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5 tips on booking a vacation package

By Alan Josephs, Orbitz Vacation Packaging Expert

Travelers often can find substantial savings by booking a vacation package versus buying the same flights and hotel separately.

For example, a traveler who booked a package on Thursday that included a round-trip ticket between Chicago and Las Vegas and a three-night stay at a four-star hotel would have paid $250 less than the person who booked the same flights and hotel individually. That represents a savings of 21 percent.

And gone are the days when only pre-packaged deals were available. Now, travelers can customize every detail of their trip, from the time the plane departs to the level of luxury of a hotel room.

Here are tips on booking vacation package that suit your tastes and your budget:

Tip 1: End-of-year travel yields the best package prices

• Plan to travel between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve for the greatest deals to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Las Vegas and Mexico.
• Other off-season opportunities include the end of May, before Memorial Day and before school lets out, and in September, after Labor Day and right before school starts.

Tip 2: Stay longer and look for "free night" specials

• Shorter stays tend to be pricier.
• These deals are typically available for four- and five-night stays in key leisure destinations like Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Tip 3: Look for all-inclusive packages

• Many packages include meals, drinks and transportation in the price, but "all-inclusive" definitions can vary so make sure you understand everything that's covered up front. For example, one Jamaican resort goes so far as to offer unlimited rounds of golf.

Tip 4: City weekend packages are best-kept secret

• People are often amazed at what kind of a deal they can get by staying over a weekend in a great city like New York, San Francisco or Chicago. Hotels in these cities are normally full of business travelers during the week but have good availability and prices for the weekend.

Tip 5: Flexible travelers always save more

• If traveling to leisure destinations, midweek packages are typically cheaper. Look for Tuesday or Wednesday departures.

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