If you think going for a vacation is expensive, think again. The key to spending less money on a vacation is to be smart when making reservations. You can make so many money saving decisions even before you pack your bags and leave for vacation. This is How To Save Money When Booking Travel! When you know how to save, there’s a small chance of running out of cash along the way. Learn how to save money when booking travel by taking advantage of the tips and suggestions below.
How To Save Money When Booking Travel
Research online
Spend a lot of time online researching cheaper flights and hotel rooms. Airlines have fluctuating rates; when you start researching your travel early in advance, you will know when you come across a good deal.
Act fast
When looking to save money on a vacation, be prepared to act fast. When you come across a good deal, take advantage of it immediately. A huge discount that was being offered during the day may not be available in the evening. Grab it while you can.
Set up email alerts
To avoid missing out on some amazing vacation deals, set up email alerts to know when the prices have dropped. Follow twitter feeds and chats that are hotel-centered if you are keen on finding the best accommodation fees. It’s not easy to spot a flash sale unless you are online most of the time. Follow travel sites that keep track of price drops like hotels.com.
Reserve early for holiday travels
If you are planning to travel during the holidays, start searching early and make reservations. Remember that during holidays, the demand is high so the best deals are picked up pretty fast. Hotel and airline rates are usually lower when you book 4 and 7 weeks prior. Don’t wait until it’s a few days to Christmas to start planning your vacation. You are likely to find flights and hotels more expensive than they usually are.
Flexible travel plans
Don’t be so rigid when making travel plans if you want to learn how to save money when booking travel. Sometimes you may have to shift your travel date in order to benefit from a huge vacation deal. You may be required to extend your trip by a day or two in order to save more. In fact, hotels usually give a much better rate for longer stays. Opt to check-in on a Sunday because research has shown that the hotel room rates go down as the weekend visitors leave.
Compare prices
Before you rush to make payment, compare the prices of the booking site to the actual vendor site. For instance, when looking to save money on flights, check to ensure the airline website doesn’t offer a lower rate than the booking website.
Choose travel dates wisely
This is especially important if you will be travelling during the holidays. Do you know that booking a flight on Christmas Day or Thanksgiving Day is usually cheaper? No one wants to travel on these days so you end up spending less on airfare. Avoid Friday and weekend departures because most people travel on these days so you might end up paying more for your flight. Travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday instead.
Read the fine print
Know exactly what you are paying for when booking flights and hotels. You may pay for the hotel room but find out that the taxes and other fees were not included. In the same way, you may celebrate a good airfare deal only to find out later that you’ll be charged for having your ticket printed. Before you hit the pay button, make sure you know the exact value you will get for money.
