FAMILY TRAVEL CAN BE CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN:
12 GREAT STEPS TO INCREDIBLE VACATION SAVINGS
By Nancy Schretter, Editor
Spring break is just around the corner, and parents are burning the midnight oil seeking last-minute vacation deals. I should know -- last week I was one of them. From what I can see, there are certainly a lot of last minute vacation shoppers out there. Forrester recently found that 11.5% of the 12 million households purchasing travel online did so close to their departure date, and a holiday survey by Expedia predicted that one out of five Americans would make their vacation plans less than a week before departure.
To help with your family travel plans, the staff of the Family Travel Network has released our 12-step program for uncovering the best vacation deals. Whether you're frantically searching for a last-minute deal for an upcoming spring break or calmly planning your family's next summer adventure, these tips and little secrets will save you money. If you follow these, you're sure to find some great bargains that will meet your family's vacation needs.
1. Be an informed purchaser, and keep an open mind. Being willing to try something new or different can result in an incredible bargain, not to mention great vacation memories. The Family Travel Network offers objective information and reviews on a wide variety of family vacation destinations and options. In addition to the usual warm weather beach destinations and theme parks, consider money saving options such as off-season destinations, new resorts, or driving to a nearby city for a spring sightseeing trip. For example, the brand new Hyatt Pinon Pointe in Sedona, Arizona is offering low introductory rates during the spring break period. Grand Bahama Island has several hotels that have recently expanded or are under new management, and some excellent air/hotel combinations can often be found there. Florida's Sandestin Resort also has some great rates for families during March and April, and Bermuda's beaches are on sale at many of the vacation package websites. Cities are also an good bet for families this spring. NYC & Company's Paint the Town deals offer considerable savings for families heading to the Big Apple through March, and the SeeAmerica.org website is another good resource for those who are looking for deals in specific states. Families have a wide variety of vacation options available to them, and a little research and creativity can often yield a huge payoff in savings.
2. Be flexible. Many of the biggest travel sales come with restrictions, such as advance purchase requirements, traveling on specific days of the week, blackout dates, Saturday night stays, minimum stay requirements, and other rules. If at all possible, try to plan your spring break around these restrictions. Each sale tends to be different, so read the rules and plan accordingly. Sometimes booking engines may have features to help you search out the best price, such as those available at Travelocity, Orbitz, Spirit Airlines and AirTran. Rather than stating specific dates, note that your travel dates are flexible on Travelocity and Orbitz and the booking engine will attempt to show you the lowest prices available during a specific month or travel period. Orbitz allows users to search fares within a thirty-day period, while AirTran, America West, Travelocity and Spirit Airlines operate somewhat differently. On these and other sites, you may need to play with your dates and experiment a bit in order to find the best rates.
3. Do your homework. When shopping for a vacation deal, education is a critical part of spotting a great bargain. It is important to establish a benchmark for the lowest available rate before moving on to comparison shopping. Good places to start are Travelocity, Orbitz, and Travelweb. Expedia and Hotels.com can also be excellent sources of bargain rates with savings of as much as 50% on hotels, but be aware that these sites can sometimes indicate that a particular property is sold out when it has plenty of space, so check directly with the source before giving up. All of these sites add service fees to their stated rates, so make sure to price out the purchase completely before comparison shopping against other sources. For quick price comparisons across a number of sites, check out TripAdvisor.com and Sidestep.com. In addition, make sure to compare all-inclusive packages with room-only options, and realistically assess both alternatives in light of your family's preferences. Meals can be expensive at resort destinations, and many families prefer knowing the price of their entire vacation in advance. This option also can be an excellent value if your family likes to take advantage of all-inclusive meals and drinks, extensive entertainment and activities, children's programs, and other amenities. If your family prefers light meals, non-alcoholic drinks, and spending all of your time at the beach or pool, an all-inclusive package might not be the right choice for you.
4. Go directly to the source. Many travel provider websites now provide "best price guarantees" in addition to other inducements for booking directly rather than through third-party sites. For example, the Starwood Hotels website prominently displays a best rate guarantee, charges no service fees, and states that frequent guest club perks will not be provided unless customers book directly through their site. In addition, families may find special deals on hotel and airline sites, such as 50% off on second room deals, food and beverage credits, and free companion airfare specials. You may also discover that some one-day airfare sales or other deep discount deals will only appear on the airline or hotel websites, so be sure to check and compare. By purchasing directly from the supplier, you'll avoid booking fees and will earn frequent flier miles and/or preferred guest points, so shop and consider deals carefully. If you're dealing directly with the hotel's management or booking staff, don't be afraid to bargain, mention competing offers, or ask if a better deal is available. It's often amazing what the staff will be willing to do for you.
5. Dig for savings. Online websites are full of deals, so make sure to shop around. The Family Travel Network's Hot Deals area is the Internet's most extensive source of free access family travel deals, so you'll be sure to uncover bargains there. Sign up for the newsletter to receive the best family travel specials in your mailbox each month. In addition, check out bargain sites such as Travelzoo.com, BestFares.com, Frommers.com and SmarterLiving.com. VacationsToGo.com is another good source for last minute family cruise bargains. Once you've begun to finalize your plans, be sure to compare the cost of packaged air and hotel vacations against deals you can piece together on your own. This is especially true if airfare sales or significant hotel discounts are involved.
6. Join the club and play your cards wisely. Joining frequent flyer and hotel guest programs can yield huge benefits, including free airline tickets, reduced room rates, room upgrades, and other incentives. For example, members of Starwood's free Preferred Guest Program can now receive 35% off room rates at over 125 hotels and resorts worldwide, as well as earn points toward future free stays. There is absolutely no cost to join. Membership in clubs such as AAA and AARP can also generate benefits for families - make sure to inquire about reduced rates at the time of booking and bring your card along with you to the hotel. The best perk of all is a free ticket earned through your favorite frequent flier program. Try to concentrate your travel with one specific airline to accumulate points quickly, use an airline credit card, or investigate American Express's Membership Rewards program. Free tickets are the best way to lower your family's vacation costs, but remember to book your award seats early. They disappear quickly during prime family vacation periods. Clubs such as Moments-Notice.com can also be great sources for vacation bargains, especially if you are from the greater New York metropolitan area.
7. Work with an agent. If shopping for deals hasn't yielded the rates you're looking for, sign up with Orbitz' "Deal Detector". This free service will alert you when fares for during your spring break period go below your desired price. Doing your homework is important (see step #3), as realistic price setting is necessary in order to generate an alert. Travelocity also has an alert service that will generate an e-mail if the lowest available price to your specified destination decreases. This may also be an excellent time to call to your favorite travel agent to do some research and compare prices. A good travel agent is familiar with travel deals that may not be available to the general public, and can often save you time as well as money. Sally Black and her team at Vacationkids.com specialize in family travel, Liberty Travel has had some excellent vacation deals in recent weeks, and other agencies have put together money-saving packages as well.
8. Check low fare airlines and alternative airports. Sometimes a little drive can save a lot of money. Before purchasing your lowest fare air ticket, check the websites of low-fare airlines such as Southwest.com and JetBlue.com. These airlines do not sell tickets through third-party providers such as Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz, so their best prices will not show up on such sites. In addition, consider driving to an alternative airport - especially if it is served by a low-fare airline. Compare airfares and travel options from your home city to those from the alternative airport(s). A one-hour drive can often deliver savings of several hundred dollars per ticket, making your dream vacation suddenly affordable.
9. Stay at a family-oriented Bed & Breakfast. If the words "Bed & Breakfast" bring to mind a cramped country house with thin walls and old furniture, think again. Today's Bed & Breakfast inns are catering to families with spacious rooms and suites, special amenities for children, and great low rates. Many also offer family packages, providing discounts on second rooms, free meals for children, and special rates on nearby activities. For example, the StarGazers Inn & Observatory in Big Bear Lake, California offers families a second room free of charge during the midweek as well as savings on lodge and lift tickets. Kids also ski and stay free at River Run Bed and Breakfast in Fleischmanns, New York. The Family Travel Network provides unbiased reviews of family friendly B&Bs, and BedandBreakfast.com is another excellent source of bargains, package deals and information. Using the Advanced Search feature of the BedandBreakfast.com website will yield listings of family-friendly inns in your target area, as well as specials and sports-oriented options.
