Summer Travel Deals
Even the experts agree: it's tricky to get the most out of your summer travel dollars. But can you really save more by spending time investigating the best airline and hotel deals? To answer that question, THAT MONEY SHOW asked the expert Bill McGee, Editor of CONSUMER REPORTS TRAVEL LETTER, to share some tips.
According to McGee, "The average consumer never knows what a good fare is. There is just no yardstick. When you are buying a car, you can more or less know what a good price is. When you are buying an airline ticket, you are on your own." In a recent study, McGee asked many travel agents and travel Web sites for the lowest fares to select destinations. The results: not so good. Pricing was biased, and information was incomplete.
Even without a standardized pricing structure, passengers are, for the most part, paying less for airfare now than they were in 1978 (adjusting for inflation). Though prices may be lower, the tradeoff has been confusion when it comes to airfares. "One of the policies that airlines have for their own employees is to never discuss airfares while onboard a plane. And the reason for that is that on an average 747 carrying 400 passengers, it is theoretically possible that there are 400 different fares. It's the most confusing and complex pricing system in existence in any industry," said McGee.
The Best Airfare
As you can see, getting the best price may be tough. McGee advises, "The language of travel is very complex. To get the best fare, you have to ask for it. When you speak with an airline or travel agent, tell them you want the absolutely lowest fare. ... If you are travelling and you have some flexibility, you can benefit from the pricing structure. It really all depends on just how flexible you are. If you are able to leave early in the morning, or travel late at night, you certainly are going to get lower fares. If you stay over a Saturday night, you'll get lower fares. If you booked in advance, you'll receive lower fares. It's really up to you," concluded McGee.
The Best Hotel Prices
When booking hotel reservations, you might get a better price by negotiating directly with the hotel you want to stay in rather than with the corporate 800-number operator. Says McGee, "Hotels often empower their frontline people to make deals with you. They can sell rooms at the last minute for attractive prices. Let them know what your budget is. If they can't go down on their rates, ask if they can include breakfast and other amenities to compensate you."
Cheap Destinations
This summer, look for rock-bottom prices on airfare and hotel rates for England and Ireland. While recent health problems there may scare some travelers away, for others it could be just the ticket to a great summer vacation on the cheap.
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