Travel was a bargain this summer. Travel still is a bargain.
Clem Bason is the president of Hotwire.com, the discount travel Web site. I asked him about the outlook for bargains in the second half of the summer, and to address some of the consumer complaints about so-called “opaque” travel sites.
Traffic to the three major online travel agencies — Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity — is trending upward, as bargain-hunters snap up discounted airline tickets, hotel rooms and rental cars. It helps that the agencies eliminated some of their booking fees a few months ago.
Summer is here and even though some vowed not to take vacations due to costs, the travel industry is offering so many bargains that many will break their resolve to stay home. Even with bargains, most travelers can use other ways to stretch their vacation dollars.
With the possible exception of myself, I don’t know a cheaper sonofagun than Charlie Leocha. It’s no coincidence that we’re both writers — a notoriously underpaid gang of rogues who survive on free lunches. Wanna meet a writer? Wait by the food table at any press conference. The first ones there – plates in hand, pockets bulging — that’s us.
Discounted lodging is abundant these days, but here’s a deal that deserves some recognition. Check into a participating Maine lodging property May 1-22 and get 50 percent off the regular rate, courtesy of the Maine Innkeepers Association’s annual Hospitality for Habitat program. The catch? You must write a minimum $35 check to Habitat for Humanity, the organization that gives a hand up, not a hand out, to deserving working families. All monies contributed support nine Habitat chapters in Maine.
If you love a hotel bargain, this ought to make your day. The average daily room rate dropped 5.2 percent in January, to about $100, according to the latest numbers from Smith Travel Research. Can you say “fire sale”?
With attendance at theme parks down in the last few months, places like Disney World are offering deals to get people through the turnstiles in 2009.
Beginning January 26th, LastMinuteTravel.com is conducting a two-week-long zinger sale on hotel rooms. Those who move quickly enough can book a room for up to seven nights and pay only $1 per night. Naturally, there are some catches.
Have you ever received a voucher as compensation for an unpleasant travel experience or for volunteering to take a later flight? If so, make sure to understand how the voucher may be used and with which fares — all vouchers are not created equal!
