Is Hopper Legit? A Review of the Travel Booking App

In 2021, the online travel agency global market size reached $354.2 billion. It’s now projected to increase by $1,835.6 billion by 2030.

With such a large market, finding a credible and trustworthy online travel agency can be challenging.

The rise of scam sites and non-refundable ticketing could be hindering your chances of enjoying a long-awaited vacation with your loved ones.

After browsing through multiple agencies, you’ve likely stumbled upon Hopper.

The Canadian-based application advertises cheap fares, price freeze guarantees, and trip protection benefits.

As with most companies, its services may not be as advertised. In turn, you’re likely wondering, “Is Hopper legit?”

The Hopper app is a reliable travel tool when it comes to finding the cheapest bookings.

When it comes to modifications, cancellations, and customer support, online reviewers have shared their disappointments.

That said, stick around to dive deeper into Hopper’s legitimacy in the travel agency market.

What Is Hopper?

Hopper is an app that offers budget-friendly flight, hotel, and car rental deals. It tracks prices and allows you to choose dates with the cheapest booking.

Expedia ex-vice president Frederic Lalonde developed the app in 2015. Hopper’s headquarters are in Montreal and Boston. With over 20 million downloads, the app boasts, “Spend less, travel better.”

Despite the company’s claim of saving over 40% compared to booking with an airline, price differences vary based on your travel choice.

On average, you might save around $50 on a domestic flight and $120 on an international one.

How Does Hopper Work?

Relax — Booking Travel Just Got Easy with Hopper

Hopper analyzes multiple key findings to find the best price for your booking.

The app looks at historical price trends and seasonal demand changes. It uses analytics tools, algorithms, and available airfare information to predict incoming prices.

These predictions tell you whether prices will increase or decrease in the future. Hopper will send you a notification to alert you of the price changes.

It presents the price forecast in a calendar for a user-friendly appeal. The company claims that its findings are 95% accurate.

All of the company’s features and services are available in the app. You can download Hopper on iOS and Android devices from the Google Play App Store. The company’s website only offers pricing predictions and hotel booking.

Common Questions to Understand

Hopper provides users with several features, from price freezing and Carrot Cash to log-in gifts and flight deals. Before reaping all these benefits, you’ll want to understand more about the company.

Does Hopper Give You Cheap Flights?

Hopper does give cheap flight options. Its data collection from past flights allows it to predict the best prices.

When picking a flight and its dates, choose the green-coded ones on the calendar format. It’ll provide you with the cheapest offer. With its “watching” feature, it tells you whether you should wait to book or not to maximize the deal.

The algorithm and machine learning tools in Hopper work similarly to Google Flights.

Does Hopper Have Hidden Fees?

Based on Hopper’s terms and conditions, the app doesn’t have hidden fees. According to their website, the price you get is the price you pay, whether it’s a hotel booking, flight, or both.

Now, that doesn’t hold true for the most part. Additional fees can originate from the flight or baggage. By the time you get to check out, you’ll likely see a significant price increase.

In Hopper’s defense, these hidden fees likely accumulate from airline companies.

Plus, before you agree to the booking, you’ll want to be aware of an automatic $5 tip added. You can rescind the charge.

Does Hopper Let You Cancel?

The good news is that you can cancel your booking with Hopper.

You can do so from the app by navigating to your booking. Then, click on “Get Help.” It’ll show you the option to “Cancel or change my flight.”

Choose the prior before swiping to cancel. The cancellation process only applies during the free cancellation period. If you want to cancel your booking beyond that period, you’ll need to contact a customer service representative.

Open the app and tap on “Contact Support.” It’ll show you to a bot RoboBear, which will assist you in contacting a customer services agent to help you through the booking cancellation.

Refunds-wise, Hopper returns the amount via PayPal or the original payment format. The amount will return within three to five business days. It’ll show in your Hopper’s credit balance.

That said, the service cost is non-refundable. In turn, you’ll likely not receive a full refund depending on the terms and conditions of your booking.

Is Hopper Legit?

Some users are often skeptical about using an online travel agency.

