WHAT IS THE CHEAPEST WAY TO BOOK A TRIP?

A1A BOUND · Post by **A1A BOUND** » September 14, 2004 11:10 am

I STILL HAVENT FOUND THE CHEAPEST WAY TO BOOK A TRIP. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO GO?

kimbug · Post by **kimbug** » September 14, 2004 11:22 am

Good topic, but no one is answering, or giving any ideas! I'm trying
to book a trip to Hawaii over Christmas... Super Spendy!!!
I don't need a hotel - my brother & sisinlaw live there, but any
suggestions would be good.
Do you think ticket prices will go down any further as December
gets closer, or will they go up???

A1A BOUND · Post by **A1A BOUND** » September 14, 2004 11:30 am

I BOOKED MY VEGAS TRIP THROUGH YAHOO TRAVEL (TRAVELOCITY) AND IT GOES UP A LITTLE MORE EVERY DAY. I BOOKED IT ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO AND IT COST ME $1000.00 TODAY, IF I DO IT THE SAME WAY IT IS $1500.00.

I KNOW THAT USUALLY SOUTHWEST IS THE CHEAPEST WAY TO FLY, BUT THEY WERE NOT WHEN I WAS BOOKING MY VEGAS TRIP.

I WENT TO NEW ORLEANS 3 MONTHS AGO, AND I DEFIANTLY SAVED MONEY BOOKING EVERYTHING ON MY OWN.

mexcooker12 · Post by **mexcooker12** » September 14, 2004 11:40 am

I find booking the flight yourself is the cheapest, flying southwest and jet blue is teh way to go. But even when I went to Key West last March it was cheapest to go directly to the Continental Website. Hotels I go through AAA which usually gives a great discount

BottleofRum · Post by **BottleofRum** » September 14, 2004 11:45 am

Do allot of research if you want a lower price.... I have booked several trips this past year and each one was booked different. One trip I booked the flight with Expedia but the hotel I booked through the hotel. I find for the most part flights are around the same price on each travel sites (expedia, hotwire etc.....) but Hotels can be cheaper depending on where you look.

I booked a trip to vegas for this past August I was able to get a RT flight out of Boston for $226 booking in through Delta direct, the same flight on Expedia was $300. Then I booked the hotel (The Flamingo) through the Flamingo website for $75 per night which was the same price as Hotels.com, Expedia.....but the Flamingo had a deal where as if you booked it through them you got free show tickets, free Buffet etc...... PLUS, about a week before we were leaving I was looking at the Flamingo website and saw they still had rooms available for the week we were going and the price was now $65.00 so I called the Flamingo and they lowered my price, something that you couldn't do if you booked it through Expedia or any other travel site...

Another tip flight prices change on each carrier's site almost daily, a flight that is $400 one day can be $200 the next....again do research deals are out there!

Finway · Post by **Finway** » September 14, 2004 12:00 pm

I've used about 5 different things. The best thing seems to be just checking them all and taking the lowest. cheapfares.com is another good one that wasn't on your list. And although I love hotwire for hotels and rental cars, booking a flight can be tricky cause you don't find out your flight times until after you've paid for it.

Good luck to you though!

NYCPORT · Post by **NYCPORT** » September 14, 2004 12:04 pm

For international airfares nothing beats a good consolidator. The big websites can't come close to prices a good consolidator can offer.
As far as hotels and touring stick with an agent that specializes in the type of trip you're booking (ski vacation, scuba diving, adventure travel, etc.). They will get volume discounts and will have personal knowlege that will be invaluable to you.

AlbatrossFlyer · Post by **AlbatrossFlyer** » September 14, 2004 12:04 pm

i'd be more concerned about the airline, and whether they will still be flying in december. hawaii at xmas, doubtful there will be any good deals.... jeepgirl our resident travel agent probably has a few sage words of advice....

BottleofRum · Post by **BottleofRum** » September 14, 2004 12:08 pm

NYCPORT wrote:As far as hotels and touring stick with an agent that specializes in the type of trip you're booking (ski vacation, scuba diving, adventure travel, etc.). They will get volume discounts and will have personal knowlege that will be invaluable to you.

