Affordable Family Vacation Ideas: Air Travel

Once upon a time air travel was a great deal simpler than it is today. You called one of a few airlines that flew from your airport, the agent would tell you what flights were available for a given time, and you booked the one you wanted. Airports were always bustling places, especially during the holidays, but as long as you gave yourself adequate time, the process was usually the same. You would check your bags, go through the x-ray machine, get your boarding pass, and wait patiently at the appropriate gate. Once you got on the plane you ate the snack or meal that came with your flight, and watched a movie.

In recent years travel by plane has become significantly more complicated. There are so many different configurations for flights and types of fares. Dire economic circumstances have caused airlines to raise rates and charge extra fees for everything from baggage to blankets. There are complex rules about what you can and cannot carry in your luggage. It can be very difficult to determine whether you are getting the best deal or the best services when you buy an airline ticket. The internet makes the navigation of airlines, airports, and flight itineraries easier, but, even so, be prepared to do some research if you want to find a flight at the best price.

Here is something up front that might save you time and money right off the bat. If you are traveling within the United States mainland, always look at Southwest Airlines first. Southwest is almost always the best deal you will find. However, Southwest itineraries do not appear on the major travel websites, so always go directly to the airline's website for information. Plug in your travel plans, and you will get a list of all the flights that are available. Southwest typically charges more reasonable prices than other airlines, and there are no hidden fees. The price you see is the price you get although tax and the government fee that is attached to all flights does apply. For lower prices than you can probably get anywhere else look at the "web only" fares, but keep in mind that these fares are not refundable.

Another airline that is known for having a low and simple purchase price with no hidden fees is JetBlue. It offers fewer options and flies out of fewer locations than Southwest, but unlike Southwest it does serve a few airports outside the U.S. mainland.

The disadvantage of Southwest and JetBlue is that they only serve a limited number cities. If you want to fly outside these routes, you will need to consider some of the larger airlines. There are numerous travel websites that allow you to compare flights among multiple airlines. Some of the common online travel agents that will assist you in booking a flight are Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, and CheapTickets. There are also a several aggregate sites that search multiple travel sites for the best deal. These include such Bookingbuddy, Cheapflights, Kayak, and Yahoo! Travel. Before booking a flight it is also a good idea to go directly to the airline's own website for a final comparison. Here is the tricky part though. While it is good to look at many different sources in order to ensure the best deal, don't take too much time doing it because fares can change very rapidly. I have seen them change within minutes, so it is best to do all of your booking in one sitting.

If you are determined to get the lowest price possible, are flexible, and don't mind a little uncertainty about where or when you go, many of the sites already mentioned offer last minute flight deals for a substantial discount. There are also some websites on which you can bid on airline tickets as well as various other travel products. Visit skyauction to see what kind of trips are up for auction.

No matter what site you use to book your flight, there is one very important thing to remember before buying a ticket. Always check the terms, rules, and regulations of the airline first. Make sure you are aware of additional fees that are not included in the price of your ticket. You may ultimately end up paying more for booking, baggage, and flight amenities. These little fees can add up and factor into your decision about which ticket you buy.

General Tips for Lowering the Cost of Your Travel

*Flights that have multiple connections are often cheaper than non-stop flights, but be mindful of the total flying/layover time. The amount you save may not be worth the hassle.

*Round trip tickets for a longer stay are sometimes cheaper than for a shorter stay.

*If you are not set on a vacation spot, think outside the box. You may be able to find a destination that has a lot to offer but much cheaper tickets than traditional vacation spots.

*Flying anywhere "in season" can cost considerably more. Typically, this means summer, but it can be winter for places that are extremely hot. If possible, look at ticket prices for different times of the year. Hawaii is beautiful anytime of year, but flying there in October is about half the cost of flying there in July.

*You may get a better deal on a flight by buying a vacation package. (I'll talk more about vacation packages in a subsequent post.)

*Always think about driving instead of flying if your destination is within a day's drive. In this case an airline ticket is probably more expensive than gas and wear and tear on your vehicle. Also, it takes so long to get in and out of an airport that flying will probably not be a time saver.

Affordable Family Vacation Ideas: Hotels

If you are the type of person that refuses to stay anywhere but a luxury hotel when you are on vacation, please stop reading. Since the subject of this blog is economizing, this post will not discuss luxury hotels. We all love the lush surrounding, spa treatments, and fine restaurants that can be found in such resorts, but let's face it. Most of us cannot afford these things, and unless you are a couple on your honeymoon or someone who plans to spend your entire vacation in the hotel, luxury hotels are not a very good value. For a busy family vacation the hotel functions primarily as a place to sleep. Cleanliness, safety, and comfort are still important things to consider. However, the less you spend on your accommodations, the more you can put into enjoying fun activities.

