Book airline flights after Tuesday at midnight. Fare wars begin on Fridays, when one airline announces a price for a particular flights. A competitor counters with a lower price and most other airlines match this price. Customers book a flight and have until Tuesday to pay. Unpaid bookings flood back into the availability pool Wednesday morning at 12:01 a.m. This is the best chance to snag a great deal. Airfarewatchdog.com is powered by real people watching fares and advising users on the best deals.
Yapta.com will help you get a partial refund if a flight you have already purchased goes to a lower price.
At Farecast Live (bing.com/travel) the user is allowed to plug in their flight itinerary to find out if they believe the price is expected to go up or down.
If you can drive to your destination, check out your local rental car outfits and find out when their repositioning time frame will be. Car rental companies, as well as cruise ships, relocate their fleet a few times a year to take the vehicles to where they want them for the upcoming season. For rental cars, you can often get free rental and one full tank of gas. Just be aware that this is a one-way deal. You will still have to get back home, but even with a one-leg flight you can save money.
Book a hotel room on Sunday afternoon after 4 p.m. local time. This is when most revenue managers are off-duty and you may be able to negotiate a cut-rate price. Booking a hotel after a crisis, such as a hurricane, can help you land a low nightly rate. Booking a hotel room on weekdays can also save a significant percentage over weekends. Or try a home exchange deal where you trade your home with another traveler. Many times the rental is free and only costs the annual membership fee of approximately $100. The following three websites are a great source for information on home exchanges:
homeexchange.com
intervacusa.com
homelink.org
Book a hotel room with a kitchenette so you can prepare a few of your own meals. If your hotel does not provide a free light breakfast, it's easy to take cereal and milk and oatmeal for a filling and inexpensive meal. Check out the scheduling of your destination city's Restaurant Week. During this week, the cost of participating restaurant's meals will be a flat rate, usually making a 5-star meal within the reach of the average traveler. Restaurant Week is usually scheduled for late fall and/or early spring.
