhe Airport to the City Center and use the Diamond Free Upgrade to "Middle class car" or take the risk of catching a regular taxi from a relatively small regional Airport at 10:30 p.m. at night. Last flight of the day.
Unlike in Tier 1 cities, if you book the Trip.com Airport Transfer from TVS the Ouyacar driver waits for only one hour if the flight is delayed.
Unlike in Tier 1 cities, if you book the Trip.com Airport Transfer from TVS the Ouyacar driver waits for only one hour if the flight is delayed.
May 11, 2025 | 10:21 am
#89
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YariGuy helped me book a hotel in Japan last week because his rate was about $40 less than my quoted rate. This was due to the fact that many hotels in Japan use the person charge concept and the default is 2 people (I would not have wanted to stay in that room with a second person, no matter how much I liked them). On his version of the Trip app, he was able to select "1 person", but I didn't have this option on mine (neither Trip nor Ctrip). After about 3 days of back and forth emails/chats with customer support, I finally threw in the towel and simply used his reservation. They gave me $40 in Trip Coins for the trouble.
Last edited by moondog; May 11, 2025 at 11:23 am
May 11, 2025 | 11:34 am
#90
Join Date: Jan 2024
Posts: 162
For the Airport pickup in Shanghai Hongqiao at 10 p.m. the day afterwards I have booked the Trip.com Airport Transfer.