10 Ways to Save on Summer Travel

According to a recent survey by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), 83% of past-year travelers plan to take at least one vacation this summer. But as of the end of the first week of May, 41% had not yet booked. Why the white knuckles? Chalk it up to the weak economy combined with the war with Iraq and the ongoing terrorist threats, travel experts say.

This doesn't mean that Americans aren't planning to venture further than their back-yard barbecues, mind you. In fact, the TIA is still projecting that leisure travel (based on the number of individuals traveling 50 miles or more from home) will be 2.5% greater this summer than last. But a lot of trips are going to be locked-in at the last minute, says Amy Ziff, editor at large of Travelocity, a travel-booking Web site.

It's also a different type of travel that's going to be hot this summer. To help keep costs down, many folks are picking destinations that are within driving distance. And given world events, even the adventurous types are looking for thrills closer to home. For example, at iExplore.com, an adventure-travel booking Web site, domestic travel has historically represented just 10% to 15% of sales. But in April, that figure spiked to 30% for the first time in the history of the site (which launched in February 2000). "Not even after Sept. 11 did we see the move to domestic," says George Deeb, iExplore's founder and chief executive. Suddenly, he says, the U.S. national parks and Alaska have become destinations of choice for excitement seekers.

Unfortunately, while there are unbelievable bargains available for true travel contrarians (those willing to venture this summer to China, say, or Egypt), people seeking less exotic holidays may find few jaw-dropping bargains. Not only is demand high for most popular domestic destinations, but faced with a reduction in traffic, airlines have slashed schedules, to boot.

But while good deals are hard to come by, they do exist. Here are 10 ways to save without sacrificing the sublime.

1. Look Abroad
OK, Morocco and Beijing are probably out. But what about Europe? The deals there are excellent — and might not be around next year, says Tom Parsons, CEO of Bestfares.com, a travel-booking Web site. Bargain hunters need to whip out their passports fast: The best deals are for those who can be airborne by June 18. But for July and August travel, values can still be found in London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Dublin and Paris, says Parsons.

And what about our oft-overlooked friends to the north, eh? Great airfares from both U.S. coasts to Canada abound. "Some of the traffic to Canada is off 20% to 25%," says Parsons. Sure, this will lead some carriers to cut back their flights, he says, but others will maintain their schedules and continue discounting their fares. Moreover, the U.S. dollar is holding up better against the Canadian dollar than against the euro, so Toronto might be a better place to shop than anywhere on the European continent.

2. Hit the High Seas
Unless you've been trapped on a desert isle somewhere, you've probably heard about the fantastic deals in cruising — thanks to a glut of new ships that hit the waters in recent years. And prices this year are 15% lower than they were even a year ago, says Travelocity's Ziff.

But what you might not know is that in addition to more ships, there are a lot more ports as well. This means that rather than flying to, say, Miami, you now might be able to drive to a more local departure destination, saving you a bundle on airfare, says Parsons. Some ports you may not have considered: New Orleans, Boston, New York City, Houston and Tampa.

Also, if you can postpone your trip until September, you can save big by booking on a "repositioning" cruise. These are one-way trips that move ships from their summer destinations to their winter ones. Generally these trips are longer and have fewer stops, but for those who are happy staying aboard, the deals are terrific. For example, prices for a five-day Pacific coast cruise start at $299 with Norwegian Cruises. Sixteen days in the Panama Canal (including airfare from Miami) could set you back less than $1,500.

3. Think What, Not Where
What to do if your destination of choice is booked or prohibitively expensive? Rather than getting your heart set on a specific spot, think instead about what you'd like to do on vacation, says Ziff. Looking to lounge on the beach? Rather than heading to Cape Cod, check out the Caribbean, where rates are low during the off season. (For example, at Expedia.com, rates for the lovely Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas start at just $189 per night for an August stay, compared with $289 in December.) Had your heart set on French culture? Drive to Montreal. You also can find great cultural events in U.S. cities that you may not have considered as vacation destinations, says Ziff. For example, the modern art museum in Ft. Worth just got a stylish new home. A trip there to check out a few Picassos or a Pollack could be a whole lot cheaper than heading to New York's Museum of Modern Art.

4. Look for Value Added
Many destinations that cater to high-end travelers may not be terribly flexible on rates. After all, once word gets out that rates are negotiable, it could become difficult to entice folks to pay full fare. But that doesn't mean companies won't bargain. Rather than a drop in price, look for extra value, like a free extra night at a hotel or credits that you can use aboard a cruise ship, says Ziff. For example, at the swanky Four Seasons located on the Big Island in Hawaii, if you stay four nights between June 1 to July 19, a fifth night is free.

5. Be Flexible on Dates
To get the cheapest airfares, you need to be flexible on dates. After all, with the major airlines there are only so many seats sold at a particular price point for each particular flight. So look to leave on a Tuesday or Wednesday, advises Jon Douglas, news editor at SmarterLiving.com, a travel-information site.

You can also save by visiting destinations during the "shoulder season," says Ziff. This is the transitional period from peak season to off season. Putting off your trip by just one week could make a dramatic difference in the price of a room. For example, staying the weekend at Block Island's National Hotel will cost you $179 per night for a double during the weekend of Oct. 10. But rates for the following weekend drop to $119. That's a 34% savings (based on the rack-rate).

6. Fly the Little Guys
When looking for cheap airfares, don't forget to shop the smaller airlines, like AirTran, Southwest, Spirit and Frontier. Not only do these airlines offer cheap fares, but their frequent-flier mile programs can also be more generous, says SmarterLiving.com's Douglas. At Frontier, for example, you'll need just 15,000 miles to earn yourself a free domestic ticket, compared with the 25,000 required by most major airlines. Also, when the little guys start offering a fare sale, keep an eye on the major carriers. They'll usually follow suit, says Douglas, particularly in markets where they compete head to head.

7. Consider Alternative Airports
You've heard it before: When flying to a major city, consider the smaller alternative airports. For example, if you're flying to San Francisco, check out the fares to Oakland. And if you're off to see the mouse this summer, check out the fares to Tampa as well as Orlando, says Parsons. Tampa is just an hour's drive from Disney, and the fares are often much cheaper.

8. Don't Forget Discounts
Be sure to ask for any and all discounts. Your AAA card, for example, offers discounts in more than 62,000 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe. Flashing an AARP card is another simple way to slash 10% to 25% off the cost of hotels, airfare or car renting costs. (Click here for more ways to save on car rentals.)

9. Be Relentless
To find a fantastic last-minute deal, you need to be aggressive and must recognize a good thing when you see it. "You hesitate, you lose," says Parsons. "These deals can pop in two seconds and be gone in two seconds." So you should be religiously checking sites like Orbitz.com and Sidestep.com for good fares. In addition to Expedia.com and Travelocity, Site59 offers last-minute package deals to popular destinations like Disney World. At Smarterliving.com, you can sign up for emails of weekly fire-sale airfare prices departing from your city of choice. And at Travelocity, you can sign up for "fare watcher," which will notify you via email when fares reach a price you've specified.

10. Ask for a Price Adjustment
Finally, what to do if you purchase a plane ticket only to find that rates have fallen after it's been bought? Ask the carrier to rewrite that ticket and get a voucher for the difference, says Terry Trippler, an airline expert with CheapSeats.com. The catch is that you'd still need to qualify for the ticket, and seats must be available, he says. So if the cheaper fare required, say, a 14-day advance purchase, you'd still need to fall within that range.