Entertainment Magazine: Travel: Hotwire Deals

Hotwire deals and last minute offers

By Bob Zucker
Entertainment Magazine

While the economy is still down and the holidays are approaching, Hotwire has some unadvertised last minute deals on hotel, airfare and car rentals. The travel industry is still discounting rates to attract a shrinking travel market. Their misfortune is your fortune. Because of an excess in unrented inventory, last minute deals have gained big discounts.

Hotwire.com has a pre-season sale to make sure they sell all rooms and seats for the holidays. Hotel rates are up to 50% off. Airfare is up to 40% off and car rentalss start art $12.95 a day. Visit the official Hotwire.com web site for today's online specials.

These official affiliate links to Hotwire's exclusive offers provide direct access to special discounts and promotions. Hotwire does not have promotional codes or coupons. Instead, they pass their savings on to their customers through these affiliate links. Select an offer or search for a deal.

1. Be flexible with dates. Shifting your plans by a few days can save hundreds of dollars. Instead of getting to the beach on Friday, go earlier or later, and use the savings to splurge on dinner at a great restaurant at your destination.
2. Set a budget, not a destination. Let the deal be the inspiration. If the price is right, you'll enjoy the beach whether it's in Hawaii or the Caribbean. So look for the better deal, pull out the swimsuit and go.
3. Be a contrarian. Don't follow the crowds -- head for the hills! Check out mountain resorts during the summer. Visit Las Vegas mid-week. Or enjoy a city break over the weekend.
4. Travel to alternate airports. Travelers are amazed to find that flying to Newark instead of JFK, or Oakland instead of San Francisco, could potentially save them hundreds of dollars.
5. Stay local. Avoid airport crowds and contribute to the regional economy by vacationing at destinations within a 2-4 hour drive of your home town. Use the Local Trips tool at Hotwire.com to find deals, even at the last minute, on hotels within driving distance -- up to 250 miles away from home.
6. Check out the best value vacation destinations in America. Hotwire (R) recently evaluated 50 U.S. places that offer the best combination of discount travel, affordable entertainment and overall appeal. The top three destinations on the Hotwire Travel Value Index are Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Raleigh and Durham.
7. Use online tools to help find last-minute deals. For example, TripStarter (TM), an online tool at Hotwire.com, can help you choose the right time of year to take that dream vacation based on historical air and hotel pricing data.

"Travelers should know that the joy of a summer getaway doesn't need to be overshadowed by the stress and expense involved with planning a trip," said Bason. "Flexibility is the key, and a tiny change in plans can lead to big vacation savings."

Hotwire.com (TM) is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Launched in 2000, Hotwire(R) negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars. J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM) recognized Hotwire for ranking "Highest in Customer Satisfaction For Independent Travel Web Sites." Hotwire is an operating company of Expedia, Inc.

Hotwire, Hotwire.com and the Hotwire logo are either registered trademarks or trade marks of Hotwire, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. (C) 2000-2009 Hotwire, Inc. All rights reserved.