Use social media like Facebook and Twitter to find travel deals. Many companies have taken to publicizing their deals on air fares, lodging, cruises and whatever else on social networking sites to reach potential customers. "Like" the company's page on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter, to receive notifications of immediate and limited-time deals. The companies offer some deals exclusively on those websites.
Look for extras before booking, or ask the company direclty if they offer them. Even if you end up paying full price for a hotel room, for example, ask beforehand if they offer one night free with the purchase of a certain amount of nights. Or you can negotiate for perks, such as a credit to the spa, a free breakfast or a coupon to the in-house restaurant.
If you're going on a vacation, look for tour packages rather than trying to buy everything piecemeal. Companies that offer packaged tours buy airfare, lodging, meals and land travel in blocks for many people, which allows the individual person to save money. It also means you won't have to deal with the hassle of organizing everything yourself. Check to see how big of a deal you're getting by looking up the price of each individual item in the tour itinerary.
Browse numerous travel websites for the best deal. Most people know about sites like Orbitz or Hotwire, and many people book after checking out only a couple of websites, but a multitude of websites are also available. Sites like Kayak and DealBase are two examples of other websites to try. Always be flexible on dates to get the best deal, and try to narrow down off-peak times, such as during the middle of the week rather than the weekend, or during the summer rather than winter, if you're headed for the Caribbean.
