Fareboom is an online travel agency from Los Angeles that sells flights and rental cars. By its own account it has been a family-owned company since 2002 with customer service based in the US. It suits travelers who want a human contact and want to see the fare rules before paying.
What you can book
At the top of the homepage you choose between flights and cars. Flights come as round trip, one way, multi-city and a radius search around departure and destination. The site is available in English and Spanish, and the provider mentions support in nine languages. Prices can be shown in several currencies, such as dollars, euros and pounds. In your account you manage trips, travelers, addresses and billing details.
What a booking really costs
Fareboom says all fees are shown upfront in the itinerary details. Under the Rules link you find the airline's restrictions, including change and cancellation fees. Take a look before you pay, because the cheapest fare is often the strictest. Depending on the airline there may also be charges for baggage and seat selection, which you usually only see during booking or at the airline. Add them to the fare to know the final price.
Good to know: Fareboom says tickets for your own travel bought during business hours usually arrive in about an hour. If you pay for someone with a different surname, verifying the card with your bank takes a little longer.
Cancellation and payment
Cancelling and changing follow the airline's fare rules. Instructions are in the help section under the frequently asked questions. Customer service is reachable on weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm Pacific time, and closed on weekends and holidays. For travel within five days there is a separate email address for urgent cases. Keep the time difference in mind if you call from Europe.
One useful feature: the system keeps scanning your booking for airline schedule changes and sends you a message when something changes. If such a change causes a missed connection, customer service helps you sort it out.
How to save
The provider highlights price comparison tools, such as the Fare Cruncher for finding the cheapest travel dates. Use it if your dates are flexible. Current vouchers and deals are listed on our provider page. Do not expect cashback to lower the price, it is a credit after the trip.
Who Fareboom suits
The provider suits travelers who like a personal contact and prefer to read the rules before buying a flight. For trips from Europe: prices are shown in dollars by default, but you can switch the currency, and paying with a card in a foreign currency can trigger fees from your bank. Check with your card provider.
If you are flexible anyway, use search options such as radius search and multi-city to find cheaper combinations. With several segments, make sure connection times fit your baggage and entry requirements.
Before you pay
Go through the booking once more calmly: are departure date, airport and names correct? On flights with a stopover, check the length of the layover and whether you need to recheck your baggage. Note the confirmation number and the customer service contact details. If your plans change, get in touch as early as possible, since airline rules usually get stricter and more expensive the closer you are to departure.
Tips
- Read the Rules for your fare before paying.
- Enter names exactly as in the passport.
- Plan calls around US business hours.
- If you pay for someone else, allow extra time for the card check.
- Compare the total price with baggage, not just the base fare.
Booking with cashback
The cashback runs through daily cashback. First open the daily cashback store page for Fareboom, continue from there to the provider and book as usual. The credit arrives once the trip is confirmed. You can see the current rate on our provider page for Fareboom.