If you are looking to travel this summer or booking a trip down the road, Channel 2 Consumer Advisor Clark Howard has found some way to help you navigate the web and find some deals.
Howard has traveled to more than 75 countries and said he does not pick the destination; he picks the price.
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“My No.1 rule with travel is I find a deal and then figure out why I want to go there. And I know that sounds silly, but it means I get to see the whole world, but much cheaper than you usually would,” Howard said.
One of the first places he checks is Kayak.com/explore. You put in a departure point and see the cheapest fares available right now all over the world.
But if you are like most people, you already know where you are going to go.
Google.com/flights is the best place to search by date. You can pull up a calendar and see how cheap or expensive a fare is on different travel dates.
“Having the opportunity to use a fare calendar to set your dates going and returning is a game changer,” Howard said.
He found fares as cheap as $89 from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles.
“We’re not going to go to a Caribbean country in the dead of summer when it’s the same weather and better pricing, maybe in the beginning of spring,” traveler June Broderick said.
Planning your trip at the right time is key to saving you money.
If you are looking to go out of the country, like to Europe, flying out of New York, Chicago or Boston most of the time will save you big money - even when you add in the cost of getting to one of those cities first.
Flights from Charlotte to London in July and August were about $1,000 roundtrip. Flights from New York to London were about half the price.
Other ways to save - look at all airports close by where you live or where you are flying to.
If you travel in mid-August or later, right after schools go back, that’s by far the cheapest time to fly in summer.
And what about bags?
“This is something I don’t need because I never check a bag. If it can’t fit in my carry-on, it doesn’t make the trip,” Howard said.
As for hotels …
“When I’m looking for a hotel, the first thing I do is I go to Priceline and put in the city and what I’m interested in, and then look to see what’s available,” Howard said. “Then I go to Tripadvisor and look up reviews on the hotel that I think is the one I want to stay at.”
Howard said he only books a refundable room. That allows him to re-shop his rate.
“I find I almost always get a better deal about two weeks before my trip,” Howard said.
You also want to re-shop your car rental.
Howard recently had one booked in advance for $475 for a week. He re-shopped it the week before traveling and the price dropped to $254.
MORE CLARK HOWARD:
- Electronics, tools, shoes and more for $10 - Channel 2’s Clark Howard goes bin shopping
- Bulk buying: Clark Howard breaks down when buying bigger is better
- ‘That’s wild’: Your personal information is for sale, and it’s not expensive
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