Posted on: Sunday, March 16, 2008
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SAVVY TRAVELER
Traveling for less an acquirable skill
By
Irene Croft Jr.
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Everyone likes to obtain the best value for hard-earned travel dollars, whether the budget is skimpy or sky's-the-limit. But getting a good deal, as anyone who has done his homework knows, is rarely simple and straightforward. Your success at bargain-hunting will depend in great measure on being flexible, keeping up with industry trends, and mastering some basic travel principles.
A competent travel agent, whose income is derived from supplier commissions and service fees to the consumer, can be your staunchest ally in finding terrific deals on airfares, tour packages, cruises, hotels and rental cars. Even if you're the kind of traveler who likes to do his own reconnaissance, consider using your travel agent to make the actual bookings if they can do so at the same — or lower — terms than you have uncovered in your online sleuthing. Yes, you may pay a fee, but all professionals deserve appropriate compensation.
These tips and strategies will help you plan a cost-wise trip:
Plot your airfare purchases: Airfares are constantly changing and would appear entirely unpredictable to the flying public. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the differences among the costs of one coach seat and another on the same flight on the same day. You need to know only one thing: You can be certain that today's low rate may be gone tomorrow, or even within the next few hours. Fares are guaranteed only upon purchase. Look for time-limited deals through airlines, travel agencies, Internet and consolidators. Check out www.farecompare.com to view the historical rate-trend data for your departure and destination cities. Determine when to purchase your ticket to obtain the lowest fares forecast within a calendar year. This innovative, useful Web site claims to use "unique" technology to find the cheapest fares before anyone else, including the airlines themselves.
Investigate hotel rates. Hotel discounting has become so commonplace that few customers ever pay "rack rate," or full price. You may have to play Sherlock Holmes to discover the lowest available rate. Get a benchmark fare online at a search and booking engine (aggregator) Web site such as www.kayak.com that "scrapes" rates from more than 20 meta-search and individual hotel sites, Then check hotel rates by preferred supplier agreements with your travel agency, through the hotel's Web site or toll-free reservations line, by direct call to the hotel, and at discount services such as Quikbook, 800-789-9887 or www.quikbook.com, and Hotel Reservations Network, 800-364-0801 or www.180096hotel.com. Inquire about promotional or packaged rates discounted for age, group or company affiliation, season and days of the week. And don't overlook possible bed and breakfast and "children for free" rates. Go for the lowest quote offered for the same hotel room with the best perks on the dates you desire.
Be savvy about car rentals. Except in a few resort locations, weekly rates and weekend rates are substantially cheaper — sometimes by 50 percent or more — than renting by the day. Ask about all specials, upgrades and promotional rates for which your age/group (AAA, AARP)/frequent flyer/company affiliation makes you eligible. To compare directly the rates of virtually every major rental-car firm in the country, access online a comprehensive search and booking site called Breeze Net at www.bnm.com. Buy directly from the rental agency only the protection for which your auto or homeowners policies do not cover you. Book in advance for lowest rates.
Scour for cruise bargains. Cruise prices today are like airfares — there's usually a discount to be found. For irresistible deals, ask your travel professional about any special incentive pricing from preferred cruise suppliers which may even include the ultra-luxury vessels. Or, if price is paramount, have online agents bid for your business in a clever reverse auction at www.cruisecompete.com. State what dates, region, length of voyage and cruise lines (from popular to six-star) you want and you will receive offers of reduced-rate fares from among the 303-agency membership.
Opt for a package or an inclusive tour. For two people traveling together to a resort or major city in North America or abroad, a basic travel package including air fare, hotel with breakfast, and airport-to-hotel transfers is almost always substantially cheaper than the components purchased separately.
The savings are particularly pronounced in such sun and surf destinations as Hawai'i, Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean, but considerable discounts can also be realized on air-hotel combinations to most large cities worldwide.
Packages may be purchased through travel agents or the airlines' own vacation divisions.
The same principle of "bundled services cost less" applies to tour programs in which air, hotels, transfers, excursions, and some meals are included at one per person rate.
Value-added programs with desirable itineraries are offered through tour operators and travel agents. Travelers with grand plans and miniscule budgets will like the "big bang for the buck" pricing and quality of the escorted worldwide tours of GoAhead Vacations, 800-590-1170 or www.goaheadvacations.com; SmarTours, 800-337-7773 or www.smartours.net; and Adventures Abroad, 800-665-3998 or www.adventures-abroad.com.
Buy a pass or coupon book. If the bulk of your travels will be spent in one city or region and you plan to eat out and do a lot of sightseeing independently, a modest investment in a local museum/transportation/historic house pass and in a discount coupon book will save you lots of money.
Contact tourism offices (city, state, or foreign country) toll-free or via Internet to learn what's offered and how to purchase them. (The Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory at www.towd.com is "your guide to all official tourist information sources that provide accurate and unbiased travel information to the public.")
Travel during shoulder season. You'll pay top dollar for airfare and lodging when you travel to a popular destination during the peak tourist season, the Caribbean in winter and Europe in early summer, for example. However, by traveling during the shoulder season, just before or after high-season dates, you'll likely save 20 percent or more and still enjoy good weather.
Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.
