Friendly Skies for Less - Finding Travel Bargains Online

Retirement gives you more time to travel. Here are ways to stretch your travel budget.

Online fare engines

Websites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, and Kayak search airfares across multiple airlines. Orbitz was started by the major carriers. Smaller sites like CheapTickets and LastMinuteTravel also compete in this space.

These sites work the same way: enter your origin, destination, and dates, then compare prices. Most require free registration. Beyond airfare, you can book hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages—often at discounts from the standard rates.

Check airline websites directly

Fare search engines don't capture every deal. Southwest doesn't list fares on any search engine at all. United hides its "e-fares" on its own site. American and Delta offer bonus miles for booking directly.

A roundtrip ticket San Francisco to Dallas might cost $500 through a search engine, even with two weeks' notice. United's e-fares—requiring just a weekend stay and 24-hour notice—can drop to $190. If you have a frequent flier account, always check that airline's website first.

Be flexible on dates

Moving your departure or return by a day or two often reveals cheaper fares. Orbitz's "Matrix" view shows prices for dates before and after your planned trip so you can compare. United and other carriers discount flights with weekend stays—sometimes 50% off or more.

Red-eye flights (very early morning or late night departures) usually cost less. If you have multiple airports nearby, compare prices across all of them—sometimes flying from a secondary airport saves enough to offset the extra drive time on longer trips.

Blind tickets and name-your-own-price

If your schedule is flexible, blind-ticket sites like Hotwire let you save up to 50% by buying without knowing the exact airline or flight time. You get a major carrier and limited stops, but only learn your flight details after purchase. Most offers expire within an hour.

Priceline's "name your own price" model works, but the airline can reject your offer, and negotiating back and forth takes time and effort. A reasonable bid is more likely to be accepted than a lowball offer.

Consolidators

For popular destinations like Florida, Hawaii, or international travel, consolidators buy large blocks of seats and resell them individually. You get group-rate pricing; the airline gets guaranteed sales. The trade-off is limited route selection. Check your local phonebook or ask your travel agent for consolidators in your area.

Talk to a travel agent

Local travel agents still have value. They can access booking systems you can't, sometimes finding unadvertised fares. They may also know about hotel packages or car rental upgrades that pair with your ticket. A phone call often beats browsing alone.

Finding deals takes some legwork—searching multiple sites, checking airline websites, adjusting dates—but the savings add up. Combining strategies often yields the best results.

Safe travels.

Consolidators: may have interesting deals

For travel to popular places like Florida, Hawaii, or international destinations, consider checking with a consolidator. They buy large blocks of seats on certain flights and sell them individually.

Airlines are guaranteed a number of sales, while you get the low price of group purchase. However, consolidators do not have the good selection of routes. Think of them as the super “clubs” of airfares: great deals, but lousy selection. You can find consolidators in your local phonebook, or contact your travel agent, who should know a few.

Don’t forget your travel agent

Local travel agents still have valuable expertise. Don't assume the internet has made them obsolete. They continue to offer better service than an anonymous website.

Call them to see if they can find the same fare you saw online, or even a better one. They have direct access to booking systems and might find unadvertised fares not listed in public search engines. They might also know about hotel promotions that pair with your fare, or car rental upgrades. Personal service often provides the best results.

In Conclusion

Finding travel bargains online is easy. If you know what to look for, you can save money and have more fun on your vacations.

Have fun out there, and I’ll see you on the web.