From hidden fees to the spread of online scams, you’ll want to ensure the service is legit.The Hopper app is legit in some ways.

• It Uses Price Prediction: The feature gathers over 25 to 50 billion airfare price quotes from Global Distribution System partners and search results. The collection of price projections offers accurate predictions of upcoming flight prices.
• Several Flight Options: One of the best features of Hopper is that it offers various flight choices. It has deals with several airlines, giving you a wider selection to choose from, whether you’re looking for a domestic Delta or international Emirates flight.
• Price Alerts: The mobile app’s push notifications allow you to stay updated on your flight’s price trends. You can share these price fluctuations with your travel buddy as well.
• Detailed Filter Search: Hopper can exceptionally cater to your flight requirements. You can change the departure and arrival time, choose a preferred airline, and limit your layover duration.

Is Hopper Reliable?

Hopper can be a reliable option, but it falls short on some features.

It shows accurate price predictions, several flight deals, and reliable price alerts. We wouldn’t categorize it as fully reliable since its price freeze service doesn’t hold well with multiple users.

Price freeze allows you to lock a flight ticket’s price with a deposit. You can then pay the remainder later before the feature expires.

The maximum amount Hopper can cover is $300. If the price increase is higher, you’ll need to pay the extra.

Now, this feature might not be reliable, especially since the deposit you pay is also non-refundable.

Another downside to the Hopper app is its customer service. Several reviewers from trusted platforms like Trustpilot complained about the app’s lack of customer assistance.

Is Hopper Safe?

Hopper is a safe online travel agency. It’s a legit company with investment backing from noteworthy banks and corporations like Goldman Sachs and CapitalOne. It recently confirmed a $96 million investment from the latter.

It offers safety features like its Flight Delay Guarantee or Flight Disruption Guarantee. You can book the service as you purchase the flight ticket. If your flight gets delayed or canceled, the company promises a flight re-book with no extra cost.

The maximum cost coverage is $2,000, and the service fee is non-refundable. If you’re unsatisfied with the re-booking, you can get a refund in the form of Hopper credit.

What Are Users Saying About Hopper?

Hopper has a fair share of positive reviews from notable platforms like the Apple Store and Google Play Store. Users have shown positive feedback for the most part.

What Comparably Reviewers Liked About Hopper

Comparably operates as an employee review platform. Hopper employees offer their feedback, in terms of leadership, outlook, and environment to give you a better idea of the company’s work culture.

• High-Performing Leadership: According to reviews of the company’s leadership, workers feel autonomous and recognized.
• Welcoming Environment: The company provides a learning environment with training opportunities.
• Collaborative Team: Team members are cooperative and friendly to work with. Workers offer support when needed.

What Google Play Store Reviewers Liked About Hopper

Google Play Store reviews provide users with valuable insight into Hopper’s user interface, reliability, and ease of use.

• Low Price Guarantee: Reviewers are impressed with Hopper’s cheap price predictions. Customers were able to book the lowest price available thanks to the app.
• Reliable Cancellation: Several users received refunds after cancellations in Hopper credit, as guaranteed.
• Easy to Use: Customers enjoyed using the app thanks to its user-friendly interface where you can track multiple features and your flights with ease.

Why Are People Worried About Using Hopper?

When it comes to customer reviews, Hopper does have inconsistencies. Some platforms hold better reviews than others, but most tell a similar story about using the app.

What Trustpilot Reviewers Are Worried About

Trustpilot is a third-party customer review platform widely used by travelers. The reviews are usually accurate and offer a glimpse of the service you’ll receive from Hopper and other online travel agencies.

• Price Freeze Unreliability: Users find that prices change and increase despite using the price freeze feature.
• Potential Scam: Several users didn’t receive their refunds and complained about their lack of communication with third-party hotel vendors and car rental services.
• Poor Customer Services: Reviewers felt unheard and frustrated with Hopper’s customer support line.

What Apple Store Reviewers Are Worried About

Apple Store reviews, like the Google Play Store ones, offer a look into Hopper’s functionality and overall service quality.

