How to Book Discount Travel Packages

Reduce business and leisure travel costs by booking discount packages that include airfare and hotel. Add a rental car to your package and you will pay less for each component of the package than it would cost individually. You can often save enough on package trips to cover the cost for a companion.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Credit card

1. Review the travel markets that you want to visit to determine when the demand is lowest for hotels and airfare. Avoid travel to the Caribbean in winter and to Europe in the summer.
2. Register for notification of last minute vacation opportunities at Expedia, a trusted full-service travel site and Lastminute, a discount last-minute travel website. Book discount weekend packages for many destinations the same week or the following weekend.
3. Check with the visitor center for places you plan to visit. Ask them to send you visitor packets and coupons. They will often have updated information on package deals and specials for the city and state because their job is to promote the local economy.
4. Join the frequent flyer programs for major airlines and register to receive discount airfare updates. Look for links on the airline's website to discount hotel and rental car packages, related to the advertised airfare special.
5. Get email specials and updates from Smartertravel. This site tracks discounts for all airlines, major hotels and tourist attractions. Be prepared to act quickly before the special packages sell out.
6. Use Priceline if you have flexible travel plans. Consumers get the deepest discount when Priceline chooses the flights and the hotels. They now offer guaranteed prices, along with the option to choose your flight time and your hotel.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan your vacations ahead and visit less popular destinations.
• Trade shows, conventions and major sports events like the Super Bowl can push the price of your travel up. The convention and visitor's bureaus usually know about these events, at least a year in advance.
• Buy trip cancellation insurance that covers your trip and unexpected delays.
• Always book discount packages with a credit card. It is much easier to get a refund if something goes wrong.