How to Locate Top Travel Deals for the Spring and Vacations

Find the Best Travel Deals for 2010? Ok, right now we’re going to talk about locating the amazing travel deals. Today I’ll teach you to Compare the Travel Deals, Check Airline Fees and Be on Alert for all Travel Deals.

Hello online friends, Are you dreaming of a trip to a far off land or maybe somewhere not that far but the economy’s stopping you from taking that flight? Here are the best deals out there.

How to Find the Top Travel Deals for the Spring and Holiday of 2010? here I offer some advices.

It’s Spring, one of the best times to travel. Spring sits right between two heavy tourist seasons — summer and the holidays. If you’re in the mood to get away for a little bit, you’ll be able to find some really fabulous deals.

Also, travel during the typically heavy holiday season could be easy on the wallet this year. Bing Travel recently reported that fares are down 22% over last year for Thanksgiving travel, and 17% for Christmas.  Bing Travel recently reported that fares are down 22% over last year for Thanksgiving travel, and 17% for Christmas. Airlines and hotels are trying to hook any visitor stopping by the travel sites right now. It’s a buyer’s market, so take advantage with these money saving strategies.

Compare the Travel Deals

No serious bargain hunter takes anything at face value. Shop around. Search all the major travel and airline sites. See which one nets the lowest price. Factor in fees and taxes. Some sites will list the price before fees and taxes, whereas others will give you the grand total. Some popular sites include FareCompare, Hotwire, Kayak, Orbitz, Priceline, Travelocity, TripAdvisor, Wegolo, and Yapta.

Check Airline Fees

Airlines are now charging for absolutely everything. When choosing an airline don’t forget to consider additional costs for baggage, seat selection, food, and drinks. FareCompare has a great chart of various airline fees that’s updated regularly.

Two Great Travel Sites

Many tools are available that take the guessing game out of shopping for airfare. Prices fluctuate and you may be nervous to pull the trigger if you think prices may drop tomorrow. Not to worry. Check out these two great sites that make sure you’re getting the best price.

Bing Travel – Bing has a price predictor that will tell you if fares have been rising or dropping, and if you should buy now or wait. Additionally, they have a rate indicator for hotels, which compares the current rates with past rates to tell you whether or not today’s rate for a specific hotel is a good deal.
Yapta – Yapta stands for Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant. Yapta will notify you if the price for a flight you purchased drops. Most airlines offer price guarantees where they will refund you for the price difference — it’s just most consumers don’t bother to check after they’ve made their purchase. Yapta will even handle the process with the airline on your behalf for a fee.

Be on Alert for all Travel Deals

Rather than checking the sites everyday to see if prices have dropped or find special offers, sign up for newsletters and alerts so you don’t miss a deal. Yapta features a service that will alert you if a travel deal hits your designated price point. Follow FareCompare on Twitter and get real-time tweets with cheap deals from your desired airport.
Flexible is Better
If you can be flexible with your travel dates, you’ll likely score a better price. For example, Thanksgiving travelers like to depart on Wednesday and return on Sunday. If you depart on Tuesday instead and return on Saturday or Monday, you’ll see significant savings. When shopping for airfare, the search will include an option for “flexible dates” where you can compare the cost of traveling if you chose different days.

Dealista’s Insider Travel Tips

Before you start making any travel arrangements you’ll want some of Dealista’s best insider travel tips:

Cheapest times to fly: FareCompare shares that the cheapest day of the week to fly is Wednesday, followed by Tuesday and Saturday. The first flight out is typically the cheapest time to fly. Those are the slowest travel days and time, and airlines need to fill empty seats.

Best dates to travel: Based on a three-year trend of Christmas travel prices, Bing Travel found that prices dropped during the first two weeks of October. Additionally, FareCompare has a handy calendar that shows the best dates to travel during November and December.

Best time to book flights: Tom Parsons from Best Fares advises that the bulk of airline travel discounts takes place on Tuesday mornings.

How to get free upgrades: Nora Dunn from Wise Bread recommends a great way to get free car rental, hotel and airline upgrades: Just ask.

Lastly, Wise Bread has a great list of 40 travel websites that can save you a fortune. Get discounts and the insider scoop with these great resources.

This has been an episode of Dealista’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Getting More for Less, brought to you by Wise Bread, a personal finance blog that helps you live large on a small budget. Remember to check The Dealista site on quickanddirtytips.com for a list of travel sites and resources mentioned here today.

By the way: I recommend the following travel deals.

First. Featured Deal: $1,169+: France & Italy 8-Night Tour w/Air. Travel to France and Italy with an outstanding 8-nt, 4-city vacation from EuropeanDestinations.com. Visit the legendary cities of Paris, Rome, Venice & Florence with this offer that includes all flights, trains, hotels, taxes, and more. Rates start at $1,169 per person for travel through March, a savings of over $500 off the cost of packaging this yourself.

How to Locate Top Travel Deals for the Spring and Vacations? Explore the highlights of France and Italy this March with an amazing special offer on 8-night vacations from EuropeanDestinations.com. This trip combines accommodations in four of Europe’s most romantic cities — Paris, Venice, Florence, and Rome — starting from $1,169 per person with flights, trains, and taxes and fuel surcharges included!

Airfare alone costs $750-$800, so after factoring in average hotel rates in each city, and transfers between cities, you’re looking at a total

savings of over $500 if you were to price this offer separately.

Second. Telluride Summer 5-Nt Package w/Exclusive 20 Percent Discount. Colorado is America’s best-kept summertime secret, and though we’d like to keep it that way, the Kick Off Summer in Telluride package is too good to keep under wraps. At an inconceivable, early-bird rate of $496/night ($575 during festivals) between June 1 and August 31, The Peaks, a Grand Heritage Resort and Spa, is sponsoring a 5-night package with an exclusive for ShermansTravel readers.

Kick Off Summer in Telluride includes: A 20 percent discount when you mention ShermansTravel at booking.

About the Hotel: Located in Telluride, among the cloud-grazing apexes of the Rockies, The Peaks Resort and Spa is designed with optimal comfort and relaxation in mind. The 820-square-foot guestrooms, comprising a living room and bedroom, are outfitted with king-sized beds and down comforters, large bathrooms with double-sink vanities, cable television, and floor-to-ceiling windows with the best views of the Rocky Mountains.

Guests can visit the spa, the restaurants, and the world-class golf course on the resort. Other activities include hiking, swimming, horseback riding, kayaking, whitewater rafting, and a plethora of summer festivals celebrating everything from jazz to strawberries. Editing by Nancy Claire