Booking travel online is big business these days and on the plus side puts a lot of power in the hands of the consumer to reserve their own travel arrangements. But its critical you know 5 things to get the best deal and discount available. So before you begin your travel research and booking online start here.

ALL TRAVEL WEB SITES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

When booking travel online theyre two types you can use: the traditional travel web sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity, and what are being called these days Travel Search Engines, which include SideStep and Kayak.

The main difference is in the search capability. A travel web site like Orbitz only searches its own database of available flights, hotel rooms, and car rentals. So the search is restrictive. But youll get more search features and booking travel services offered at these sites.

At travel search engines such as SideStep, the results will include selections from airline sites, travel web sites, and other databases containing flight, room and car rental availability. The drawback is a more "spartan" search capability, and you wont get many of cool features youll find at a travel web site.

IT REALLY DOES PAY TO COMPARE AS MANY AND AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN

If you want the cheapest fare or room, always check out multiple sites before booking travel online. Many travel web sites negotiate and purchase large blocks of fares and rooms directly from airlines and hotels, and then pass the savings onto consumers. But because the reduction varies between sites, the quoted rate for the same seat on a flight, or room in a hotel, can vary dramatically... and many times from day-to-day. So it not only pays to check and compare other sites, but if youve the time, to do it often.

TRAVEL WEB SITES DONT ALWAYS GET THE BEST DEAL

Because of the competitiveness of the travel industry these days heres another worthwhile step to take before you press that "submit" button at your chosen online booking site... hop over for a final check at the airline, hotel, or car rental company web site for any special offers or lower rates you may get if you book directly. Sometimes the best deals are reserved for their own online customers or preferred clients, and youll even avoid fees.

BEWARE OF TRAVEL WEB SITE SERVICE AND TRANSFER FEES

Booking travel online at travel web sites usually involves a service fee. In most instances its not outrageous and is usually around $5 per ticket or booking. Recently, Ive seen some fees nudging up around $20 and theres no need to pay that much. But the fees to be aware of are transfer fees when you change itinerary or cancel. It can cost you $100 or more to change after youve booked a flight. And if you want a refund, then it can be very frustrating, as youll likely spend hours on the phone to get to somebody who can authorize it.

The travel search engines make money from paid advertising and a referral fee from the airlines or hotels, so usually you dont pay a fee when using them to book. But this is changing so always check for fee disclosure before booking.

Generally, the fees should never be hidden from you, but in a rush to book you may easily overlook a charge that wasnt obvious before. The profit margins for online travel sites are low, and they can be very creative in their fee structure if you dont pay close attention.

THE HIDDEN LINK THAT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY

Many of the travel web sites have a link on their page that allows you to become part of their affiliate program for no cost. Its usually at the bottom and not obvious. By becoming an affiliate you can earn a small commission for everybody you refer to them that purchases a ticket, reserves a room, or rents a car.

But before you rush out and quit your day job and set yourself up as a home-based travel agent, be aware youll have to send thousands of people to make any decent money. But theres an even better reason to become an affiliate. As an affiliate most sites will allow you to purchase your own tickets and still get paid the commission. Its effectively a discount. Be sure to check the fine print on the agreement just so youre familiar with the restrictions if any, and how theyll pay you. But if you do a lot of booking travel online then check it out to see if itll work for you.

The travel industry continues to adjust to the advantages of the Internet. Billions of dollars have been invested in online travel booking systems, and new players continue to enter the market every year. Armed with these tips youll be better prepared to navigate through the maze to the very best deal for you. And theres still that travel agent in the mall if you just cant be bothered with the whole game of booking travel online.
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By: Cliff Calderwood

Cliff Calderwood is an expert on New England Travel and to pick up your free travel reports go to Cliff's guide to New England Vacations site at: www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/

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Business class is always the way to go. You do not have to settle for economy class airfare. You will feel much better through the trip and once you arrive than if you chose the economy side where you could be stuck to a group a kids or babies. You receive more room to stretch, better service, food, and drinks. The goal is to always find a low price ticket for business class airfare. In the past, this was much more difficult. These days, most airlines will give you a special price on these airfares. If you happen to be with a company that has made a deal with an airline, then you are one of the lucky few with permanent discounted fare.

Those are the lucky ones because they do not have to do any searching, but you can still get a ticket for a low price without much trouble. Check all the airlines' sites first. Be sure to visit them from time to time so you will become familiar with the prices and what special deals they offer for your destinations.

Next, try using websites such as Expedia and Travelocity. Each of them have made deals with airlines to buy large amounts of tickets and then they are trying to get rid of these tickets as soon as they can. You end up earning a decent chunk of the profits when they are trying to dump all the tickets off to customers at low prices. There are also search engines on travel sites and other sites made just for searching. This will give you many advanced searching options and bring up all the best fares on a certain date, be sure to try different dates.

Always be sure to book your flights early to increase the chances of getting a cheaper flight, and during the correct months prices will be lower. Also, the day and time of your purchase may have a significant impact on ticket price. Every night at midnight airlines reloading their reservation databases with new available seats that was reserved but were not paid for. For this reason, it is best to do your search in the hours of the morning. This are the reasons that, in the past, all travel agents had access to much better airfares than all general public. But today you can search for these tickets yourself at any of the major travel sites.

Finally, sign up for all the notifications that sites offer so you are always up to date on the latest airfare deals and offers.
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By: George Wood

George has published a variety of fascinating articles about lowest price airfare & travel on a shoestring budget. Check out his airfare website that the airlines DON'T want you to see. Stop the big airline companies from fleecing you of your hard earned money, and discover lowest air fares to wherever your imagination takes you!

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