Get the Scoop: Here's the Truth About Those 80% Off Sales

Now that we have your attention, are you ready to find out why you shouldn't believe those overhyped advertisements?

First off, those enticing "65% Off!", "70% Off!", and "80% Off!" ads generally refer to "discounts" off the highest-priced, most-restricted ticket classes (refundable, etc.). What the carriers are really saying is that there are cheaper flights out there than the most expensive tickets. News flash! In most cases, they're providing absolutely no support that any of those discounts exist under any circumstances.

Here's the bottom line: Most leisure travelers never actually buy the costliest, most-restricted tickets. Those are generally picked up by business travelers shopping on the company dime. With low-cost airlines, online travel agents, and flexible date searches all factoring in to your price hunting, it's rare that you'd ever pay the highest possible price anyway. So that 80% off "discount" doesn't apply to any flight you're likely to book.

For the best strategy, search flights from a wide variety of providers. Comparing rates is the only way to ensure you're getting a competitive price. It's the closest thing you've got to a foolproof strategy for booking flights. Here are our top tips:

  • Most domestic airlines release sales on Tuesdays, with the majority of competitors matching these deals within 24 hours. To take advantage of these airfare sales and have the largest amount of seats to choose from, search for fares on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Historically, Saturdays have also proved fair prices for domestic travel.
  • When heading to a destination serviced by multiple airports, be sure to check them all to ensure you're getting the best fare. For example, if you're flying to New York City, search for the major airports (JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark), as well as smaller options (Long Island/Islip and White Plains).
  • Be flexible with your dates. Searching a range of dates gives you a good ballpark budget for what you can expect to spend on airfare.
  • Search, then search again. Frequently checking fares for your preferred route over a fixed period of time (e.g., once or twice per day over a week or two) gives you an in-depth, realistic understanding of what your airfare costs should be. Then, when you see a price you think is fair, book with confidence, knowing you've locked in the best fare for your route and budget.

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.

Get the Scoop: Here's the Truth About Those 70% Off Hotel Deals

You may have seen an enticing ad boasting huge discounts on hotel rooms. Though it got your attention, the deal's unlikely to hold up when subject to scrutiny. Here, we detail why:

  • That discount is likely "subtracted" from the room's rack rate (the highest price for the room on specific days during the peak booking season). Since it's unlikely that you'll ever be charged that price, the discount isn't really a discount at all.
  • Advertisers also like to add "extras" to the room rate to artificially inflate that "70% off" and sometimes even "80% off" claim. This "value" often includes daily breakfast, internet access, and other surcharge-carrying services in the nightly rate. The discount, therefore, isn't based on just the room but is based on all the related services that might not be of use to you.
  • Hotel rates are constantly changing. If an event is coming to town, room rates will skyrocket since demand is at a premium. Conversely, if there are extended periods of lower vacancy (hurricane season in the Caribbean, for example), room prices plummet. Attempting to determine the value of a percentage savings from such volatile price points is, at best, an inexact science.

Here are our top tips for getting the best hotel deals every time:

  • Don't only check one site and call it a day. By comparing prices across several providers, major online travel agencies, and your favorite hotel brand's site, you may find that one price point undercuts the rest-or offers a little something extra for the same price.
  • Go for it, go opaque. You'll see the room class, neighborhood, amenities, price, and reviews before you book, but if you're willing to take a chance with the hotel brand, opaque sites such as our partners Hotwire and Priceline are great ways to save big.
  • Forget the oranges, only compare apples to apples. Make sure you're comparing the same offerings across providers. And to ensure you're getting an even better deal, you'll want to compare prices for similar room types at all hotels.
  • Look for discounts. Oftentimes, hotels offer additional savings for AAA and AARP members, students, military personnel and their families, teachers, and other groups.
  • Join a private sale site. Sign up for a luxury discount-hotels site, such as JetSetter, which offers exclusive, members-only discounts at the finest properties throughout the world.

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.

Always Get Low-Price Guarantees!

You may have seen low- or best-price guarantees for hotel rooms. But what does that low-price guarantee for hotels actually mean? The answer, as you'll see below, is a little complicated. Best-price guarantees for hotels promise the following:

  • The price you pay for your hotel room is the lowest available. You won't find a cheaper rate for that hotel room during your preferred travel dates anywhere else.
  • If you find a lower price for your hotel room after booking, you can get that cheaper rate, a refund in the amount of the difference, or a fixed-guarantee payout.

