Vacation Planning Tips

Oh what a title!

I played around with "inexpensive" and "saving", but what we all want is a cheap, reliable rental car, right? So, here are the tips from the experts at Tangerine Suites:

1. Where to Start? Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz all offer comparisons on rental cars for the dates and location you're looking for. If they are offering deals, that may be the end of your search. If not, it lets you see what the "going" rates look like.

2. Be a Weekend Warrior. Rates are typically cheaper on weekends. If you've got some flexibility with your rental arrangements, opt for weekend rental.

3. Weekly Winner. Weekend rates are great, but weekly rates are usually the best of all. We've seen savings of more than 30 percent off the daily rate by renting for the week (with savings still available even if you return the car after five days). If you a car for five days or more, try the weekly rate.

4. Book early. Rates depend on how many vehicles the company has on the lot at the time the rental is made, so sooner is better. Reserve your car at least a week in advance.

While I'm on the subject, consider that most car companies don't actually charge your credit card to make a reservation (the market is that competitive). Feel free to reserve and cancel should you find a better deal elsewhere.

5. Just Say No (to Insurance). When renting a car, you'll be offered a collision damage waiver (CDW) and a loss damage waiver (LDW). The first covers you in the event of a collision, while the second covers any loss to the rental company. Both kinds of coverage are a good idea, but not if they duplicate coverage already included in your own insurance policy. Give your insurance agent a call to verify coverage. If you're renting the car with a credit card, check with your credit card company to see if using the card to pay for a rental provides collision coverage.

There's one caveat: The collision damage waiver covers "loss of use," the charge levied by the rental car company to cover its lost income when the vehicle is out of service. In most states, auto insurance policies don't cover this loss, so if you have an accident, you may wind up having to pay this charge out of your own pocket.

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1. Book Early
   Airline ticket prices typically go up 21 days, 14 days, 7 days and 3 days before departure, so if you're looking to save, book before these deadlines.
2. Book Late
   You didn't like the last bit of advice? Ok! Sometimes you can buy tickets at the very last minute for a great price, if the airlines have failed to fill their planes. Many airlines offer weekly newsletters that feature their best last-minute deals. Remember, however, that during peak travel periods, making reservations late in the game can cost you a lot of money.
3. Shop Around
   No matter how good it sounds, you should never book the first fare you see. Start your search by checking a few of the major online travel providers, like Travelocity, aggregator sites like Kayak.com or consolidators like CheapTickets.com. This will give you a preliminary idea of which airline flies your particular itinerary, what the going rate is and what restrictions might apply. Armed with this information, you can head directly to the appropriate airline web site to see if the same flights are any cheaper (some airlines guarantee to offer the lowest possible fares on their own Web sites). While you're there, check to see if the airline is running any sales or promotions to your destination.
   
   If you don't see anything in your preferred price range, don't be afraid to bide your time and watch the fares for a bit. Most major booking sites have alert features that will e-mail you when your fare drops to a price you're willing to pay.
4. Know When to Buy
   The hardest part of booking a flight is knowing when to stop tracking fares and make that final purchase. Bing Travel can help you reach that decision, offering fare predictions for most major cities. Just plug in your itinerary and the site will advise you either to book now or to wait, depending on whether the fare is expected to rise or drop. Another useful site is Kayak.com, which displays the fare history for domestic and international flights, allowing you to see whether your fare is headed in an upward or downward direction.
5. What Day to Buy
   Most airlines launch fare sales on Tuesdays and Wednesdays -- so if you decide to buy on a Monday, you may be wishing you had waited when your destination goes on sale.
6. Be Flexible
   If you live close to more than one airport, check out the fares from all of the airports near you. Many online fare searching engines will ask you if you are willing to depart from or arrive in more than one city. "Yes" is a good answer! Also, experiment with different travel dates; shifting your itinerary by a week or even a few days can make a significant difference in fares. You'll usually find the best deals on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
7. Don't Forget the Discounters
   Discount airlines can save you a bundle, but shopping for fares can take a little longer, as some still won't play with the aggregators and booking sites (Kayak now offers fares for JetBlue, Spirit and AirTran, for example).
8. Group Fares
   Traveling with a small army (or least a couple of adults and all the kids)? Check to see if the airline has group fares. It will take browsing to another page on the web, or using another phone number, but many airlines will offer discounts for groups as small as eight. If your troupe doesn't make the size cut, consider traveling with another family so both can take advantage of the discount (usually in the 5%-10% range).
9. Use Your Frequent Flier Miles
   Why pay a fare at all when you can use your frequent flier miles? Although redeeming miles has gotten more difficult in recent years, it's still a good option to consider, particularly if you're booking early; airlines designate a very limited number of seats on each flight as eligible for award travel, and these seats go quickly.
10. What Goes Up ...
    If fares go down after you've purchased your ticket, ask for a refund! You may not always get one, but policies vary by airline -- and many do not publicize the fact that they will refund you the difference if prices go down. It can't hurt to ask.
    