• Overcharges: Reviewers extensively complained about hidden fees and micro-payments, despite the lower price guarantee.
• Customer Service Issues: Like the Trustpilot reviews, Apple Store also received customer service complaints due to unavailability.
• Price Freeze Inconsistencies: The Hopper app’s price freeze service doesn’t seem to work as advertised, as stated in reviews.

Hopper Quality & Guarantees

After looking through Hopper’s customer reviews, its quality and guarantees remain inconsistent. The company offers multiple guarantees, such as the Price Freeze and Flight Delay Guarantee.

Despite these guarantees, customers complain about their irregularity. For instance, the price freeze service seems to charge extra for a booking despite the price lock.

In terms of refunds, Hopper states that their eligibility is at the discretion of the hotels, airlines, or car rental companies.

In turn, they don’t have a full refund guarantee. When you do receive a refund, it’s in the form of Carrot Cash or Hopper credit, which customers don’t appreciate.

In terms of quality, the application has an easy-to-use user interface and trip protection. The latter is offered in partnership with a third-party vendor known as XCover.

Does Hopper Offer Customer Service?

Hopper does offer customer service. As per the reviews, the app’s customer support remains irregular, hard to reach, or unresponsive.

What Customer Service Options Are Available?

You can find over four different customer service options that cater to various issues. They include:

Basic Support

Whether you need assistance with cancellations or refunds, you can use the basic support service. Open the Hopper app and tap on “Visit the Help Center.” It’ll redirect you to the “Get Help” section.

Choose the booking you need to modify or inquire about. You’ll be provided with an emailing option at the bottom.

To complete this process, you need to be logged in to Hopper. In some cases, the app may glitch, and you won’t have access to your profile.

Luckily, your booking information is still applicable. You’ll need to go to your phone’s settings option, tap on apps, find Hopper, choose storage, and select “Clear Data.” Afterward, try to log in once more.

Self-Service Tool

If you want to alter your flight details, you may not have to contact support. Instead, use Hopper’s self-service tool by entering your inquiry in the search box, and your solution is likely available in the site’s blog section.

You can find topics like billing and payment, hotels and homes, flights, and Hopper products. We suggest looking through the site’s FAQ section, where you’ll likely find your inquiry.

You can ask questions as straight-forward as, “How do I change the display currency in the app?” to as detailed as, “Why was I charged even though my booking wasn’t confirmed?”

VIP Upgrade

In urgent cases, when your flight is only days away and you need to make confirmations or changes, the VIP service is ideal. You can receive prioritized assistance from agents through live chats. All you have to do is open the app.

Then, tap on the Help Center. Choose “Help” from the bottom right side of your screen.

Find the type of help you need, whether cancellation or rebooking. Submit your request and upgrade to the VIP support option.

Next, wait until the app assigns an expert agent to assist you. Keep your phone’s notification on to stay well-updated on any response from Hopper.

Additional Assistance

After using the self-service tool and attempting to search for your inquiry, your questions may have yet to be answered. In this scenario, you can resort to additional assistance.

The contact support section will request your full name, email address, phone number, type of reservation needed, and further details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Similar Gigs to Check Out

If Hopper isn’t the travel app for you, you can check out others, such as

• Is Trip.com Legit?: Headquartered in Singapore, Trip.com is a NASDAQ-listed organization. It offers flights, car rentals, hotels, trains, tours, and bundles.
• Is Booking.com Legit?: Booking.com provides a seamless booking transaction, whether you’re searching for homes, resorts, villas, flights, or other services.
• Is Traveluro Legit?: Traveluro has an easy-to-navigate website with features like its Best Price Guarantee.

Wrapping Up

Is Hopper legit? In short, it’s an exceptional tool if you’re trying to search for the cheapest prices. You can find similarly low fares from other, more reliable, agencies.

The application may be user-friendly and offer various cheaper options, but it may end up costing you if you try to ask for a refund or cancel your booking. Overall, you can use the app if your booking is low-risk.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to share if you enjoyed reading the article.