Internet sites offer bargains for the penny-wise traveler

By most standards, this should be a tough time for travel bargains.

Fuel prices are high. Airline consolidations and bankruptcies are leading to cutbacks and route consolidations. The return of so many people to traveling should be increasing the competition for fewer rooms and seats – the old supply-and-demand curve at work.

But there are bargains available – if you look hard enough for them.

Keeping up with the opportunities and changes of the Internet is nearly a full-time job in itself, but there are new Web sites and new services in old sites that are a huge help to the travel planner.

Everyone has favorite sites; here are just a few of mine that I always use when planning trips:

Kayak: An easy-to-use search engine for flights, hotels and rental cars. It sifts through hundreds of retail outlets and presents the results clearly and in adjustable format. (www.kayak.com)

Travelocity: This veteran of the travel wars refuses to rest on its substantial laurels, evolving all the time with new services and features. (www.travelocity.com)

Booking Buddy: A convenience site, bringing together dozens of other search engines and sites. Type in your particulars once and roll from site to site. (www.bookingbuddy.com)

Travel Zoo: This site presents amazing bargains and packages every day, and a weekly list of its Top 20 sales that will leave you daydreaming for hours. (www.travelzoo.com)

Side Step: A handy comparison engine that does its own searches when you search on many other sites; lots of bargains show up here that others miss. (www.sidestep.com)

Cheap Flights News: An excellent compendium of travel news, bargains, updates and changes, tips and advice. (news.cheapflights.com)

Hotels.com: This site has expanded its comparison elements, setting up rates, ratings and features side by side to give a better picture of choices. (www.hotels.com)

SmarterTravel: Formerly SmarterLiving, this site is a terrific collection of news, sales, developments and special services, columns and advice. They don’t sell tickets but give tons of information. (www.smartertravel.com)

Site 59: This is for the last-minute traveler, and it compiles some bargains and special offers over a several-day span. (www.site59.com)

Priceline: This constantly evolving auction site can save you a lot of money, although there’s sometimes an element of the gamble in it. (www.priceline.com)

1-800 FlyEurope: This is a Europe-only site that has lots of bargains, a wide range of destinations and can serve as a base to compare what might seem a bargain from another site (www.1800flyeurope.com)

“The prudent traveler today is developing different strategies than before,” says Amy Ziff, Travelocity’s editor at large.

Among those she and others recommend are:

“Look for packages. More and more, a package deal will roll in savings on hotels that will soften the blow from rises in airfares. There are amazing packages available that seem not to even make sense. Check Travel Zoo, Travelocity, GoToday and others.

“Broaden your horizons. “The world is large,” says Ziff. “There are many, many places for the deal hunter to go. When your first choice is expensive, another choice could be on sale. Use your imagination; dream a little. And save.”

“Consider traveling in “shoulder” seasons. Look to go a bit off the peak season. You can save a bundle by going to Europe in the winter or autumn compared with high-season rates. Risky? You’re going to Europe, or the Caribbean or Asia or the Grand Canyon. How bad can it be?

“Watch the news. If you see that Southwest has a sale, know that other airlines serving the same destination will be competing, for a while. You are the beneficiary.

“Get on mailing lists. Air France, Southwest’s “Ding,” the Sheraton, AAA, just about every major-league travel institution sends out regular e-mails with bargains and specials, some short-term, some extended.

“Contact hotels directly. Some of us focus so much on airfares that we forget how much of the trip budget the hotel is chewing up. Call the hotel and simply ask what bargains they have. Don’t resist haggling – it’s an ancient tradition.

“Travel agents. A phone call can save you a lot of money and, also important, time and hassle. The U.S. Tour Operators of America say customers can save 30 percent and more on vacation packages by using an agent.

“Play with your dates. Be flexible, if necessary. Flying on a Thursday can save a fortune. Staying in a hotel on a weekend can be a great bargain.