You're staring at a flight to London that's $200 cheaper than anywhere else. It’s on FlightHub. You’ve probably heard the rumors or seen the angry Trustpilot reviews from 2019, and now you’re hovering over the "Book Now" button with a pit in your stomach. Is FlightHub legit, or are you about to set your money on fire?
The short answer is yes, they are a real company. They aren't a "scam" in the sense that they'll take your money and disappear into the digital ether. They sell thousands of tickets every single day. But "legit" and "easy to work with" are two very different things in the world of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).
If everything goes perfectly, you save money. If a flight gets canceled or you need to change a name, you might descend into a customer service purgatory that makes a DMV waiting room look like a spa day.
The Reality Behind the Cheap Prices
FlightHub is based in South Shore, Montreal. They’ve been around since 2012. They operate under the same umbrella as JustFly, which focuses more on the American market. Basically, they are a massive tech engine that scours Global Distribution Systems (GDS) to find fares that the average person can't see on a standard airline site.
Why are they cheaper?
Sometimes they aren't. They use "loss leaders." They might take a hit on a specific seat to get you in the door, hoping you’ll buy their "Premium Support Package" or travel insurance. It’s a volume game. They make pennies on the dollar per ticket, so they need to sell a lot of tickets.
Honestly, the "is FlightHub legit" question usually stems from people who didn't realize they were buying a "Basic Economy" ticket with zero baggage allowance. When they get to the airport and have to pay $100 for a carry-on, they feel cheated. But the math was there on the screen; it was just hidden in the fine print.
The Infamous Customer Service Gap
Here is where the nuance kicks in. When you buy a ticket directly from Delta or Air Canada, you are their customer. When you buy through FlightHub, you are FlightHub’s customer. If the airline changes the flight time by six hours, the airline doesn't have to talk to you. They tell FlightHub. FlightHub then has to tell you.
If that communication chain breaks—and it often does—you’re the one standing at the terminal with a useless boarding pass.
I’ve talked to travelers who spent four hours on hold trying to fix a simple spelling error on a middle name. This isn't unique to FlightHub; it’s the reality of almost every budget OTA. They cut costs by outsourcing support. If you're paying $400 for a flight that costs $600 elsewhere, that $200 "savings" is essentially your insurance policy. You’re betting that nothing will go wrong.
If nothing goes wrong, you win. If the airline goes on strike? You might lose.
What the Better Business Bureau Says
It is worth noting that FlightHub has had its fair share of legal scrapes. A few years back, the Competition Bureau of Canada went after them regarding "hidden fees" and misleading marketing. They ended up reaching a settlement and paying a significant fine.
Since then, they’ve cleaned up their interface quite a bit. You’ll see the "Total Price" much earlier in the process now. They are also accredited by IATA (International Air Transport Association), which is basically the gold standard for travel legitimacy. You don’t get that badge if you’re a fly-by-night operation.
When Should You Actually Use FlightHub?
Don't use them for your honeymoon. Don't use them for a flight where you have a 45-minute connection in a foreign country.
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Use them for:
- Simple, point-to-point domestic flights.
- Trips where you have a flexible schedule.
- Flights where the price difference is so massive (think $300+) that it's worth the risk.
If you’re booking a multi-city itinerary through three different airlines on one FlightHub ticket? You’re asking for trouble. If one leg of that trip gets delayed, the other airlines have no obligation to help you because they didn't issue the "interline" agreement—FlightHub did.
The "Refund" Nightmare
This is the biggest pain point. During the 2020 lockdowns, FlightHub (and JustFly) were buried under a mountain of refund requests. Many people didn't get their money back for over a year. Some only got travel vouchers.
Here’s the kicker: FlightHub often charges their own internal "cancellation fee" on top of whatever the airline charges. So, even if the airline offers a full refund, FlightHub might skim $50 to $150 off the top as a processing fee. It’s in the Terms of Service. Nobody reads them, but they’re there.
How to Protect Yourself If You Book
If you decide the price is too good to pass up, you need to be smart.
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- Verify with the Airline Immediately: As soon as you get your FlightHub confirmation, take that 6-digit PNR code (the Record Locator) and go to the airline’s actual website. Plug it into "Manage My Booking." If your name shows up and the status says "Ticketed," you’re good. If it says "Pending" for more than 24 hours, call FlightHub.
- Use a Credit Card with Travel Protection: Never use a debit card. Ever. If FlightHub refuses to honor a refund that the airline has authorized, you want the ability to file a chargeback with your bank.
- Skip the Add-ons: Most of the "FlightHub Protection" plans are redundant if you already have good credit card insurance. They are high-margin products for the site and often have so many loopholes they are practically useless.
- Screenshot Everything: Record the price, the baggage inclusions, and the seat selection during the checkout process.
Is FlightHub legit? Yes. Is it a premium experience? Absolutely not. It’s a discount warehouse. You’re getting the "Costco" version of air travel without the friendly return policy.
Practical Steps for Your Next Booking
Before you hit "Confirm" on that FlightHub deal, do a quick cross-check. Go to the airline's direct site and see if the price is within $30 of the FlightHub price. If it is, book with the airline. That $30 is a small price to pay for the ability to call the airline directly when things go sideways.
If the price difference is huge, go ahead and book, but do it with your eyes wide open. Check your email every day for schedule changes. Most "scam" accusations against FlightHub are actually just people who didn't see an automated email about a flight change and showed up at the airport at the wrong time.
Manage your own booking. Be your own travel agent. If you can do that, FlightHub is a perfectly legitimate tool to save some cash.
Next Steps for Savvy Travelers:
- Open a private or incognito browser window to compare the FlightHub price against Google Flights.
- Check the baggage policy on the airline's official site using the flight number to ensure FlightHub’s "Basic" fare matches the reality.
- Confirm that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your return date, as FlightHub's system won't always warn you about entry requirements during the checkout flow.