I was wrong about Travelocity (sort of)

A few weeks ago I

mentioned

Travelocity's new

a la carte activities feature

that allows you to book trip activities (tours, shows, etc.) even if you didn't book the trip itself with Travelocity. When I put the program to the test, I found some of the same activities offered by Travelocity available for less elsewhere. Or so I thought.

Turns out I rushed to judgment. Here's where I went wrong. On Travelocity, I searched for Maui-based activities and selected the popular "Haleakala Sunrise Downhill Bike Ride," listed for $134 per person. Then I did an independent search of Maui's Haleakala tour operators and found another that listed for $99.84—about $34 less than Travelocity. The two tours I found are actually not the same, though. The $98.84 price is for the "Classic Sunrise Tour" from the tour operator Maui Downhill, which only goes to the 6,500-foot level of the volcano. The tour that Travelocity offers goes to the summit of Haleakala Crater, and retails for a little less than the base price ($149) of the same tour from Maui Downhill.

But the story doesn't end there, because if you purchase the tour directly from a different provider (Mountain Riders) online with a credit card—just as you would with Travelocity's activities function—Mountain Riders' price is just $125 (or $9 less than Travelocity). Head spinning yet? It should also be noted there are at least

four such tour operators on the island

, and two or more discounters who may be able to get you a good deal as well.

The moral of the story? Math is not my strong suit. The other moral? Travelocity's prices are more competive than I initially reported, but you should still shop around before booking. Even with that caveat, though, upon further review I give Travelocity's actitivies tab a qualified thumbs up.