The summer travel season is all about kicking into high gear, and with gas prices and airfares rising, many people are reconsidering their vacation plans or opting for a “local vacation” instead. Before you scrap your getaway idea, consider these 6 ways to save money on summer travel.
- Stop & Shop Gas Rewards. Now when you use your Stop & Shop card, you can earn points, called Stop & Shop Gas Rewards, that save you money on gas. For every dollar you spend at Stop & Shop, you earn one point on your card. For every 100 points you earn, you save 10ยข/gallon on gas. Visit stop&shop.com for details and terms and conditions.
- Be creative and don’t follow the crowd. If you’re just looking to get away, but don’t have a destination in mind, think about where most people go during the summer months, then plan to go somewhere else. During the summer months, Aruba offers 30 to 40 percent off normal hotel rates. You can also find great summer discounts in Las Vegas, where the temperature averages around 100 degrees. Just plan on drinking plenty of water and hanging out in plenty of air-conditioned hotels and casinos.
- Departure and return during the week. Weekends and holidays are traditionally peak flight times, so booking your flights midweek is a smart way to save. Tuesday or Wednesday departures and returns are generally the cheapest flights. If possible, fly during the first two weeks of June or the last two weeks of August.
- Consider a stopover or layover. Nonstop flights during the day are the most expensive, so be flexible to fly late, overnight, or early in the morning for better fares. Also, consider a layover in a less popular city; you could save money on the second leg of the flight from a smaller, less crowded airport.
- Kayak.com. You may not have heard of it yet, but Kayak.com is fast becoming one of the most popular travel research sites on the web. Using metasearch technology, Kayak searches over 200 travel sites to find the best deals on airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises. You can even set alerts and send them to your cell phone or app.
- Pay your baggage fee online. In an effort to generate revenue, most commercial airlines now charge a fee to check a bag. Jet Blue allows one free bag on domestic flights, but they are the exception. Baggage fees have become the nightmare of many travelers, but there is a way to beat the system: pay your baggage fee online, in advance. Fees change regularly, so check http://www.airfarewatchdog.com for the latest checked baggage fees on major US airlines.