Doug Stallings, Senior Editor at Fodor’s Shares Tips for Booking Your Spring and Summer Getaways
With the average income tax refund up 10% over last year, many Americans are cashing in and taking a well-earned break. Doug Stallings, Senior Travel Editor at Fodors has a few tips for getting the best bang for your buck this travel season.
1. Look for Advance Purchase Discounts
If you can’t make the most of “last minute travel deals” try to take advantage of advance purchase discounts. These discounts can provide significant savings. For example, you can book a room at an upscale boutique hotel, like Hotel Indigo, and save 20% just by booking their advance purchase rate.
2. Book Your Travel AFTER Spring Break Season
Rates start to go down after the height of Spring Break, sometimes by as much as 30%. The Caribbean is a great choice at this time. A great destination to consider if you want to get off the mainland, but don’t want the hassle of a long flight and having a passport is Puerto Rico, which combines the convenience of traveling within the U.S., with the exotic atmosphere of a tropical paradise.
3. Consider Cruising
Cruises offer an excellent value right now, many with unheard of rates and special deals. Cruise lines are also making cruises more and more attractive with their beautifully designed ships. Check out some of the newer cruise ships, like the Celebrity Solstice, one of Celebrity Cruises’ newest ships that sail throughout the year in the Caribbean. The ship offers the first-ever half-acre Lawn club with real, growing grass located on the top deck.
4. Ask for Better Rates
If you’ve exhausted travel aggregator sites to help forecast and track airfare costs or if you missed the last minute deal – don’t forget to just ask for a better deal. You’ll be surprised how just asking for a better deal can actually knock more than a couple dollars off your rate.
