Best Trades For Summer Travelers

Good news: I hear summer has arrived (or will next week, if you’re a stickler). Bad news: high gas prices and other inflated vacation costs could threaten its joys.

So in the spirit of financial reporting and my own travel plans, I tapped the smarts of the keenest travel writer on earth and consulted some experts in airfares, rental cars, and hotels. After all to find the best deals in any market, you need to know that market. Here’s what they said:

Rental cars

Rental agencies have been cutting back their fleets for several years because of economic conditions, says Jonathan Weinberg, president of AutoSlash.com, which is a rental car-shopping site. Now agencies have fewer cars. But this year, more people are vacationing, and many are choosing to drive rather than deal with airport security. Lower supply and higher demand means higher rates.

His advice is to book as early as possible and check rates often. “The people who wait until the last minute are the ones who are going to end up getting gouged,” he says. Book early, check your rate regularly, and re-book if prices drop. AutoSlash, he notes, does this for customers automatically.

Shop online, and compare all car types when you do. Bigger cars may sometimes be cheaper, although of course they may use more gas. Also plug in your zip code to check airport and non-airport locations. He recently saw cars going in New Orleans at the airport for $5 a day, probably the company’s mistake.

Get to the counter prepared. Know what your own insurance covers so you don’t sign up for their expensive options unnecessarily. Fill up your own gas tank because the prepaid fuel option is usually a more expensive option. And if you want a premium car, like a Corvette from Hertz, ask at the counter if it’s available. Instead of booking that ahead, haggle for it here. The company would probably rather rent it to you at a discount than keep it on the lot.

Airfare

Don’t give up hope. That’s what the airlines want you to do, says George Hobica, founder of airfarewatchdog.com. “I think there’s a lot of panic mongering,” he says, shortly after a peak summer ticket from Los Angeles to Newark for $279, including tax, cheaper than the typical off-peak price, popped up unexpectedly.

To snag sales, follow the airlines on twitter. When shopping, never put your faith in one site like Kayak or Expedia. Airlines don’t have to share all their inventory with third-party sites. Just like you should look at all sizes of rental cars available, look at coach, business, and first class. Hobica recently saw business fares on some July American Airlines flights going for cheaper than coach seats.

His tips: If you’re shopping for a bargain, hold out on Europe tickets because he hasn’t seen prices this high in years and thinks prices are going to fall. But check seat maps, and if seats are filling up, book the trip, especially if it’s for a domestic flight. “You can hedge your bets but don’t play chicken with the airlines.”

Hotels

Figure out the fair value of a hotel room, says Alexander Basek, co-founder of Fortnighter.com. You can get a sense of what things are worth by monitoring prices for a few weeks before you go using online sites. If a hotel’s site shows you a price calendar, look for the average price for the month. Say you think the fair value for a room at the Flamingo is $125, and it’s charging $200. Then it’s overpriced and look elsewhere including at airbnb.com for a non-hotel alternative. If you reserve a room online, double-check with directly the hotel to make sure you got the best price available.

Basek says to travel to places in their so-called shoulder season, naturally buying when demand is low. You’re probably not going to find deals in Martha’s Vineyard this time of year, but try New Mexico, or Cabos. The Four Seasons in Scottsdale starts at $129 this time of year, or you get $100 to put toward spa or dining if you spend two nights in a deluxe room. If Arizona in the summer sounds, well, ungodly hot, try a morning golf game (or sleeping in), spend the afternoon getting spa treatments, and have a cocktail by an outside firepit at night. Sounds like a good time to me.