More Tips For Cheap Tickets

Rick Seaney says:

1. Free Airfare Email Alerts: This technology lets you know a particular cheap airline ticket price exists and the dates it is applicable (and FareCompare's Free Email Alerts get you this information before anyone else can).
2. Research Date Search: This technology allows you to see days — including the last depart date (hopefully with better weather) that you can select for your dream trip and then helps you find those seats at the that cheapest price
3. Keep Looking: It is possible a particular airline quoting system isn't working very well (especially on international), there are several and each have there strengths and weaknesses — that's why we provide several other systems to use for comparison purposes — more solid technology.
4. Educate yourself: FareCompare provides all kinds of informative and entertaining news and blogs where you can learn about airline partners, tricks, tips, and more. And you can find new tips and tricks everyday; combine your "University of FareCompare" education with our advanced technology, and you come out a winner in the Cheap Airfare Sweepstakes.

Tips For Cheap Tickets

Eileen Ogintz writes:

Consider going to Europe, said Expedia's Chris McGinnis. Sure, the dollar is still as weak as ever, but you can score a business-class ticket for what coach costs in the summer and bargain hotel rates. Even better, "you'll be in Europe with the Europeans, not a bunch of American tourists," he said.

Buy a package that includes hotel, airfare and car. A visit to Cheap Tickets.com (www.cheaptickets.com), for example, will show you exactly how much you can save. Expedia.com says you can save as much as $200 per person on a three- to four-day package. Find last-minute deals on Web sites like www.lastminute.com.

Also, if your kids are begging to hit the slopes, choose a ski resort that is within driving distance or one accessible from a major city, like Denver or Salt Lake City.

Save even more if you stay in Salt Lake City (www.skiutah.com), only half an hour drive to many of the state's ski resorts. Stay in Denver, www.colorado.com (the JW Marriott Cherry Creek, www.jwmarriottdenver.com, has a good deal that includes a $50 gift certificate for the tony mall nearby), and take the ski train (www.skitrain.com) up for a day at Winter Park (www.skiwinterpark.com).

Let the kids test their mettle at the terrain parks at Echo Mountain (www.echomt.com) just outside Denver. (You can get a $29 lift ticket — less for kids — from 3 to 9 p.m.)

The best part: Not only do you get your getaway, but also the kids will see you as that adventurer you really are.

For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. Distributed by Tribune Media Services.