Are You Giving Winter Travelers the Deals They’re Looking For?

It’s no secret; winter travel has always been big. Long cold, dark days send travelers flocking south in search of warmth and some much-needed sunshine. But which factors help travelers make their decision when it comes time to booking on a budget? According to the Frugal Traveler column in the New York Times, there are a few key things budget travelers take into account that you should know about.

The first thing travelers are doing is utilizing their resources including online forums and message boards where they can chat with other travel enthusiasts about their past experiences and recommendations. Travelers are also visiting review websites to further research their destinations and to create their itineraries. The internet makes it easy for travelers to compare cruise and flight prices online before making their final decision and travelers are frequenting sites such as cruise.com, Priceline, Costco Travel and Expedia to find the best deals. Speaking of deals, while no one wants more emails in their inbox, travelers are also utilizing email subscriptions with popular cruise and airline companies to snag the best price. What you should do is stay in-the-know too, so you’re aware of the wave season deals from cruises and spring break packages offered by tour operators.

In addition to lots of prep work, travelers are paying attention to the fine print. For example, most cruise lines have a drink policy that allows guests to bring a maximum amount of wine, soda or champagne to their room, travelers are utilizing this information to save some sweet cash while enjoying a few drinks on their vacation. Be a step ahead by familiarizing yourself with this info so you can be the expert for them, saving them some researching time.

Last but not least, travelers are charging their way to vacation bliss with credit card points. Some credit card companies such as American Express and Chase offer cards that accumulate travel points and airline miles with each purchase transforming those boring monthly expenses into the vacation of a lifetime.