Nab That Travel Deal!
The scoop on off-season rates, introductory prices and other bargains
By Stephanie Oswald
People ask all the time when is the best time to get deals on flights, attractions and hotels. There is no absolute best time to book – other than when you see a great deal, jump on it.
It's often said that after midnight on Sunday, or Tuesdays and Wednesdays are times to look for discounts, but what matters most is when you are traveling, not when you are booking. The least expensive days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. That said, the savvy and determined traveler will be able to find a deal any day of the week.
Some places to look for travel deals online are skyauction.com, where you can bid for cruises, hotel stays and plane tickets, luxurylink.com where there are set rate packages as well as auctions, and travelzoo.com, which publishes a weekly Top 20 Travel Deals list.
When it comes to accommodations, deals come up all the time. If you want a generic, best-time-to-vacation-at-a-discount, travel the first two weeks of December. Typically the post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas time period is a slow time for resorts and cruises and they work to fill cabins and rooms by offering deals.
When it comes to off-season rates, go by these general rules:
- Europe is cheaper in August and during the winter.
You’ll find many of the locals are off on vacation themselves in August, so some businesses will be closed. During the winter you may have to cope with adjusted hours at attractions.
- Disney is cheapest in September when all the kids go back to school.
The lines will be shorter, too.
- The weather probably will not be ideal.
The Caribbean during hurricane season (June 1 through November 30) is going to be full of discounts, but you are taking a risk.
Because rates for travel in general will depend on occupancy, fuel surcharges, etc., it’s a great idea to have a travel agent on your side for help. Find one at ASTA.org or check with friends who have successfully used an agent.
Rules for discounts are different from airline to airline, cruise line to cruise line, hotel to hotel. Some airlines charge $25 for a second bag; some cruise lines won’t let you get on board if you’re in your third trimester of pregnancy and some hotels charge an activities fee that's added to your bill regardless of what amenities you d or do not use. A good travel agent knows these ins and outs and can make sure you don’t get cheated by the fine print. Travel agents also know about deals long before the rest of the world.
Some other times to look for deals are when a destination is in the news. In advance of the Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines is offering non-stop flights from Seattle to Beijing for $330 each way, inclusive of all taxes, fees and surcharges, good for June/July (departures June 9-30, all travel completed by July 31.)
You can save by traveling when an airline launches a new route with introductory rates. Delta inaugurated its non-stop flights to Shanghai in March with roundtrip flights for $778 plus taxes. That ticket usually costs a couple of thousand dollars on other carriers.
Stephanie Oswald is editor-in-chief of Travelgirl magazine and host of the Fine Living Network series All-Girl Getaways.
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