Cruise and Airfare Deals and Tips

Digital News Report- Finding good deals on cruises and airfare is not always an easy task.  However, if you know where to look and what resources to use, it may not be as hard as you think.

AirfareWatchDog.com offers tips on finding the best deal. Airfarewatchdog founder George Hobica outlines some of his top 10 airfare tips for 2009, which he says are “designed to help travelers navigate the ever-changing world of airfare bargain hunting.”  He admits, “It really is impossible to accurately predict where airfares will go in 2009… If I knew, I’d also know where oil is heading, and in that case, I’d be a wealthy man.”

-Look for Promo Codes: Airlines are increasingly offering promotion codes. Discounts range from $10 to 50% off published fares. To get the codes, sign up for the airlines’ frequent flyer programs and newsletters. These fares are never listed on other popular travel sites. more

-Watch out for surprising sales that sometimes appear on Saturdays and holiday weekends. For example, during the Martin Luther King 3-day weekend this year, US Airways launched an unadvertised sale to Europe with fares up to 60% off. For competitive reasons, airlines often sneak in the very best unadvertised sales when they think the competition isn’t watching. more

-Search for fares throughout the day, several times a day. Fares go up and down throughout the day, so if you don’t like what you see at 10 a.m., come back later and search again. Seat availability can also change throughout the day, so check often. more

-Use consolidators for international business- and first-class fares. With the economic downturn, business- and first-class cabins are likely to be emptier in 2009, and deals could be amazing. Consolidators specializing in premium cabins are likely to have some great deals, and airlines will probably heavily discount their premium cabins, so check their website specials. Do a Google search for “first-class consolidators” to see some of the firms in this space.

Airfare is not the only deal to be found online.  CruisCritic.com has dubbed this year “The Year of the Cruise Deal”.  According to Editor In Chief Carolyn Spencer Brown, “2009 is indeed the year of the cruise deal, as cruise lines look to fill vacancies through unprecedented incentives, price cuts and last-minute deals.”

The newly designed Cruise Deals section makes it easier to find cruise deals by cruise line, cruise region or departure city and currently features cruises under $75 per night. The Editors’ Money-Saving Tips section offers advice on how to find great cruise deals. Spencer Brown states, “the deals not only represent superb values, but they are also incredibly plentiful. This year, it is affordable to try everything from cheap getaways to once-in-a-lifetime exotic cruises.”