SideStep Review

Travel ranks as my favorite way to spend my spare time. I plan at least two long vacations every year as well as a few shorter, weekend excursions and I rely on the internet for much of my information and booking. Those who like to travel will agree that the internet has made task as simple as it could possibly be and one web site that aims to make the process not only simple but also inexpensive is Sidestep.com, a travel web service.

Web Site Commentary:

Sidestep.com offers travel services that include flight searches, hotel searches, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, last minute travel deals, and more. It offers many of the same services found in competitive travel sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, and others.

What sets Sidestep.com apart from other travel sites is that Sidestep.com actually searches through dozens of other travel web sites in order to find you the best possible deal. The search results are sorted by price, from high to low, but this sort option can be changed, if you like. There is also an option to include other, discount sites in your search, such as Hotwire.com, Priceline.com, and others.

Because Sidestep.com searches so many different travel web sites at once, its search results are often very extensive. Just recently, I was looking for a flight to Philadelphia. My results list returned 500 flight options! This is a very large list of data to sort through (actually, 500 is the maximum that the site can display, so there could be even more), but it is nice to see so many choices and I like that I can sort the list to my choosing. The same is true with the other areas of the site (hotels, cruises, etc.). The search results are extensive, but you can manage them fairly easily by sorting them the way you like, narrowing down based on specific criteria, etc.

One thing that you need to keep in mind with a service like Sidestep.com is that it isn't a service that actually sells these travel services. It is nothing more than a search engine. Thus, when it comes time to select an offer, you will be directed to a different web site. If I see a flight price I like and click the link to accept, it will show me the different travel web sites offering that particular price. It could be any of several different sites, such as Orbitz.com, Cheaptickets.com, and more. One nice feature with Sidestep.com is that it includes the airlines (or hotel brand, or cruise company, etc.) actual web site. If the airlines own web site is offering a great deal, Sidestep.com will tell you so. Once you click the other site's link, another window will open and the price will display. I also like that Sidestep.com's prices already include taxes and fees. You already know exactly what your price will be when you are redirected to the other travel site to complete your purchase.  

If you want to make sure you never miss out on a great deal when you search for a flight or other travel, you might like Sidestep.com's other special features. You can opt to receive e-mail alerts on flights and you can also download Sidestep.com's search function, which will automatically launch anytime you visit another travel web site to search for a flight or other travel. This latter option is nice for those who may forget about Sidestep.com. If you logon to say, Orbitz.com and you have the Sidestep.com search function downloaded and activated, it will automatically open up, display on the side of your screen, and let you know about other pricing options, making sure you are getting the best possible deal.

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

Sidestep.com is a very handy travel search function that I use on a regular basis. It saves you the hassle of checking different travel sites one by one and it even includes the airline, cruise company, car rental company, etc., own web site in the search results (which is nice, because they often have the best deals). Sidestep.com wants to save you money, and they achieve their stated goal with a huge number of search results that can be tailored to your precise travel needs.