Guest Column: Not too late for summer travel deals
By L. Jasmine Kim
Unfortunately, summer will be leaving us soon, and that means the window for taking the trip you’ve promised yourself might also be closing fast. So if you’re one of the 73 percent of Americans who planned on traveling more this year, don’t put your sunscreen and swimwear in the back of your closet just yet.
Even though they may seem a little harder to find these days, great travel deals are definitely out there for an end-of-summer getaway. You just need to know where to look.
Vacation budgeting might be a concern amidst a year that saw several price increases and fees for things such as checking luggage, cancelling a ticket, or even getting a pillow or blanket. To help travelers deliver on their promise to take more trips in 2011, here are four money-saving tips that will let you cut through the clutter and find the best deals on both a relaxing and inexpensive getaway this summer:
- Score the best deals by using online resources. Let online travel tools do the hard work for you. In an effort to capitalize on the current travel momentum, travel companies are looking for channels to maximize their reach to consumers. Sign up for geo-targeted deal newsletters and sites that often provide exclusives and flash-sale opportunities.
- Save via social media. From promotional discounts and contest giveaways to the latest in travel deals, it’s becoming easier to have other people bring the information to you via Twitter or Facebook. By simply following travel experts and providers, keeping an eye on popular hashtags (e.g. #TravelTuesday) and conducting Twitter searches, travelers can let social media do all the work.
- Seek answers in the palm of your hand (handheld device, that is). Download mobile apps and find your travel inspiration with up-to-the-minute deal notifications that go wherever you do. Be instantly alerted when your favorite destinations are on sale. Share the deals you’ve found with friends via text, email, Facebook, and Twitter, or just daydream by browsing beautiful photo galleries of the properties and destinations that are currently offering deals.
- Scour for travel perks, or even ask for them specifically. Look for deals loaded with extras, or ask for them when you arrive at your destination. If there’s anything extra that your hotel can throw in, like a room upgrade or meal credit, they will. This is a very inexpensive way for hotels to keep their patrons happy and create positive word of mouth.
L. Jasmine Kim is the General Manager at Travel-Ticker, an online inspirational travel website that negotiates deals with multiple hotels, airlines, cruises, and other travel partners. Viewers can sign up for their weekly newsletter that says it offers the best deals according to individual intersts.
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