7 Crucial Tips For Booking Your Vacation Online

The world has changed a lot since I was a kid. I remember my parents used to book travel for us at a travel agent. They’d sit there in a set of gaudy polyester office chairs while the agent yapped on the phone. They’d walk away, after what felt like hours, with a wad of papers folded into a big, vinyl travel wallet, clutching it as tight as they could so they wouldn’t lose it.

Now, we just sit on our couch and touch a screen with our fingertips. Within moments, our tickets are booked, our hotels are reserved and we can go about our day with ease. It’s the ultimate convenience, and saves a ton of time, but how do you know you’re getting the best deals?

The short answer is, you don’t know. But there are a few tactics you can make use of to make sure the deals you’re seeing are not terrible either. Here are seven tips for booking your vacation online:

1. I know you’ve heard this one before, but it’s so true and so important: search for flights and accommodations in private mode on your browser. Web based companies like to drop little cookies into your computer, which helps them follow you as long as you are on their site. Travel booking sites will use these cookies to see what you’re searching for and make it appear as though the prices are increasing each time you change your search criteria. This creates a sense of panic in the shopper, and makes them commit to their travel package much sooner than they may have intended. Search for travel in privacy mode! Always!
2. Make sure you book your departure for a Wednesday. This is the cheapest day to fly for most airlines.
3. Sign up for frequent flier miles - make sure you have a frequent flier card when you book online, no matter which airline you choose. You will usually be given the option to enter in your frequent flier card number when booking online, so don’t let those points go to waste! They could turn into free travel in the future.
4. Follow your frequently used airlines on social media - airlines will often tweet out deals or post them to their Facebook fans. Stay on top of killer deals by connecting with those airlines online.
5. If you use a travel booking engine to book your hotel stay, always confirm with the hotel that they got your reservation. All this tech and we still can’t guarantee anything will go off without a hitch.
6. Make use of the many destination review sites out there. Before you book your hotel or tour, check out what Tripadvisor has to say about it first. Check that your destination has good, solid reviews and that it suits all of your needs. This one simple step can save a ton of headaches.
7. After you book your flight, stay on top of the price. If it drops, some airlines have been known to issue rebates.

These seven simple tactics can save you a lot of grief and a lotta bucks.