Airline Ticket Sales, Discount Hotel Packages, Tickets Specials

In the not-too-distant past, travel was booming, and the savings contained in flight/hotel packages were merely negligible. But as the economy has slowed, the demand has risen for discounted hotels and airline tickets. Specials today are hot commodities. According to The New York Times, Google has seen a 25% increase in the number of searches for "package deals" and "flight packages." And in accordance with increased demand, the deals have improved, too. In addition to already-low prices on airline ticket sales, hotel rooms are being offered at steep discounts, sometimes in the hundreds and thousands of dollars, depending on the property and length of stay.

Besides the savings associated with discount hotel packages, another nice feature of combining airfare and lodging is the ability to customize your trip. If you'd rather scrimp on the flight and splurge on the hotel, you can pair a discounted ticket with fancier digs. If the flight's the thing for you, you can upgrade to business or first class and hunker down in a two or three-star hotel at night.

For extreme package deals, see if you can wait until the last minute to make a reservation. To avoid empty seats and rooms, many airlines and hotels will offer big discounts just in advance of the date. If your plans are flexible, the package deal could result in significant savings.