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Travelzoo


Specialty: Limited time deals on airfare, hotels, vacation packages, cruises and entertainment around the globe.

Website: www.travelzoo.com

We’ve used Travelzoo almost since the day we began traveling together.  We’ve booked many deals listed on their website (mostly hotels) and have never had any issues and have always been very pleased.  Every week, Travelzoo lists their Top 20 deals, but you can also search the site by location and what you’re looking for (hotel,airfare,etc.).  When you subscribe to their newsletter, you’ll get notified once a week (usually on Wednesday) when new deals are announced.  When you get two of your friends to sign up for their newsletter with your invitation, you’ll become a VIP member which allows you early access to deals before they send out their weekly announcement.

Travelzoo has deals in all price ranges, categories and destinations.  We’ve saved a lot of money over the years using the deals they’ve advertised.  One thing we have learned is that when a deal comes out, jump on it.  Their deals can sell out quickly and sometimes they last only a matter of days.

Upside: Great deals that are hard to match elsewhere.  For hotel deals, you don’t always have to prepay as you do on other sites.

Downside: Deals go fast, so you can’t delay.  For some destinations, there can be a “deal drought” for a few weeks without any specials.

Kayak


Specialty: Searching multiple travel websites at once for rates on airlines, hotels or rental cars.

Website: www.kayak.com

Of the mainline travel reservation sites, we don’t use Orbitz or Expedia much.  Our preference is Kayak..  Kayak searches Orbitz, Expedia and other lesser known sites all at once.  That not only saves you time, but makes it much easier to compare rates from multiple sites at once.  We use Kayak when we need a quick review of airfare, hotel  or car rental rates in a given location.  You get multiple results on one page, plus control over where Kayak searches for the rates.

For hotels rates, you can quickly sort and filter results numerous ways, plus share your possibilities with others, all from the results screen.  On airfare, Kayak does a good job of putting together “multiple carrier” options, to find lower rates.  If you don’t minding traveling on multiple airlines to or from your destination, this can be a great money saver.  Kayak is also great for finding international rate options on hotels, airfare and car rental.

Kayak also allows you to save searches.  When we’re doing research for a trip, this can come in very handy if we’re going to be looking at a lot of different options over a period of time.  It’s our favorite alternative to booking directly on hotel, airline or car rental sites.

Upside: Quickest way to search for deals from multiple websites on one screen.  Ability to save searches can save you time.

Downside: Won’t search special rate or promo codes for individual hotel/airline sites.  You still may get a better deal if you’re a frequent flyer or frequent hotel member by checking individual websites.

Seat Guru


Specialty: Seat maps and information for almost every domestic and international airline.

Website: www.seatguru.com

Before you book that airline ticket, make sure to check SeatGuru.  This resource for fliers has been around almost as long as the modern internet.

SeatGuru provides seat maps for almost every airline, both foreign and domestic.  In addition to knowing the airline you’ll be flying, you’ll also need to know the type of aircraft for the flight.  Almost every airline identifies this in the “Flight Details” or “Flight Information” section when you’re searching for flights.

Seat Guru goes beyond just a basic seat map for each airline’s aircraft.  It gives you detailed information about each seat, so you can increase your chances of being at least semi-comfortable during your time on the plane.  With SeatGuru you’ll never worry about having a seat that doesn’t recline all the way or a large exit door protruding into your leg space.  You’ll also be able to avoid seats near the wonderful smelling lavatories or seats without under seat storage in front of you.

Upside: An easy way to make sure you’re as comfortable as you can be on your next flight.

Downside: None.