This can give me a good idea of what’s available and what the going rate is.
Finally, you always have to consider the potential charges for carry-on and checked luggage, plus seat assignments.
But, when it comes time to book the rooms, I’ll go directly to the hotel chain.
This can take a little work, but the savings can be dramatic.
Should you use a travel agency to book your travel?
Many travel rewards credit cards offer 5x or even 10x points when you book using their online travel agency.
However, there are some drawbacks.
First, hotel rooms booked through travel agencies rarely earn reward points or credit toward elite status.
The hotels may not even honor any elite status benefits you have.
Should you have multiple cards for different travel bookings?
First, plan as far in advance as possible.
Most airlines allow you to book travel 11 months in advance, and hotels have even longer booking windows.
However, programs like Southwest Rapid Rewards, JetBlue TrueBlue and Delta SkyMiles have somewhat fixed-value miles.
So if the price in dollars is low, the price in miles should be, too.
Use these currencies, plan in advance and you could score a good deal for holiday travel.
Finally, consider transferring your credit card rewards to hotel points.
