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Finding travel dealsEvery now and then, it pays to remember the basics. If you're planning to travel, it's a good idea to have some good online resources, so you can get a baseline on prices and services. Here are some of the sites I use extensively: Airfare
Face it, they're crazy. It's helpful to know, though, how to get a quick lay of the land when you're looking for a ticket. Here are some of my favorite bookmarks:
Travelocity.com's flexible date search: This little search tool has saved me lots of time. It only works on domestic tickets, though. When you put in a city-pair, just click the "my dates are flexible" box. This can give you a quick overview of what fares are being offered over a three- or four-month period. The downside is the site is littered with what I call "phantom fares", including a $350rt fare to Seattle on USAir. Surprise! USAir doesn't even FLY to Seattle. You just have to plow through some of the flotsam. Alaskaair.com's Low Fare Calendar: I love this tool. Since I fly on Alaska most of the time, this gives me a good idea of what dates have more bargain tickets. It only works on pure Alaska or Horizon itineraries. No code-share at this time. Flyera.com: This is a great site for last-minute specials to in-state destinations like Bethel, Fairbanks, Kodiak, Cordova and Homer. They have web specials every week and they send out a newsletter with the details on Tuesday afternoons. When you fly on Era, you don't have to worry about the TSA checks. You just go straight from the curb to the gate. Nice. There are a jillion comparison sites, aggregators and referral sites for air fare. If I lived somewhere with more carriers, I might try them. Kayak, Smarter Travel and others like them are still working out the bugs in my opinion. Hotels
These are interesting times for the hotel industry. For the most part, the hotels are trying hard to keep their rates high in the face of plummeting occupancy. That's why Priceline.com has become the world's largest seller of hotel rooms. Priceline's "opaque" business model allows hoteliers to dump rooms without advertising so their competitors can see what they're selling.
Biddingfortravel.com: My friend Johnny Jet (www.johnnyjet.com) turned me on to this site. It's great. Travelers post their successful bids at Priceline.com , so others can get a baseline idea of what to bid. Using this tool, I recently purchased a hotel stay at LAX for $61 at the Courtyard by Marriott. The lowest rate on the website was around $120 per night, including fees. Suh-weet. Priceline.com: There are several options now available, including some where you can just book your hotel without fiddling with the bidding process. Don't be fooled--the best deals are where you name the price. I also use Priceline.com for rental cars--I've saved a bundle. Starwood Preferred Guest, Hilton's HHonors and other hotel loyalty programs: Unlike most airline programs, the hotel loyalty programs are mostly easy to use--with clear reward levels and few, if any, blackouts. Several of my frequent-flyer friends have forsaken their Alaska Airlines Visa card for the hotel plan's co-branded card. Why? Do the math. Your hotel costs will easily outstrip your air fare after a few nights. Most programs have a handful of hotel chains you can choose from. Check 'em out.
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