Europe’s biggest budget airline, Ryanair, is not exactly scared of a headline or two—after all, any press is good press, right? But in recent weeks, airline bosses have been making waves for “waging a war” against online travel agencies (OTAs) on both sides of the Atlantic, accusing them of misadvertising fares and and ramping up the cost of added extras.

At JFC, we’re no strangers to a zinger OTA discount. But there’s always that question of whether it’s worth it vs booking directly with the airline, and what to look out for when it comes to hidden extras. With that in mind, we want to revisit our guide on all things OTAs so that you always know how to get the best value for money.

What are flight fare aggregators, and how do they work?

Momondo, Kayak and better-known websites like Skyscanner all function as flight fare aggregator engines.

These tools collect and display the best fares for any particular flight route by comparing prices offered both by the airline and by the various Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) selling tickets for the same flight.

This is not dissimilar to what Google Flights does. The difference is that while Google Flights compares only fares offered directly from the airlines and other major booking sites (such as Expedia and eDreams), these aggregators compare fares from smaller booking sites as well.

These smaller sites are the ones that are more likely to sell flights at a discount to the price offered by the airline itself. They also sometimes include routes that Google Flights doesn't.

Is it safe to book with these smaller Online Travel Agencies?

This question comes up a lot, and we remember how confused we were when these websites first began to pop up. Here's how we see it:

The biggest fear for some travelers is that an Online Travel Agency will take your payment and keep it, without ever issuing a ticket for your purchased flight. Based on our experience, this is an incredibly rare occurrence that only occurs as the result of an error.

The OTAs listed on Skyscanner or Momondo are vetted for legitimacy to some degree before being listed on these aggregators, and do not do this on purpose. That's not to say that they are all ethical, pro-consumer companies, but they do not try to scam people in this way.

Online Travel Agencies are lawfully required to issue a ticket for the price at which you made the purchase in order to process your payment. Many OTAs in the United Kingdom are also ATOL protected, which means you have an extra layer of consumer protection against any wrongdoing. EU countries have similar protection schemes.

In the US, though, there is no agency that booking agents can register under like the ABTA (for rail, cruise and coach holidays) or ATOL to protect consumers in case a company goes insolvent. But check out our guide on what happens when flights to or from the United States are cancelled if you are in search of some guidance on what else you can do to protect your booking.

How are smaller Online Travel Agencies able to offer cheaper fares than the airlines themselves?

Firstly, many airlines - primarily major international carriers - offer incentives and discounts to third-party agents to market their tickets. This allows OTAs to pass some of those savings on to you in order to secure your business.

That said, not all airlines will do this, and there are other ways Online Travel Agencies can generate revenue, some of which are less consumer-friendly:

• Fees - Expect hefty service fees for making any future changes to your booking. That includes name changes, date changes, cancellations, etc.
• Reselling reserved tickets - OTAs are able to reserve a number of seats months in advance. Many will often hold a certain number of seats on popular routes at a low price, knowing that they'll be able to sell them at a higher rate later in the year.
• Poor customer support - They tend to outsource customer support to third party companies in order to save on costs.

When should I book directly with the airline vs. booking with an agency on Momondo?

This just depends on your situation. We reckon it’s worth booking with an agent and saving the extra cash if your travel dates are set in stone, but here are some general guidelines for like-minded travelers:

Book with an Online Travel Agency if...

• Savings exceed at least £/€20-£/€30 or $50-$60 for a long-haul fare.
• You are 100% certain you will be taking the trip on these dates.

Book directly with airline if...

• You're the type of traveller who is more likely to extend your trip later on or change travel dates.
• The flight is with a budget or charter airline, such as Spirit, easyJet, Wizzair or TUI, none of which offer discounted fares to OTAs.

For more information on Momondo, Skyscanner and Online Travel Agencies, take a look at our reviews of the most popular OTAs, or visit our ultimate guide to finding cheap flights to anywhere.

You’d be forgiven for not knowing much about Nebraska beyond cornfields, of which there are indeed so many that it got the nickname "the Cornhusker State”. Luckily for those of us passing through, they also know how to grow hops and barley.

The Nebraska craft brewing scene is a big deal, with over 50 breweries in the state vying to become the edgiest, most plaid-wearing brewery around. And for those more into grapes, they’ve nailed the vineyards, too. As Nebraska’s largest city, Omaha’s got the best selection of both no matter when you visit, but twice a year, they all come together in Lincoln for a knees-up at the SIP festival.

No worries if you’re around at the wrong time—there’s almost certainly another festival to get you in the Nebraska state of mind. From NEBRASKAland DAYS’ parades, rodeos and country music, to the breathtaking natural phenomenon of the Crane Watch Festival, there’s undoubtedly something to fit your vibe.

Your Nebraska hit list needs to tick off a few more things before you’ve really “done” it all, the most important of which is a Reuben sandwich. The legendary lunch was invented in Omaha back in the 1920s (or was it?), and, unsurprisingly, competition is rife to claim the title of best Reuben 100 years later. As always, our solution is to try them all!

We’d suggest packing a few for the road and going as Nebraska as it gets with a day out on the water—in a livestock water tank. Yep, that’s right, many Nebraskans spend their sunny afternoons “tanking” along the waterways through the rolling hills.

Landlubbers will likely prefer a ride (or a stride) along the Cowboy Trail instead. The converted railway line crosses rivers and prairies, and offers up a real taste of the Nebraska landscape.

But even the most rural areas of the state hold surprises… Three miles outside the town of Alliance in western Nebraska, is a sight so unexpected it can surely only be a stroke of genius—Carhenge. Accurately depicting the 38 stones of Stonehenge, the structures are made of now defunct cars and trucks, all painted grey as if to trick the eye.

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• Roses at the ready—romance is back on in the Cinque Terre. Considered the most romantic walk in the world, Italy’s Via dell’Amore will be reopening next summer after a 12-year renovation.
• On a related note, we’d suggest saving any proposals until you get there. Ryanair have taken their chaotic social media to new heights by trolling a passenger who proposed to his partner on one of their flights.
• The experts have spoken, and it’s official—hangovers are no better on holiday than at home. The only difference is, we don’t have the added stress of work and chores. Sounds like there’s a clear solution…
• Want a year’s free public transport in Austria? Just get this tattoo!
• And finally, it has been a big week for the world’s most famous penguin. Edinburgh Zoo’s Sir Nils Olav has been promoted to Major General Sir Nils Olav III of the Norwegian King’s Guard, making him the highest ranking animal of his kind in the world.

  Nils Olav was adopted in 1972 by the then-King of Norway, and has served as the mascot of the King’s Guard ever since. His promotion came as a result of good conduct, and setting a superb example for the other penguins at the zoo. What a good egg!