Finding Hotel & Ticket Deals Online
The World Wide Web is a great resource for travelers.
Online ordering is a convenient way to purchase airline tickets and
reserve hotel rooms, and it also enables you to quickly compare prices
to get the best deals. There are several websites that collect prices
for you, so nowadays getting a deal is as simple as knowing where
to look.
Priceline
Priceline is one of the most popular sites for
travel deals. You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, and rental
car bargains according to your needs (travel times, destinations,
etc.), and recently Priceline added vacation package deals and
discount cruises. The site offers travel guides and special offers
as well, but the most useful feature is Name Your Own Price: it
allows you to specify what you’re
willing to pay for a custom travel package, and Priceline attempts
to find vendors willing to meet your price.
Travelocity
Travelocity offers the same basic functionality as Priceline with
the addition of rail travel options. You can also find a special
section for last-minute deals. Travelocity has tools for building
an activity itinerary and an offer for a Travelocity MasterCard which
earns you points for use on travel deals through the website. The
site also runs contests for free vacations.
Expedia
Expedia features the basic flight/hotel/car deal-finding of the
previous sites, but their twist is a selection of maps, driving directions,
and other tools like a currency converter and a flight status checker
tailored to travelers who want all the information they can get.
Expedia also specializes in corporate travel booking for entire companies,
a definite convenience for companies whose employees are often traveling.
Other Travel Websites
These sites don’t offer the same caliber of special features
as the top three, but you might be able to find lower prices on certain
items with a little searching. The more time you put into your price
checking, the bigger the savings, so don’t wait until the last
minute.
Hotwire
Orbitz
Kayak
Cheapfares
Booking Buddy
