You’ve probably used Travelocity, Priceline or another big-name travel website to book flights or a hotel room, but there’s a whole slew of new sites designed to save you time and money–and some may even help you get an upgraded vacation experience.
We’ve compiled 11 of those sites to consider using when you’re making your holiday travel plans. Just click the bolded names of the websites below to visit them:
Research the Best Flight Fares
Although there are tons of sites that compare flight fares and options, if you know where you want to go, Matrix from ITA Software will help you find the best price possible. Enter your information in the Matrix Airfare Search and you’ll find flight fares from every airline, which you can mix and match to attain the best deal. This search engine also is available as an app called On the Fly.
Lock in the Best Hotel Rates
DealAngel shows you which hotels are offering the highest value in your desired city and timeframe.
Room 77 compares rates across hundreds of leading travel deal sites and more than 200,000 hotels directly. The site also offers digital floor maps so you can see each room’s views, and allows you to see discounts other engines sometimes exclude, such as those for AAA, seniors, government and military.
Big chain hotels can offer great value and service, but if you’d prefer a more authentic, affordable stay, check out Airbnb, which offers unique lodging options (think apartments, boats, castles and treehouses) for a fraction of the price.
Find the Best Car Rental Deals
Once you’re on the ground in your destination, you’ll need to get around. That’s where AutoSlash comes in. For no fee, the site finds and applies the best car rental coupons and discounts, tracks rental price changes multiple times a day, and rebooks users into the highest savings automatically, ensuring that you’ll get the lowest possible rate.
Be sure to also check out special rates through NEA Member Benefits’ four rental car partners: Enterprise, Hertz Rent-a-Car, National and Alamo.
Know When to Buy (and When to Wait)
It’s tough to decide whether to jump on a flight fare now or wait in case it drops. Fortunately, both Bing Travel and Kayak have “price predictors” that gather data such as fare history to determine whether your fare will likely drop or rise over the next week. They’ll even tell you if there’s a better offer on another website.
Never Pay More Than You Should
There’s nothing worse than booking a flight, only to find out two days later that the price has dropped. With Yapta, you’ll be alerted you if the difference in airfare price exceeds the rebooking fee. Then you can call the airline and get some money back.
When you book a hotel stay through Tingo, which will match the best rate you find anywhere, you’ll get a direct refund back to your credit card if the price drops after you’ve booked. They’ll also upgrade you to a new, better room if the price is lower than your original booking.
Travel Like a VIP
If you shell out big bucks for a special weekend at a fancy hotel, you certainly don’t want to pay extra for Wi-Fi or end up in a room right next to the ice machine. When you book through Want Me Get Me, you’ll be put on the VIP lists at the world’s top luxury and boutique hotels. You can expect free Wi-Fi and a room upgrade if available, among other perks.
If money back is more your style, book a luxury room through Coo Boutique, a free site that guarantees best rates. You can earn up to 7% back on the price of your reservation. You also can earn points to be eligible for exclusive perks and resort credits.