10. Rent from an owner. If you're finding that everything is either sold out or out of your price range, don't give up. Go directly to the owner instead. Many highly desirable resort communities contain condominiums, villas, and vacation homes that are rented by their owners. Rates for these properties can be up to 40-50% less than those charged by nearby hotels. In fact, some Marriott and Westin resorts contain timeshare properties that may often be rented directly from the owners for your desired weeks. The Vacation Rentals By Owner website (VRBO.com) contains 21,000 listings of properties across the country and around the world. Other good websites to check include CyberRentals.com with 11,500 listings, 10Kvacationrentals.com with 10,000 listings and Greatrentals.com with over 5,000 listings. If you'd prefer to have the comfort of third-party inspections, easy check-ins and onsite customer service, work with a rental agency. ResortQuest.com can be a one-stop shop with agencies in vacation destinations across the country, but others can easily be found by typing the name of your destination and "vacation rental" into your favorite search engine. If your dream rental is still out of your price range, consider bringing along some friends and splitting the cost. Taking your vacation with another family with children around the same age as your own provides built-in playmates for your kids, additional hands to help with the cooking and chores, and lots of love and laughter to go around.
11. Bid at an auction. If you still can't find the price you're looking for, consider bidding for your air, hotel or car components or setting a price and purchasing whatever's behind Door #1. Sites like Priceline.com and Hotwire.com can yield huge bargains, but at a price. You will often not know exactly what you're purchasing until you've already paid for it. For this reason, it makes sense to approach these sites very carefully. Families should be particularly careful when bidding on rooms, as the standard room offered is based on double occupancy and may not contain the bedding you require. Those who plan to purchase from Priceline.com should first visit biddingfortravel.com. This site will help you to better understand Priceline's parameters, research your options, and become an educated bidder. Sites such as Skyauction.com and LuxuryLink.com can also be excellent sources of family vacation bargains. Many resort family favorites such as The Homestead, the JW Marriott Ihilani, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort have been featured in auction packages on LuxuryLink. With these sites too, however, education and research are important. Make sure to know what comparable packages would cost when purchased on other travel sites or directly from the source, and read the fine print for additional costs and surcharges. Skyauction.com packages may contain restrictions, surcharges for flights from alternate cities, or service charges of as much as $195 which will be added to your winning bid. Even with all these caveats, you can still get some great travel steals. Don't get caught up in bidding fever - set your maximum price based on research and stick to it!
12. Know what you're buying. Even the best deal isn't much of a bargain if the hotel is a dud or the package doesn't meet your family's needs. You want a vacation to make great vacation memories - not bad ones. Before committing the money to a particular destination, hotel or cruise line, seek out some unbiased reviews and the opinions of those who have "been there, done that." Make sure to consider the needs of your family carefully when purchasing your vacation. Some resorts and destinations are great for teens, while others cater to the younger set. If a superb beach, reasonably priced restaurants or entertaining children's activities are critical to your stay, check these out in advance. The Family Travel Network site offers objective research on family destinations, resorts, and vacation options compiled by travel industry experts and parents, and all content is available free of charge. Cruisemates.com and CruiseCritic.com are other good sources of unbiased information on cruises. TripAdvisor.com and WhereToStay.com provide a myriad of resort and hotel reviews posted by fellow travelers. These sites do not sell travel, and their objective editorial content is not comprised of articles or listings paid for by advertisers. Family oriented guidebooks, such as those written by family vacation expert Candyce Stapen, can also be an excellent source of objective insights, tips and information.
When following these twelve steps to savings, make sure to grab an incredible steal when you see it. Purchasers who hesitate often end up paying more. Great deals and last minute bargains are offered at sites like the Family Travel Network, Travelzoo, SmarterLiving and others, but these offers go fast - especially for prime spring break weeks. Watch for airfare sales, and move quickly when you see something you like. Since you have become an educated, informed purchaser, you'll be able to recognize a great vacation deal and snap it up immediately.
The Family Travel Network (FTN) is the nation's largest online site devoted exclusively to family travel. The Family Travel Network is the "grandmother" of Internet family travel, as it was the first online site to focus solely on travel with children. The Family Travel Network serves as an unbiased, objective source of family travel information, advice, deals, and articles by travel industry experts. There are no subscription fees required to access the site's articles, deals, and other valuable content, and the editorial material is not generated as a form of advertising. Launched on America Online in 1995, the site has helped millions of families research and plan vacations across the country and around the world. The award-winning site has been featured in leading media such as NBC's "The Today Show", CNN, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, ParentsMagazine, and others.