Finding a Hotel

The most direct way to find a hotel is to look up the number, call the hotel, and make a reservation. However, you will not get the best rate if you book your room this way. Hotels generally have a standard rate, but there are also a number of discount rates you can get depending on auto or travel club memberships, current deals, package rates, and the day of the week. I noticed that hotels do not tend to advertise all of these different options and that you have to ask about them. Therefore, it is often better not to go straight through the hotel when booking your room. You can look at the hotel website for pictures of the room and details about it and then go to another source for booking it.

If you are a member of AAA, the AAA Tourbook is a good place to start. Here you can find hotels for a given state listed by city. The listing will tell you where the hotel is located, what accommodations it offers, the price, including the AAA discount if there is one. The book also assigns a rating to the hotel. Keep in mind that this rating has nothing to do with how good AAA considers the hotel to be. AAA only rates hotels they consider to be decent. The diamond rating assigned to the hotel refers to level of amenities. Budget hotels have one diamond while luxury hotels have four.

The internet is another good source for finding and booking hotels. Hotels.com is among the best websites for finding a good price on a hotel room. Sometimes it matches the best price you could get by booking it at the hotel website, but in some cases you can get a better price, so it is worth checking. It is also a convenient way to compare hotels and find information about the hotel's surrounding area. You can also find customer ratings that are sometimes quite helpful for more up-to-date details such as whether the hotel is currently being renovated. When you book a room using Hotels.com, you pay for everything in advance. The check-in process has always been very easy for me when using this method of booking.

Another good site for booking hotels is Priceline. It is the service advertised in those funny William Shatner commercials. It is very similar to hotels.com but has an added feature. It allows you to name your own price, and then gives you a list of hotels that fit your budget.

Other hotel booking sites include Cheaprooms, Expedia, and Orbitz. While there is not a tremendous difference between any of these sites, I think it is worth checking them all to see if one will offer a better deal than another on a particular room. I noticed that Orbitz, for instance, sometimes offers a discount if you are willing to risk booking without the option to cancel. All of these sites also allow you to search for vacation packages. However, I have found Expedia and Orbitz to be the most useful when searching for full packages. I'll discuss vacation packages in another post.

Economy Hotels

The least expensive hotels include such brands as Good Nite Inn, Travelodge, Super 8, La Quinta, Vagabond Inn, and Days Inn. These are places that usually charge about $50-$80 per night depending on the day of the week and location. What these hotels lack in frills, they make up for in value. Most of these chains are suitable lodging, especially for a short stay. It is a misnomer that every cheap hotel is a lousy hotel. For the most part they are clean, safe, and many of them have amenities such as refrigerators and microwaves that are useful for a family. Several of them even offer a simple continental breakfast with the room price. It is true that some cheap hotels can be undesirable, but this usually has more to do with the hotel's location. It might be located in a unsavory area or near an airport with noise pollution. Check the guest ratings. If the hotel has nothing but negative comments, avoid it.

Mid-priced Value Hotels

Best Western, Comfort Inn, and Courtyard are all hotels that will cost you a little more, but they usually offer a little more in the way of amenities and comfort They usually run between $90 and $140 dollars again depending on the time of booking. Holiday Inn Express is my favorite of these simply because I have found it to be the most consistent of the chains. Because the various locations are similar in design and services, you are more likely to know what you are getting.

Family Owned Value Hotels

If you would prefer not to stay at a chain hotel, there are a number of nice, family owned hotels in various price ranges. You can also find several of these listed in the AAA books or on any of the websites listed above. The main advantage of these is that they sometimes are more established places with a friendlier staff that is more familiar with the local area. The disadvantage is that they are more difficult to find. You either need to know the name of the hotel by word of mouth, drive past it, or it is simply something you bump into on a website. I also stay clear of these unless I know that they are in a decent location because it can be harder to determine the quality of the establishment.

Factors that Determine Price

Whether you choose a super budget hotel or a mid-priced value hotel there are a number of ways to bring down the price of your room significantly.

*If you stay in the hotel Monday through Thursday, you will nearly always pay less than you will on a weekend.

*The location of the hotel will determine price more than the brand of hotel. Super 8 hotels are reasonably consistent in price, but a Super 8 in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf area, for instance, costs more than a Super 8 near the airport. Upscale areas and those with numerous tourist attractions tend to be more expensive, so don't forget to look at locations on the outskirts of your main point of interest.

*If you are flexible, find out what the off-season is for your location. In most places this is winter. Hotels will be in less demand and cost less during those times.

*Look at all of the various rates and discounts. If you are an AAA member, you can frequently get a discount, but sometimes there are even better rates available.

*Don't be afraid to negotiate. If you are like me, you do not like to bargain. However, hotel rooms can sometimes be like buying a car. If you call the hotel, they are not likely to offer their best price. If you ask if they have a better rate or special deal, though, they will sometimes give you a lower quote.