Don’t make one of these all too common mistakes when planning your honeymoon.

 

Trusting an Online Review Sites to Narrow Down your Honeymoon Resort

Sure, those famous online review sites can seem like such a useful tool. After all, they will let you know the best things about a hotel, and the worst things too? But do you realize that ANYONE can leave a review? This includes hotel staff, competing resorts, negative Nelly’s, people having a bad day, and the like.

 

Want some proof? Just Google “Fake Trip Advisor Reviews.” There are also a number of fake resorts and fake restaurants with glowing reviews. There are also several ongoing lawsuits where competing hotels have trumped up their own hotel sites, while bashing their competitors. According to the Huffington Post, there are over 60 pieces of content created every minute. There is no way that any of the review sites has time to verify every review. Not to mention that what may appeal to one couple, may not appeal to another.

 

Want more proof? Look up your favorite hotel, and read all of the negative reviews regarding it. See if you agree.

 

Waiting to book your Honeymoon Flight on Tuesday, or Wednesday...

We have all heard that if you wait until Tuesday, or was it Wednesday to book your flight, you will pay considerably less, and if you wait till the weekend, you will pay considerably more. Or if you wait for the sweet spot, which is anywhere from 3 to 5 months before you actually leave,  you may get an air special that will save you a bundle of money. I can honestly tell you that air pricing does change daily, all day long, and even from hour to hour. There is no guarantee or secret time, method or secret anything to saving money on airfare because there are just too many variables.

 

Consider this scenario: Let’s say you decide to wait and book  your flight on a Tuesday, approximately 3 months before you intend to leave. Now let’s say someone else books two seats on that same plane right as you decide. The price of that flight can go up in a matter of seconds, because there are now two less seats on the plane, which makes the rest of the remaining seats more valuable. So don’t wait to book the flight that you need. After all, the best times, direct flights, and flights with the shortest amount of layovers, tend to get booked first.

 

Now I know that many of you are still looking for a guideline, so if you really want a method... then consider this: According to Conde Nast Traveler, who reported on aggregated data through various airline companies,  the best time to purchase airfare is on a Tuesday, provided that you purchase your airfare at least 3 weeks or more in advance. Now here comes the kicker - you need to purchase domestic airfare approximately 57 days in advance, and international airfare approximately 171 days in advance. Now this rule does not apply to holidays or popular travel times. This is because anytime that children are out of school, you can expect pricing to increase significantly. So your best bet? The earlier the better.If you want the best general tip on buying airfare, then book earlier rather than later, because nothing is guaranteed when it comes to air pricing.

 

Booking Your Honeymoon Online to Save Money

With the age of technology, who needs a travel professional especially since you can book your trip with a few clicks of your mouse? Not so fast, my friend. With millions of confusing consumer travel sites, and thousand of resorts, do you really know what you are booking? Did you also know that a travel specialist is normally going to be either the same price or cheaper than what you will find online, plus you will get the added benefit of knowing if any issue arises, you will have someone able to advocate on your behalf, and get to a resolution faster?

 

Did you also know, that there are extra benefits to using a travel specialist, like possible surprise upgrades, and extra amenities? What about help with dinner reservations, dining suggestions, activities, event tickets, transfers and insurance? A travel specialist can be your lifeline should you ever need one.

 

Let’s say you get to the 4 star resort that you booked online, and the resort tells you that they oversold their rooms, (a common occurrence when booking online) and they walk you to the nearest similar hotel which happens to be a 3 star. Who are you going to call, then?

 

So, who can you trust, in order to ensure that you aren’t being steered in the wrong direction?

 

This is when it makes sense to use a Travel Specialist:

You need:

• someone that has contacts with the tour operators and hotel management.  

• someone who is able to get you the latest destination information, and knows your itinerary like the back of their hand.

• Someone who will give you unbiased information to help you make the right decision.

• Someone who will treat you like a VIP, and not just a number

• Someone who has either actually been to the places you want to go, or is a specialist for that destination.

• Someone that can go to bat for you, should you have any issues.

 

Not every travel agency is the same. Choose one that you can Trust!

 

Ready to start planning your honeymoon or romantic getaway using a Romance Travel Expert? We're ready to help you! Just call us at (817) 386-0701 or use the convenient form below!

 

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