Category: Peak Travel Periods

Vacations are expensive, especially during peak summer travel season! From airfare to accommodations and cars, the numbers really tally up and fast. A survey conducted by American Express showed the average person plans to spend $1,180 on a summer vacation—$1,180 per person. That means a family of four could be shelling out $4,720 bucks for a vacation getaway. Due to the economy, promotional vacations and timeshares are increasing in popularity and are a great way to experience incredible destinations at substantial savings. A Preferred Guest Resorts’ promotional vacation package can help ease the burden on your travel budget by offering inexpensive options to incredible destinations with complimentary hotel accommodations, a segment of your vacation travel that can get very costly along with airfare rates. The exponential savings of a Preferred Guest Resorts’ promotional vacation package is priceless, and our travel agents are fueled up to help you find the cheapest airfare options possible.  But what can you do in general to save money on airfare this summer? Darcie Connell, the founder and CEO of the travel site trekity.com, a travel-information packed site that blasts daily e-newsletters for women who love to travel and a forbes.com contributor, recently pulled a few tricks out of her sleeve. Here are  5 extremely valuable tips that can help you save money on airfare this summer:

1. Use Airline Consolidators

Connell says, “Airline ticket resellers work with major travel companies to sell tickets at reduced prices.” Consolidators are wholesalers (that buy in bulk. Existing relationships allow  travel agents to purchase tickets from these consolidators who pass on the savings to consumers. The problem is that some agents don’t pass on the savings and actually mark up the prices before they get to the client. “The best rates are usually found for international travel, as well as U.S. domestic business and first-class flights,” says Connell. When you choose to take one of our promotional vacations, a Preferred Guest Resorts’ agent will also work with you to help you find the best possible fares, presenting you with a listing of multiple available options.

2. Book In Advance

Preferred Guest Resorts always says to book in advance for the best rates! It’s common sense when traveling, especially for vacationing families or groups with four or more people. Connell concurs, stating, “When it comes to finding inexpensive flights, the general rule is the more available seats [on the plane], the cheaper the airline tickets.” Booking well in advance means many empty seats to fill and lower prices. Connell recommends making arrangements a minimum of 21 weeks prior to your departure date and says, “After that, airlines increase fares incrementally up until the departure date. So the closer [you get] to your departure date, the higher the price.” Preferred Guest Resorts has reported research that shows travelers can also find some of the best rates at least 8 weeks out, but not beyond that mark. After that mark, you’re throwing caution and money to the wind. Some airlines do offer last-minute discounts to fill empty seats, starting as far out as 14 days and right up to the days before, as well as day-off standby fillers. But waiting until the last minute is a serious risk, especially during peak season, and often a big disappointment for families of four that ends yup costing your way much more in the long run. Trust your Preferred Guest Resorts’ travel agent to help you find the lowest possible rates by starting to look for and book airfare rates well in advance of your Preferred Guest Resorts’ promotional vacation.

3. Clear Your “Cache”

No, we did not misspell “cash,” though it is pronounced the same way. Most people aren’t

even familiar with the term cache. Technologically speaking, many people start searching for flights and find an amazing price online during their first visit to a carrier site. But when they try to find that price later to show their husband, wife or travel partner, the price is actually higher than it was before. It becomes frustrating as airfares seem to change with no rhyme or reason. Connell says that this is where your web history and “cache” (recorded web history and searches) come into play. Smart booking sites record or track your browsing and searches, and some use this information to raise prices when they see you’re interested in a flight and make a return visit. She says the trick to beating this is to clear your web browsing data (known as cache) after your first search or before your next and each subsequent search, so there’s a greater chance that you’ll find the original price as a “first-time” visitor again. If you choose to take a Preferred Guest Resorts‘ promotional vacation package, your PGR travel agent knows how to work around such technology tactics and find you the lowest possible fares and options for your vacation.

4. Be Flexible With Dates & Times

“This is the number one way to save when it comes to booking flights,” Connell says, “we’re talking hundreds of dollars.” According to an in-depth analysis of its database, Fare Compare reported that the cheapest days to fly domestically are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, when airlines post discounts but of course, there are exceptions. According to the results, Wednesday is the least expensive day, and Friday and Sunday are the most expensive days to buy airfare. The analysis also reports a big difference on days for international flights, which are still pending. The same report also says that the cheapest time to fly is typically the first flight out in the morning—yes, meaning around 4 a.m.—and even cheaper are those limited red-eye flights. It also states that the next best times to fly are during/after lunch and flights at the dinner.

Another Fare Compare study showed that best time to buy airline tickets and shop for travel (domestically) is Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern time: “Yes, shopping on Tuesday is the best time to buy airline tickets, but be careful as most of these discounted airfares are pulled on Thursdays, so your probably paying too much if buying on the weekend,” reports Fare Compare.

Connell says now that booking agents now offer a “flexible date,” finding the cheapest flight is easy. It’s especially easy when you take the reports, stats and tips into consideration to find the least expensive flights.  If you choose to take a Preferred Guest Resorts’ promotional vacation, your travel agent will qualify you for times and dates that fit your family’s intended travel and, if asked, assist you with finding flights based on supplied information as well as best travel dates and options for the lowest fares available. “A simple trick that travel agents use is to search for flights three days before and after an intended departure. This can easily slice a few hundred dollars off international flights!,” she says. “Just remember: If you’re checking throughout the week, clear your browsing history for accurate search results.”

5. Research Carrier Hubs

“Every airline has a “hub”—sometimes more than one—where the majority of their flights arrive and depart, explains Connell. “For example, British Airways uses London Heathrow Airport and JetBlue Airways uses John F. Kennedy International Airport.” So, how does a hub help you? In general flights that are hub to hub are inexpensive because there are more flights/planes to choose from. Connell suggests, “If your final destination isn’t a major hub, check prices to the hub first, and then look for an additional flight from the hub to your final destination. Yes, you’ll have a layover, but you could save a lot of money in the process.” Your Preferred Guest Resorts’ travel agent can also look up this information for you when finding you the lowest airfares and flight options.

You can fly anywhere you want this summer and can save a lot of money while getting a jump on your summer travel plans. If you’re interested in more information about a Preferred Guest Resorts‘ promotional vacation and how we can help you cut down your travel expenses significantly, call one of our travel agents today at 1-800-656-2780.