Hopper claims to be an innovative technology that'll save you money on flights, hotels, and rentals, but do their services match up to their competition? Find out what people are saying about the app, what their main features are, and if they're worth the download here.
At Pilot, we love to tell you all about the helpful and handy apps and websites out there designed to make your travels easier. That being said, we know there are a lot of them out there, and it can be overwhelming sometimes to decide on the one for you to use!
Don’t worry, we’re here to help provide an honest review of the travel apps and websites and tell you if they're really as "helpful" or "handy" as they'd like to put it. Just like how we did with Scott's Cheap Flights or Dollar Flight Club review, we'd like to make sure travelers know what they're signing themselves up for when they're looking at cheap flights online. After all, with the tremendous amount of cheap flight offers out there, it's easy to get caught with some that aren't real or are straight-up scams.
One app, in particular, that’s frequently mentioned in the travel circles is Hopper. The app has made its name in the travel industry, but is it any good? Read on for our take on this well-known app!
What is Hopper?
Hopper is an app designed to help you find the best prices on hotels and flights (in fact, their goal is for you to “spend less, and travel better”). They focus on predicting fares and nightly rates so you can choose when to travel so it fits best within your budget.
It’s only available on mobile apps, but you can easily send the app to your phone using their website! You can download the app on both iOS and Android devices.
What are people saying about Hopper?
With the service only being provided on mobile apps, it’s important to look at what Hopper's customer service is like before you dive headfirst into purchasing a flight or a week in a hotel through them. If you have any concerns or problems, you must make any requests directly through your booking on the app. That is the only way to contact the support team directly. This means that you essentially have to make a purchase to speak with anyone.
Do note that if you purchase a flight through a low-cost carrier, you’ll need to contact them to manage your bookings.
You can also browse their FAQs to see if your question is answered there!
What are the Hopper Complaints about?
On Trustpilot, Hopper has an average rating of 3.3 stars out of five from over 2,400 reviews. The majority of the reviews either receive an excellent review, or a bad one, so it seems that customers have had very mixed experiences.
One recurring complaint has to do with the prize freeze feature on Hopper. Several reviewers commented that despite paying a deposit to freeze their fare at the low rate they wanted, they were ultimately charged more after returning to pay the remainder of the fare. If these reviewers then requested a refund, they were only offered Carrot Cash, rather than the money itself.
Another recurring complaint is that Hopper doesn’t offer the lowest fares available and that they won’t price match if you were to find a cheaper fare elsewhere after already booking through them. Either that or they throw in hidden fees so your fare is actually more expensive than you thought it would be. Many reviewers recommend cross-checking Google Flights, or airlines directly to see how their fares compare.
Reviews also speak to poor customer service, especially in regards to canceled flights.
What are the features of Hopper?
In addition to helping predict pricing trends, Hopper comes with the ability to freeze a fare or price if you need more time to plan. This allows you to “freeze” a fare you like in place by paying a deposit. You can then return later (before the freeze expires) and pay the remainder of the fare. It’s important to note with this feature that the price freeze only applies to the specific flight you pay the deposit for, and that the deposit is nonrefundable if you decide not to book that flight.
For hotels, Prize Freeze allows you to freeze a rate based on either best availability or room type. If the price increases, Hopper will then cover the price difference up to the maximum limit listed on your Price Freeze policy.
You can also make any trip flexible by using Hopper’s Flexible Dates and Refundable Ticket plans. This can give you more security as you plan the trip of your dreams, especially in the current uncertain times.
Is Hopper good to book flights on?
On the whole, if you’re traveling on a very tight budget, Hopper can be a great app to scan for cheap flights and hotels. That being said, many online comments have indicated it’s an app best used to see what the best rates are, and then to book directly with the airlines or hotels themselves. This protects you should anything happen where you need to contact customer service, or should any other difficulties arise.
OUR RATING: 3/5
Pros:
- Allows you to easily search multiple flights and hotels
- You can set push notifications for certain routes or dates
- Phone app makes it easy to check and navigate
- Price freeze if you’re willing to pay a non-refundable deposit should you not go through with the flight
Cons:
- Difficult to contact customer service
- Potential for hidden fees or upcharges
- Fare offered is not always the lowest
- Refunds frequently offered in Carrot Cash
Pair cheap flights with Pilot.
Hopper is a useful app to research flight fares and nightly hotel rates. Based on reviews, and user experience though, it is best to use it purely as research, and to then go book directly with providers. Especially with pandemic uncertainty, booking with third-party vendors can be a risk, and Hopper is no exception.
Whether you decide to use Hopper for your next trip, or not, we want to help you make it perfect. If you’re a fan of travel apps, you’ll be pleased to know that Pilot has its own! You can use it to not only make plans and itineraries for your upcoming trips but can also add your dream destinations to cure your wanderlust! It’s completely free, and you can plan alongside your friends if you want to travel with them, too. It’s truly a win-win situation. Sign up here to give it a try - we’d love to hear your opinion on it!
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