It requires research to find the cheapest fare. Here are some tips to get a inexpensive vacation and bargain cruise:
1. Check historical data. There are several websites that can help you indicate whether fares between specific markets are heading up or down. They can also alert you to unusually low fares. An example is Farecast. Recently acquired by Microsoft, Farecast tracks fares from nearly 100 domestic cities to domestic and international destinations.
2. Check with booking aggregators like Kayak and BookingBuddy. These aggregators scan numerous booking sites and cull the results. Most display hotels and car rentals also.
3. Go to an all-purpose travel site like Expedia and Orbitz. They display fares from competing airlines, plus you can book your flight, hotel and car all at the same time. Please note, however, that these sites normally charge a booking fee.
4. Sign up for instant alerts with sites like Travelocity which usually provide instant fare notifications.
5. Look at airline and airport sites to see whether they can match the lowest fare you’ve found. You sometimes can get extra frequent-flier miles for booking directly and you’ll avoid service fees. You might also consider signing up with individual airlines to receive e-deals, which offer last minute fares.
6. Be aware of extra fees as most airlines now charge fees for checked bags, overweight luggage, meals, unaccompanied minors, well-positioned seats, etc. Those fees can turn cheap fare into an expensive one.
7. Check out last-minute travel specialists or travel auction sites. Site like Lastminute.com offers late-breaking air-and-hotel combos. Although you might not need the hotel, the package price could very well beat the no-advance-purchase fares being offered elsewhere.
Leave a Reply