You can often get great last-minute deals on
destinations that aren’t in high season.
Traveling in Southeast Asia during rainy
season (March to October) will be a cooler, less
crowded and more economical experience./ upgrade /
4 Consult a
Specialist
Paul Tumpowsky,
owner of the travel
agency Skylark,
says that many
firms, like his, have
access to seats
that don’t show
up on airlines’
websites. If you’re
finding only sky-
high fares for a trip
this weekend, don’t
assume that
cheaper options
aren’t available.
5 Look for
Combo Deals
While you might
pay a little more
for the airfare,
bundling your
flight, hotel, rental
car and activities
can often reduce
the total cost of a
spontaneous
vacation. Booking.
com, Priceline, and
Travelocity all
offer good-value
vacation packages.
6 Use a Consolidator
for Foreign Travel
“A ir fare
consolidators sell
the types of fares
that don’t require
advance purchase,
but most are on
international
routes and carry
other restrictions,
such as being
nonrefundable,”
says George
Hobica, founder of
Airfarewatchdog.
Check out Airline
consolidator
.com.
7 Get Organized
File away all your
flight information,
hotel and rental
car bookings in one
spot with digital
trip planning apps
like Tr ip C a s e or
Tr ip I t. Forward any
confirmation
emails directly to
one email address
and the app will
create a master
itinerary you can
access offline and
share with others.8 Train it, Don’t
Plane it
Southeast Asia can
be easily accessed
with overland
transport, and
trains can be an
affordable and
more scenic
alternative to
short-haul or
regional flights.
The KTM train from
Singapore to
Butterworth
connects travelers
to Malaysia’s
gourmet capital,
Penang, while
Vietnam’s
1,600-kilometer
railway links the
north of the
country, Hanoi, to
Saigon in the south.9 Check
International
Travel Sites
“When flying with
foreign airlines, it
often makes sense
to pay in the local
currency,” says
Brian Kelly, a.k.a.
the Points Guy. He
notes that you can
do that by booking
directly with a
carrier on its native
website—he cites
Norwegian as one
example—or by
using the
international sites
of Expedia and
other aggregators.11 Pay Attention to
Newsletters
Subscribe to
e-mails from your
favorite airlines to
find out about last-
minute flight
deals. Third-party
sites, such as
Airfarewatchdog,
Scottscheap
flights, and the
paid service
DealRay will also
help you find cheap
fares.12 Be Open to the
Unexpected
Google Flights’
Discover
Destinations
feature lets
travelers plug inTravel
in^ Low (^) S
ea
so
n
#10
their preferred
travel dates—
starting with the
current day—and
get a list of dozens
of destinations
that have the best
airfare specials.
13 Have a
Complete Plan
Be careful not
to book too fast,
suggests Julie
Danziger, director
of luxury travel
services at Ovation
Vacations. Don’t
grab a great deal
on a flight before
securing your
hotel—especially
when traveling
during high season.
“Too often,
travelers book
one part of their
trip in a rush, only
to discover that the
other components
don’t fall into
place,” she says.
14 Steer Clear of the
Business Crowd
To get the best
deals on last-
minute fares, avoid
Friday evenings
and Monday
mornings, when
business travelers,
who often pay
premium rates, are
frequent fliers.
You’re most likely
to find low fares
when traveling on
Tuesday,
Wednesday
and Saturday.
15 Pack Smarter
Ty p e in yo ur
destination, trip
length and purpose
of travel into the
handy PackPoint
app, and a
customized
packing and
luggage checklist
will be created just
for you. PackPoint
takes into account
the weather,
potential activities
and business
events while you’re
away, and can also
connect to TripIt
and Evernote.
17 Search for Car-
Rental Coupons
If you’re heading
on a spontaneous
road trip, you’ll
find that many
agencies routinely
offer discount
codes on their
sites, usually
for fully prepaid
rentals. A recent
16 Try a Sharing Service
Car-sharing service Zipcar parked
its first Asia-based outlet in Taipei in
June this year, while Car2Go, owned
by Daimler, has launched in seven
Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai,
Shenzhen, Chongqing, Hangzhou
and Guangzhou. Haup, based in
Bangkok, has a fleet of cars bookable
directly through their app.
DRIVING
56 OCTOBER 2017 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM