20 Secrets to Save on Travel
Our insider's guide to snagging the deepest discounts on hotels, airfare, cruises and more.
By Stacy Rapacon, Reporter, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
January 23, 2009
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The travel industry is shuddering as frugality becomes fashionable and a new word, staycation, creeps into our vocabulary. So to spur sagging sales, operators are offering steep discounts to entice you to leave home.
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Of course, some bargains are better than others. To help you maximize your savings, we did the homework for you.
Plus, no matter where your wanderlust takes you, check out our insider tips below to help you snag the deepest discounts on hotels, airfare, vacation packages and cruises:
Book a bargain stay
1. Check TripAdvisor.com for property reviews from real travelers. For details on cozy and often cheap venues, visit BedandBreakfast.com.
2. Consider specialty lodging, such as condos, villas and vacation rentals, especially when traveling with a big group.
3. Visit Hotels.com every Thursday night for its special rates and new deals.
4. Call the property to ask about additional discounts. Sometimes saving money really is this easy.
5. Book directly through the hotel's Web site. Many places offer special online-booking and prepaid deals.
Fly for less
6. Use Kayak.com to quickly scan more than 140 travel Web sites for the best fares. And don't forget to check Southwest.com; Kayak does not include the discount airline's flights.
7. Be flexible. Try departing on a Tuesday or Wednesday and returning on a Saturday. These less-traveled days often have the best rates.
8. Check all airports close to your destination city for the best deals. The savings in ticket prices often make a short drive worthwhile.
9. If you don't have a specific destination in mind, let the cost of the flight help you choose it. For example, with Kayak's Buzz tool, you could search for flights to the Caribbean and see that going to St. Thomas costs about $150 less than flying to St. Croix. And Farecast.com's flexible-travel tool lets you compare fares for up to five destinations at a time.
10. Book directly with the airline's Web site to avoid additional booking fees levied for buying tickets in person, by phone or through an online travel agent.
11. Pack lightly to dodge baggage fees.
Save a bundle on vacation packages
12. Use Kayak.com to search for vacation packages. Or check directly with online travel agencies, such as Travelocity, or smaller operator Apple Vacations.
13. If your dates are flexible, LastMinute.com offers deeply discounted package deals for travelers ready to take off in a couple of hours or a couple of weeks.
14. Check the cost of add-ons, such as rental cars, show tickets, tours and museum passes, when booking packages with online travel agencies. Sometimes the agencies offer those extras at a discount.
15. Budget your indulgences with all-inclusive deals from resorts such as Club Med and Sandals.
16. Add travel insurance to your bundle. With Expedia's Package Protection Plan, for example, you're ensured a refund if you need to cancel or change plans. You'll also be reimbursed for trip delays, baggage losses and medical expenses. The package costs $39 to $89, depending on your destination. If you're not offered this protection when you book, or if you need more insurance than what you are offered, go to TravelGuard.com.
Cruise to savings
17. The best deals are close to the departure date -- just don't expect the really cheap tickets to get you a stateroom with a view.
18. Understand the different elements of a cruise, including theme, cabin types and ports of call. CruiseMates.com provides useful reviews and advice columns to get you started. But if you're a first-timer feeling overwhelmed, consider using a travel agent.
19. Visit CruiseCompete.com, where you submit your cruise preferences and more than 300 travel agents compete for your business.
20. Read the fine print to spot port fees and other unexpected charges.
Reader Comments (5)
Posted by: Bob at 01/23/2009 09:57:02 AM
While I love the convenience of using a travel agent and they often make good suggestions,their fees seem to have skyrocketed in my area. A few years ago I didn't mind paying an extra 10-15% for the help but I have found that convenience now amounts to 25-35% of the trip price and they try to steer you into the more expensive packages. I now book my own trips and buy the insurance. This savings is almost as good as every third or fourth trip free. I also am now finding that booking directly with the airlines on the internet costs the same as using one of the internet comparison services and I often get a better choice of schedules and seating. It pays to explore every option. I now find the biggest problem is to get a weeks worth of clothing, extra shoes and a few granola bars into a carry-on bag. I've also found that I can squeeze a lot extra into a small backpack.
Posted by: Evans at 01/25/2009 10:11:20 AM
I am finding the same thing about airfare. In looking to go to Hawaii or Mexico this summer with my family, I am finding fares from the West Coast cheaper when booking directly with the airlines (Hawaiian and Delta) and then booking the hotel separately.
Posted by: Matt Carey at 01/26/2009 10:57:11 AM
Good and valuable tips. I would add that airlines send out their weekend get away deals on Tuesday night/Wednesday very early morning (~2am). American has NetsAAver and United has e-Fares which are excellent deals including international destinations. I get them emailed to me every week and have gotten great deals. And they accrue miles! On the suggestion about booking directly with the airline to avoid the booking fees, that pertains to domestic flights. For international flights, booking with the airline generally costs more than a ticket wholesaler who buys bulk from the airline for a destination and passes those savings on to the traveler. As far as the fees travel agents charge, they charge you $10 to $25 (or whatever fee) to save you from searching all these sites and all the airlines yourself. An agents has a system that can bring up the price in 30 seconds which may take you 15 to 20 minutes. Of course if you can search yourself, then why pay the fee. Some people just don't have the time or the know how. So it just depends on the Internet savyness of the traveler. Matt Carey FORATICKET.COM
Posted by: monkeyfurball at 01/30/2009 12:51:42 AM
If you use AAA travel agents there is no cost other than the AAA membership fee.
Posted by: Franders at 02/19/2009 08:36:08 AM
About flying for less. Kayak is a great site, but as the post points out they does not search the low cost carriers like SouthWest. Thats what make the little danish search engine Momondo.com worth visiting. The site seaches for tickets among most low cost carriers, including SouthWest and Ryan Air. In my experience they almost always finds the cheapest tickets available. Momondo.com rocks:-) Cheers