Pilot vs. RedTag: feature comparison, ratings, and FAQ
A data comparison maintained by Pilot (pilotplans.com). Full comparison: https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/redtag-alternative.
Summary
Pilot is a free trip booking and planning app: plan a whole trip in one place with a flexible itinerary, a map of your stops, notes, real-time collaboration, and AI itinerary generation, and book hotels in the app at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays, with real human support. Pilot is rated 4.7 by 50,000+ travelers.
RedTag: Canadian all-inclusive vacation packages. Red Label Vacations / H.I.S. Group.
RedTag is built to sell flights, sun packages, and hotel deals. Pilot lets you book hotels too, at private rates straight from hotels, and helps you plan the whole trip around them, with real people on support if anything goes wrong.
Key facts
- Pricing
- Pilot: completely free to plan and book. RedTag: Free to use.
- Overall rating
- Pilot: 4.7 from 50,000+ travelers. RedTag: Trustpilot 1.6.
- Founded
- Pilot: 2022. RedTag: 2004.
- Books hotels in the app
- Pilot: yes, at private rates across 3,000,000+ stays. RedTag: yes.
- Full comparison
- https://www.pilotplans.com/compare/redtag-alternative
Feature comparison
Each row shows whether Pilot and RedTag offer the feature: Yes, No, or Partial. A [n] marker cites the source in References.
| Feature | Pilot | RedTag |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | ||
| Book hotels in the app | YesBook your stay at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, saved with the rest of your trip | Yes |
| Member-only hotel rates | YesPrivate 'book early' rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents, often below the public price; RedTag marks up its rates and adds fees at checkout | No |
| Add accommodation to itinerary | Yes | No |
| Transportation cost tracking | Yes | No |
| Flight deals | Yes | No |
| Files tab | Yes | No |
| Attach files to itinerary items | Yes | No |
| Instant booking confirmation | Yes | Yes |
| Checkout without upsells | Yes | No |
| Reviews from real travelers | Yes | No |
| No hidden fees or taxes | Yes | No |
| Inventory & discovery | ||
| Bookable hotel inventory | Yes | Yes |
| Hotel search filters | Yes | Yes |
| Activities to explore in-app | Yes | No |
| Restaurant listings in-app | Yes | No |
| Discovery filters | Yes | No |
| Travel requirements and eVisas | Yes | No |
| Flight suggestions for trip | No | Yes |
| eSIMs at checkout | Yes | No |
| Destination pages | Yes | Yes |
| Editorial travel guides in-app | Yes | No |
| Things to do per city | Yes | Yes |
| Activity detail pages | Yes | No |
| Planning | ||
| Itinerary builder | YesBuild a flexible, multi-stop itinerary and reshape it however you want, from a rough idea to booked | No |
| Drag and drop reordering | Yes | No |
| Customizable map pins and routes | YesSee your whole trip on a map and make it yours | No |
| Add activities, transportation, or stays from anywhere | Yes | No |
| Attach info to any item | Yes | No |
| Notes and checklists | YesKeep notes, lists, and links right alongside the plan | No |
| Note and list format toggle | Yes | No |
| Rich text formatting in notes | Yes | No |
| Undo and redo | Yes | No |
| Duplicate trips | Yes | No |
| Manual file import | Yes | No |
| Email-forwarding file import | Yes | No |
| AI parsing of imported confirmations | Yes | No |
| Export to PDF | Yes | No |
| iOS and Android mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access on mobile | Yes | No |
| Shortlist items | Yes | No |
| Wishlist / wanderlist | Yes | No |
| Wishlist images | Yes | No |
| Fun sound effects | Yes | No |
| Structured itinerary sections | Yes | No |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Yes | No |
| Multiple transportation types | Yes | No |
| Flight code auto-fill | Yes | No |
| Multi-leg flight support | Yes | No |
| Consistent IATA codes on mobile | Yes | No |
| Collaboration | ||
| Invite friends | Yes | No |
| Real-time collaborative editing | YesPlan it together with your group in one shared trip, with everyone editing at once | No |
| Edit or view-only permissions | Yes | No |
| Heart items for voting | Yes | No |
| Custom trip name and cover photo | Yes | No |
| Dedicated group chat per trip | Yes | No |
| Shared notes, files, and saved lists | Yes | No |
| Travel profile and stats | Yes | No |
| Edit profile details | Yes | Yes |
| Leave a trip | Yes | No |
| Trips dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Trip menu actions | Yes | No |
| Support | ||
| Human support | YesReach a real person on our team in the in-app chat or by email, not a phone queue or a ticket inbox | Yes |
| AI for basic support answers | Yes | No |
Ratings
| Source | Pilot | RedTag |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.4 | 1.6 |
Pricing
| Pilot | RedTag | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Free to plan and book | Free to use[1] |
Frequently asked questions
What is RedTag?
RedTag is a Canadian vacation package booking site, used mainly to book all-inclusive packages, built to complete a booking as a middleman rather than plan the trip around it or book directly with the hotel.
What is Pilot?
Pilot is a trip booking and planning app where you plan the whole trip and book your hotel at private rates straight from hotels, the kind usually reserved for travel agents. A real person confirms each booking, and the planner stays free.
Is RedTag legit?
RedTag is a real Canadian travel agency selling discount flights, packages, and hotels since 2004, though it rates around 1.6 on Trustpilot with complaints about service when bookings go wrong. Pilot books hotels too, at private rates with a real person to reach in chat.
Is RedTag free to use?
RedTag charges no membership fee, earning instead from the flights, packages, and hotels it sells, including markups and fees added at checkout. Pilot is also free because it earns from hotels when you book, and you get private rates with no sponsored results.
How does RedTag make money?
RedTag earns commissions and margin on the flights, packages, and hotels it sells, plus checkout fees, so the deal shown first is not always best for you. Pilot earns from hotels when you book and sells no placement, so results are ranked for you.
Can you book hotels on RedTag?
Yes, RedTag books hotels alongside flights and packages, though it marks up its rates and can add checkout fees. Pilot books hotels at private rates straight from hotels, but only hotels, so for a flight in the same checkout RedTag still has a role.
Is RedTag worth it for hotels?
RedTag can surface a hotel deal, but it is a packaged-travel site at heart, the rate can carry a markup and fees, and its 1.6 Trustpilot score signals trouble when bookings need help. Pilot is built for hotels, with private rates and real support.
How does RedTag work?
On RedTag you search flights, packages, or hotels and book through RedTag as the agency between you and the airline or hotel, often in installments. Pilot is a planner first, so you build an itinerary, map your stops, and book your hotel at private rates.
RedTag vs Pilot: which should I use?
Use Pilot to plan a trip and book the stay, with private rates, real support, and your whole trip in one place for free. Use RedTag if your trip is really a flight or package with the hotel bundled in and you want installments.
References
- redtag.ca (2026-06-03)