    Yapta.com is a site that will track flights for you after you purchase and notify you if the fares go down.

1. Get a bigger room. Why? Your accommodations is one of the big three ticket items for your vacation. If you know another family who's going, consider sharing a villa - with 3, 4, or 5 bedrooms, you will end up with more space for less money (always a win/win).
   If you can invite other family members, the villa becomes home base for the family reunion.
2. Ticket planning. Why? You could arrive at Disney and buy tickets at the gate, but it would be a bad idea. Tickets are another of the big three items on your budget. We'll be posting later with our ideas to save on tickets, but for now, consider these ideas.
   a. Use a reputable ticket partner. Not a ticket discounter you'll see along the road!! Reputable ticket partners ( www.undercovertourist.com, www.kgstickets.com) will offer a discount AND deliver the tix to your door (how convenient!!).
   b. Consider the length and frequency of your stay. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime visit, check the prices and parks for the time of your trip. Sometimes additional discounts will come available, and buying a longer ticket is always better than individual day-passes. If you come to Disney more than once, buying a "never expire" option on your tickets can save money. For example, if you plan on 5 days this year, and sometime in the future another 5 days, a ten day ticket that never expires can be a cheaper option (your per day cost drops from $64 to $48!)
   If you come more frequently still, an annual pass may be for you!
   c. Consider the Disney extras and the non-Disney options. Orlando is not the theme-park capital of the world for nothing. We count at least 20 parks and other major attractions (not to mention the minor ones!) within a 45 minute circle. They all compete for your vacation dollar, so you might consider a side trip to see another attraction that can be as much fun (ok, we know them's fightin' words in Orlando!) but can really stretch the vacation funds!
3. Airfare planning. Also the subject of another post, but here's a tip: Wednesday. Many airlines try new fares on Wednesday. You didn't hear it from us!
4. Food, glorious food! Ok, you might not be one of the cognoscenti who goes on vacation to eat (we're willing to share our finds if you are!), but food can be one of the big four (did we say three before?) costs. Consider getting a room with a refrigerator to store leftovers and keep drinks cool (or to refill water bottles for the next day) -- or even better! Get a room with a kitchen. Some breakfast options can run $25 per person (for breakfast? yes!). Our little ones like cereal just as well, and a box is under $4 and feeds the whole group (except Mom, who likes her fruit).

1. Water Bottle and carabiner. Why? Disney charges $4.50 a bottle for water, extra for a carrying lanyard.
2. Your favorite light sweater or fleece jacket. Why? It's a billion degrees during the day! Yes, but at night, the temperature can drop (esp. in the off season). Plus, if you head to one of the night shows that sprays water (Fantasmic) or ride any of the rides where you get wet, you may appreciate the extra layer to keep you warm. (Disney does sell them - $40+ a pop. They also sell $8 cups of hot chocolate, should you not heed our warnings -)
3. Fanny packs for the kids. Why? I'm not a camel, you shouldn't be the family pack horse. There are a million little things to carry (souvenirs, tickets, fast passes, snacks, etc). We say spread the wealth! We recommend this one, or if you prefer to carry everything, this is a popular and stylish bag for the mule (Baggallini Messenger Bagg, Black).