But how can competing hotel providers all guarantee to have the best price for the same hotel room, you ask? The answer is simple: They all have plenty of "out" built in to their "guarantees" to get around those promises. For example:

  • Most hotel providers only honor identical "apples to apples" claims (e.g. same-class room for the same travel period, etc.), with absolutely no room for deviation. Maybe you're staying two nights; someone else could be getting a better price for one or three nights.
  • The refund process for hotel price guarantees is typically lengthy and confusing. You might be able to get a refund for said hotel room, but you'll have to work hard for it.

So, how do you know that you're truly getting the lowest price for your hotel room? By comparing hotel prices across several providers, that's how. Shopping around is the closest there is to a foolproof strategy for booking the best hotel rate. Here are our top tips:

  • Be as flexible as possible.
  • Know the destination.
  • Keep in mind seasonality.
  • Search, and search often.

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.

Hotel Deals

The price point featured on BookingBuddy.com is the average price of all hotels searched within the city by the site's users within the last two weeks for travel dates beginning on or after today's date and extending through any number of nights. This rate is reflective of the price offered on average by the travel websites featured on this site (such as Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and Booking.com). The actual rate found by users may differ from the price listed due to pricing and inventory changes but should be within a reasonable range of the price point stated by this site.

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.

Hotel Deals: Up To 60% Off Hotels!

Search our advertising partners for great deals at savings of up to 60%.

  • Priceline.com offers savings of up to 60% through their "Name Your Own Price" program. Priceline's "Name Your Own Price" reservation system is different from most other online travel sites. With Priceline's "Name Your Own Price" reservation system, the exact hotel booked is shown only after purchase. Over the last year, a substantial percentage of accepted offers have yielded savings of up to 60% in comparison to the lowest published rates for the same itinerary on other leading online travel sites. There is no guarantee that hotels, dates, or prices will be available, and savings are not guaranteed. Actual prices and availability are subject to change.
  • Similarly, save up to 60% at Hotwire.com with "Hotwire Hot Rates."

These are just two examples of great offers from our partners. Visit Booking.com, Hotels.com, and many other sites for super deals.

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.

Get the Scoop: Here's the Truth About Those 70% Off Sales

Now that we have your attention, are you ready to find out why you should be skeptical of such claims - or any other advertisements like it, for that matter?

First and foremost, those enticing "65% Off!", "70% Off!", and "80% Off!" ads often may refer to "discounts" off the highest-priced car rental during peak times, which may not even apply to your needs. It's difficult to pinpoint the actual value in savings you're getting at any given time. Additionally, those advertised prices might just be the base rates, which don't include taxes, fees, or mileage.

When comparing your ultimate car rental price, keep in mind the following:

  • Daily, weekly, and weekend rates typically vary.
  • Car rental companies charge fees beyond the time and mileage charges of the rental (e.g., taxes, concession recovery fees, vehicle license recovery fees, and customer facility charges).
  • Some special offers only apply to specific vehicle categories.
  • There may be holiday, weekend, or other blackout windows for advertised discounts.
  • Drivers must meet age and other requirements, which may vary by location.

But don't worry, start your rate comparison by checking out the latest deals through BookingBuddy.com.

Here are some examples we found on March 3, 2020:

  • AutoRentals.com: Location - Las Vegas, Nevada, from $7/day

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.

Great Car Rentals from $7/Day!

Search our partners for car rental rates from $7/day. Searching BookingBuddy.com on March 3, 2020, we found these deals advertised by our partners:

  • AutoRentals.com: Location - Las Vegas, Nevada, from $7/day

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.

Save Big on Vacation Packages!

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.

Cruise Deals: Save as Much as 75% Off Cruises!

Search our partners for great deals and savings up to 75% off. Searching BookingBuddy.com on February 4, 2020, we found the following deals as advertised by our partners:

Those are just two examples of amazing offers from our partners. For more, visit BookingBuddy.com and check out American Discount Cruises, Cheap Cruises, and our other partners.

BookingBuddy allows you to search various partner sites at once so you can compare the prices and options offered. Offers and savings are based on information available on these sites. There is no guarantee that these prices, savings, hotels, or dates will be available at the time of booking. Please check the site for the most recent details. When you book travel, your booking is handled by one of those sites directly, not by BookingBuddy. Transactions, and all subsequent customer care, are directly handled by the site where you booked your travel. BookingBuddy does not control the price, rules, regulations, or restrictions surrounding the price. Please read all rules and regulations before booking.