Top 11 Travel Tips for 2011: Online Deals and More

Travel is getting increasingly expensive, between subway fares, cab rides, and the price of gas. However, it is also becoming more affordable as long as you know where to look.

1. Find a Private Deal Site: When you know about online deals, you can get travel discounts that are otherwise unattainable. There are one deal a day online deals, and "flash" online deals that only are available via invitation. On sites like Jetsetter.com and SniqueAway.com discounts of up to 60% are often offered. Try a Google search with words like "registration" or "invite" and the site name for best results.

2. Tuesday Daily Deals: Airline sales usually begin on Monday evenings, so that by the next day other airlines have dropped their prices to be competitive. You can get the cheapest tickets when you book flights three to four months in advance. And when you leave on Tuesday or Wednesday, the flights are cheaper than if you leave on the weekend.

3. Coupon Codes: Looking for specific coupons via a Google search will likely result in something turning up. Just type in what you need and chances are you will find it.

4. Refund: If you find a price that's lower than the one you bought your ticket for, you can probably ask for a refund. Yapta.com works for airlines and Autoslash.com is for car rentals.

5. Leave the Phone at Home: Instead use Skype or apps that allow you to circumvent sky-high international charges.

6. Credit Card Fees: Currency rates are vastly expensive when you leave it to your credit card company. But Capital One doesn't charge a fee, and Chase also has options.

7. Parking: If you're going to drive to the airport, don't pay their daily parking fees. You can find off-site parking nearby with the help of Bestparking.com.

8. Don't Peak: When you travel at peak times, prices rise. Wait a week until after the holiday and you will get a much better price.

9. Bargain: If you offer to pay in cash you may find discounts. And when staying at hotels, you can often learn about the pricing of other hotels in the area to negotiate at the front desk.

10. Use Youth Fares: Even if you're not a student, you can still qualify for discounted prices. STATravel.com offers discount fares for youth (16-25) and seniors.

11. Travel Light: Checking bags is expensive. And while there are ways around it, such as Delta's Sky Miles AmEx card, you might be better off to simply travel light.

That's it! Hope that now you know about some of these online deals you can find a deal website and start shopping.


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