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Find the Best Travel Values
>> No matter how you book your travel arrangements, the best travel values are usually gained when you arrange your travel well ahead of your travel dates. For many destinations and cruises, making arrangements three- to 12-months before your departure date is best.
Conversely, if you are extremely flexible, sometimes a "very last minute travel deal" makes sense, but you need to compare all elements of the deal to standard offers.
If a deal is bundled (i.e., one price that includes air, lodging, and car rental), examine individual prices, including taxes and other fees, before deciding whether the bundle is truly a good value.
If your departure dates are flexible, check ticket prices over a range of days on sites such as Travelocity or Kayak. Midweek departure dates are often less expensive than weekend dates.
Avoid jumping at travel options hyped by such words as Cheap - Budget - Discounted Over Last Year - X days free - Great Deals - and worse, "From . . .
Keep in mind that you never receive "free days" when booking lodging. The truth is that you pay "what you pay." To calculate real daily rates, divide the total price (including taxes and other fees) by the number of nights you plan to stay, then use that amount to determine overall value. The cost reflects a discount over posted rates; not "5 days for the price of 3."
Does an online ad state that you will save a huge percentage over last year's price? Well, that's nice, but the only price that really matters is the one currently being charged.
Tight budget? Don't immediately make a decision based on an unbelievably low From price. Although lodging based on a From price might fit your expectations and budget, in general, a From priced room or cabin is the least desirable when compared to other options. That said, if the destination is indeed worthy, never sacrifice a good view for the lowest rate.
Do you get tripped up by the phrase double occupancy? This means that the room or cabin holds two, but the fee shown in the ad is for one person, or half the rate. To find the real cost, you need to multiply the displayed rate by two. Many hotel chains charge by the room, while resorts often advertise per-person rates - even for honeymoon suites!
To maximize your travel dollars, study what mid-range rooms (including taxes and other fees) have to offer. Based upon what you learn, make your final selection by comparing the mid-range room to a higher priced room (more features) and a lower priced room (fewer features). If you evaluate your travel investment only from the bottom up, you'll always short-change yourself. If you evaluate your investment from the top down, you probably will never leave your house!
Always include taxes and other fees when considering what to book. In some cases, these fees can raise the cost of your travel by 40% or more! Example: A low ticket price on a two-stop flight might cost more than a non-stop flight when all the additional costs are included. Likewise, the price of a "cheap" cruise ticket might double when port and other charges are included.
Use Littleviews Travel Services or Book-It-Yourself
Too many details to consider? Littleviews Travel can help you examine all your travel options (minus the hype), identify true prices, and balance your needs and budget for the best use of your time and money.
. . . if, however, you know exactly where you want to go and you feel comfortable placing an order online that can amount to thousands of dollars, here are valuable resources:
For even more rate comparisons, find out what airlines use your local airport's runways, then check each company's website. Note that several small lines with competitively low prices are not commonly found on online travel sites.
Questions? Ask Karen at Karen@littleviews.com
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