How to get the best deals and what to ask your agents!

• Choose off peak times if you can and plan ahead! The best deals are made ahead of time! Look for ads in the newspapers and ask your agent to keep in touch with you about the best deals!
• Prices at the favorite holiday destinations are highest during holidays, Christmas, Spring break, midsummer. You can still go to your destination during these times if you have your plans ahead of time. But if you wait, the best choices are gone and parents with young children don't usually get the best picks if they wait to make their reservations .
• Ask your agent to shop for airlines most competitive prices. They usually will. They will be on the lookout for free or discounted companion tickets. Sometimes, however, paying passengers must be over 18, so a family of four may want to pair one adult with each child instead of the two adults together and two children together.
• Most often the best deals are made for flights booked three or more weeks in advance with a Saturday night stay. If you book less than a week in advance, you will usually be paying a high premium and not get the best deal.
• Most airlines let children under 2 fly free if they sit on your lap. You may feel uncomfortable with this. However, if there is an empty seat, you may be able to buckle your child into it for no extra charge. If you book your flight midday- or midweek, when empty seats are more plentiful, your chances are better. Check with your agent to see what is safest.
• If you will not be met at the airport, you may want to check ahead of time about limos, taxis, buses, commuter vans, or subways in order to save money. If you will fly into an area with more than one airport, you may want to look into the cheapest transportation to your hotel, if the airline price is competitive. Or find out if the hotel has free transportation from the airport.

Car Savings

• If you plan to rent a car your travel agent can help you check ahead to see if your credit card covers the collision damage-waiver—you can save a lot of money if your own car policy covers this!
• If you are traveling with a young child and will need a child seat- these can be rented ahead of time. Just be sure to check that the seat you are getting is the quality you want and expect.
• When you are flying make sure if you are taking a child seat with you that you check it as luggage. Your agent can help you with these regulations. You can save on car seat rentals this way!

Lodging

• Plenty of motels and hotels offer space for sofa beds and living room areas. Many also offer breakfasts, kitchen areas, and free parking. Renting fully equipped condos also works well for many families. Travel agents can do all these background check for you.
• If you have your agent book two adjoining rooms for you, sometimes you can save 25-40% by having the agent book one room for each adult with an accompanying child, because each adult could be charged a single rare and the children can stay free or at a discount for staying with an adult. After you have checked in, you can get back together again!
• Weekends at most chains are described as Thursdays through Mondays. But these rates are important for you to pay attention to. Sometimes your agent can get you a third night free with two weekend nights that you reserve.
• A lot of hotels, especially chains, offer programs for your children at a nominal fee. This is great for parents wanting to vacation with their children and still "date". Watch out for telephone rates in hotels. Huge surcharges can be added to your long distance calls made from your room, or fees may be added for calls from the lobby or calls made with your calling card. Sometimes you are better off using the pay phone in a lobby. Check!

Your travel agent can help you have a trouble free vacation and save you money.

This article is graciously contributed by Elmwood Travel, of St.John Parish.