7 Money Checks Before You Book Your Next Trip

AI tools make travel planning faster, but they often miss hidden charges, cancellation traps, and forex fees. Before you confirm any booking, run these 7 money checks to avoid nasty surprises at the airport or on your credit card bill.

Here's what happened: AI travel tools and aggregators display base fares that routinely exclude baggage fees, seat selection charges, and convenience fees — the final bill can run 20–35% higher than the first price shown.. Foreign currency transaction fees (typically 2–3.5% on Indian credit/debit cards) plus GST on those fees add thousands of rupees to international hotel and airline bookings made in foreign currencies.. Cancellation and refund policies on AI-recommended bookings vary widely — many 'flexible' fares are actually non-refundable or carry penalties of up to 100% of the ticket value after a short window..

What you should do: Compare the final breakup price (base fare + taxes + baggage + seat) across at least two platforms before confirming any booking — never trust the headline fare alone.. Use a zero-forex-markup credit or debit card (like Niyo Global, IDFC WOW, or IndusInd Nexxt) for all international payments to avoid paying 2–3.5% extra on every transaction.. Read the exact cancellation deadline and refund method (original payment vs. travel credit) before you book — screenshot and save the policy page in case of a dispute later..

Booking a refundable fare and cancelling strategically can cost less than a non-refundable 'saver' fare if your plans are even slightly uncertain — always calculate the worst-case cancellation cost before choosing the cheaper option.