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Are there any particular resources you use when booking flights and hotel rooms? Does this help you save money to use during your trip?
I use student travel websites like STA Travel to save money on flights. I prefer to stay in hostels instead of hotels because it is cheaper and you meet people. When traveling in places like Europe, it is very easy to fly a low-budget airline to save money.
I love using this app called Hopper. There, you can search flights and it will give you alerts about price drops. I found a trip to Japan that started out at 900 dollars and because of the Hopper, I would’ve gotten it for only 528. It was awesome. I haven’t had too much experience with booking hotels. I’m sure there is an app similar to Hopper that will tell you about price drops!
I honestly haven’t used any of these resources, but I’m excited to check them all out! Thanks everyone for generously sharing your resources.
For flights, I like to look at Skyscanner. As for hotels, I look through a couple different hostel websites. It also doesn’t hurt to look at Airbnb.
Normally I asked friends, who have traveled to places I plan to travel to, for their recommendations. Their sayings will be quite useful in saving money and also having fun. Also , Airbnb and articles sharing experiences published on website are both helpful.Make sure you check reviews before you book rooms in Airbnb.
I struggle to save money on flights and hotels, but I do make it up for it by extensively researching to make sure that I get the best possible hotel/hostel booked. I like to find places to stay that are close to what I want to see so I can save money on public transportation and also save time– I can hit up more places in a shorter span of time if I’m staying close by. I also make sure to book places with free breakfasts, free wifi, free lockers, free sheets, and also access to the kitchens. Sometimes you can also find hostels that have partnerships with different tours and you can get a discount on walking tours, boat tours, etc. The better the amenities the more likely I am to save money overall! To save money on flights, I extensively research to make sure that I won’t have to pay extra for my luggage. If I find out that meals/snacks are not provided for free on the flight, I make sure to pack a snack and fill up a refillable water bottle (after I get through security) so I’m not tempted to pay for the overpriced food on board.
I save money on flights and hotels by being prepared and staying alert. Kind of like a gift crazed shopper at a black Friday sale you don’t just go and hope for the best. You have a plan which shops to hit first, opening times etc. Or at least I do. While there are some who will try, it is best to learn from the failures of others. A study done by cheapair.com says that purchasing air tickets too far in advance can be just as expensive as booking last minute. While others say, sales and discounts can appear and disappear within in hours. Luck favors the prepared, Don’t buy your tickets last minute or a year or more in advance. Your prime booking window is 3 1/2 months away from the flight itself. Even closer if you are traveling to middle east, Africa or Canada. I would also book earlier if you are planning on going at key times during the year such as the holidays and the summer. When you finally sit down and buy your tickets the best days will be the week days for booking and the weekends for looking . Also traveling on unpopular days can mean big savings . Some good third party sites to watch for hotels and flights are Kyak, travelocity and priceline. Just don’t forget that sometimes nothing beats the original and websites are no exception. A better deal may be right there on sites like Jet blue or American and you are too busy looking for a deal to realize it has passed you by. I remember having the pleasure of booking with Spirit Airlines and being so disappointed when I’d realized it was cheaper to just book on South West when Spirit charged $30 for everybag. So learn from my lessons. Luck favors the prepared and awake, stay vigilant and you will undoubtedly succeed.