Online Travel for Savvy Seniors
Navigating the maze of internet travel companies may seem daunting, but if you stick to the top names in the industry you will be surfing the web and enjoying the surf in no time.
Travel is the largest money-making market on the web. In fact, close to 50-percent of all American homes with web access will book a trip online this year. As a group, seniors are not taking advantage of web-based travel deals. Navigating the maze of internet travel companies may seem daunting, but if you stick to the top names in the industry you will be surfing the web and enjoying the surf in no time.
The Big Three
Get your feet wet in terms of online travel by visiting the biggest names in internet travel. Expedia and Orbitz, in existence since 1996, along with the relative newcomer Travelocity are helping people connect with great travel deals. Acting as your virtual travel agent, these companies make deals with various airlines, hotels, and car rental companies to bring down prices for customers. Using one of these online travel agencies allows you to put together a vacation package tailored to your time frame and budget.
To use an online travel agency you simply fill-in your travel information on the main web page. Usually you will be asked if you want quotes for air fare only, air and hotel, or air, lodging and car rental. Cruises and other vacations packages are also listed on all major web-based travel agencies. Sometimes the better deals lie in getting separate quotes for each portion of your vacation rather than with the packaged deals, so you may want to run your search several different ways.
Next you will type in your starting location, your vacation destination, and the number of travelers. You will also be asked the age of each traveler so any senior discounts will be applied. Feel free to search several locations and a variety of possible dates until you uncover the best deal. You are under no obligation to purchase anything. If you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to travel dates then you can sign up with Expedia, Orbitz, or Travelocity for email alerts to special deals.
Frequent Flyers
If you have a frequent flyer account or other membership with a specific airline then go directly to their website. Sometimes a carrier will post deals on their own company site, especially for frequent flyers and other select members. Then there are airlines like Southwest and JetBlue which do not allow any of the Big Three to post their flight information. If you enjoy Southwest, for example, or want to check out their Senior Fares you will need to go directly to the Southwest website.
Getting the Best Deals
- Be flexible with your travel dates.
- Search flights using online travel agencies as well as the airline’s direct website.
- Don’t assume one company will always have the best deal.
- Try putting together your own vacation package using the cheapest options from different sites.
- Sign up for any frequent travelers option. They are usually free and help you build points towards free flights or free hotel stays.
- Look at the cost to fly to a smaller, nearby airport. This could be a big money saver, especially for overseas travel.
