MoneySaver: Ways to save on spring break travel
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- There are travel tips to make your Spring Break dreams for warm weather a reality without breaking the bank.
This winter has many, including North Carolina resident Dwyne Watkins, wishing for warmer weather.
"I hope spring break comes so fast," he said. "I'm just ready to get warm again, this is crazy."
His friend, Azan Ali feels exactly the same way about the snow and arctic temperatures.
"I'm from Vegas," Ali said. "And, it's pretty cold here. I'm not used to it."
Both Ali and Watkins said they would like to head somewhere warmer for spring break. So, I set out to find some ways to make their travel dreams a reality without breaking a budget.
"There are so many cool apps and websites out there that can do so much of the work for you," explained RatherBeShopping.com Founder Kyle James.
James spends his days digging up ways for consumers to save. And, when it comes to spring break travel, he says using comparison sites like Airfarewatchdog.com, FareCompare.com, and yapta.com can make a big difference.
"The one I've used quite a bit is airfarecompare.com," said James. "It's great to go in and enter exactly when your trip dates are and it does all the work for you. It will alert you when price drops happen or fare drops happen."
James also says booking on Monday or Tuesday tends to give you the lowest fares. And, flexibility is key.
"Try and avoid the high travel days," he said. "When you're booking your flight, when you're booking your return flight, definitely try to fly out on a Thursday or Friday. Don't fly back on Sunday. Try to fly back on Monday or Tuesday."
Also, look for special sections on travel sites. For example, TravelZoo.com has sections just for spring break and last minute travel.
While KAYAK.com has a fare finder, where you put in your airport and filter with price, weather, or flight time.
And, when it comes to staying at vacation rentals by owner, VRBO.com or Airbnb, you can also find deals, but make sure you ask about any fees.
"You definitely want to make sure you know what the cleaning fee is, what the special taxes are," said James. "A lot of times you kind of get stuck with those at the end, so make sure you ask up front."
James also says don't be shy asking about last minute bookings because homeowners would rather rent out their place than have it sit empty. Same goes for hotels with sites and apps like Hotels.com or HotelTonight.
"Do a little bit of research, and you can save a good chunk of change and make sure you're getting the lowest fare this spring break," said James.