When I book my Europien ski trips I do it through www.ski-europe.com they take care of everything and have first hand info each resort. I have gotten some great deals booking through them.

SuperTrooper · Post by **SuperTrooper** » September 14, 2004 12:42 pm

For air travel in the U.S. I deal with Southwest.com if they fly there. Otherwise I have found the best deals for flights on Sidestep.com. My best hotel deals have come through AAA.

For cruises you should find a good local agent that specializes in cruises. They know the ships and the lines, and you have someone to go to bat for you when the crap hits the fan if you have travel problems.

Elrod · Post by **Elrod** » September 14, 2004 1:10 pm

BottleofRum wrote:Do allot of research if you want a lower price.... I have booked several trips this past year and each one was booked different.

Another tip flight prices change on each carrier's site almost daily, a flight that is $400 one day can be $200 the next....again do research deals are out there!

Good tips!

Having flexible travel dates are important when looking for cheaper fares. Many airlines have less expensive fares if you travel on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.

Keep in mind that many of the cheap fares are non-refundable and non-changeable. Once you buy the ticket, that's when you're travelling.

Don't get hung up on the getting the absolute best price. Unless you're willing to gamble (and potentially pay a higher price), buy the ticket when you see a price that you think is good. You'll really want to kick someone if the price goes back up before you click the "buy" button.

st.somewhere · Post by **st.somewhere** » September 14, 2004 1:11 pm

The cheapest way to book a trip is to use someone else's credit card...

Elrod · Post by **Elrod** » September 14, 2004 1:12 pm

st.somewhere wrote:The cheapest way to book a trip is to use someone else's credit card...

The Lost Manatee · Post by **The Lost Manatee** » September 15, 2004 4:41 pm

Using someone else's credit card may seem cheap at the time but once you add in your legal fees trying to avoid being locked up for fraud, it's not so cheap!

Seriously, depending on what you value the most, your time vs. your money there are a number of different options to get inexpensive travel. For simple domestic airfare only, I would stick with Sidestep for finding the itinerary and then book it on the airline's website to avoid any fees.

If you are doing things like Las Vegas or other "destinations" and will need lodging and perhaps a car, check such sites as Funjet, Southwest Vacations, etc. and see what sort of package deal you can get.

If you are doing New York to London or other simple international itineraries and have lots of time and flexibility any number of websites will do that for you. Be sure that you check to see what documentation you will need to travel internationally. Also be sure that the name on your passport matches the name on the ticket. If you go by Ted and your legal name is Edward, you better be booking that ticket under Edward.

If you are going business or first class a smart travel agent will save you so much money over the websites that it's no contest as to who to use. If it's a complex international itinerary use a travel agent.

For cruises I would always suggest using a cruise specialist who knows the important little details that are often overlooked.

Remember that travel agents who book a lot of cruises tend to have more pull with the cruise lines then those who don't and they all have more pull then the general public.

If you want to use Priceline.com, be sure that you do your homework ahead of time and know what the lowest price out there is and then undercut it by 35%. Of course the downside to Priceline is that once you bid you are stuck with what they give you and that can be a big downside.

I think the main thing to remember is that when you are playing travel agent for yourself, you are on your own when something goes awry! I've known a number of people who have been pennywise and pound foolish when buying a big travel package.

When I'm traveling for business, I do my own simple domestic stuff and when I go internationally I use my favorite travel agent. When things go wrong I know she will do everything possible to make them right. One year I was at the Philadelphia airport when a blizzard came to town and caused the airport to close. The airline was telling everyone that every hotel in town was already sold out so we could look forward to spending the night in the airport. I called my agent and within 30 minutes she had a confirmed reservation for me at the Marriott at the airport. That was worth every penny of the fee she charged me.

It's your choice, you can travel cheap or you can travel smart.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » September 15, 2004 8:30 pm

I have taken four trips this year and have used all the major
websites and diffrent hotels,rental car companys and airlines
compare and watch also if you think a deal is fair grab it they will
change.