Why you should buy airline tickets at midnight Tuesday

Travel is a big part of my life. Last year I visited five countries on three continents. However, with a  mortgage to pay dfown, some additional thought will be required to plan a vacation and reduce travel costs.

Here are some tips you might find useful:

Use a phone, not the internet. Last year I discovered that the best deals aren’t always online. After finding a competitive airfare online, I decided to call a travel agent. She was able to beat every online fare I found by over $300. I now call my travel agent to get a quote before searching online.

Buy tickets at midnight Tuesday: Airlines generally run sales over the weekend. At the end of the weekend, the seats offered at the sale price are taken out of circulation. They are not available at any price on  Monday and Tuesday before they are repriced and added back into the data base at the regular price.

According to friends who work in the travel industry, this computerized update usually takes place between midnight Tuesday and and 2 a.m.Wednesday. During those two hours all discounted tickets are sitting there awaiting the update. That's a good time to look for deals you might have missed.

Get in the car and drive. My favourite place to travel is Asia. Recently, I discovered that Michigan can be just as interesting as Shanghai. With the dollar at par, now is a great time to explore the US. If you are a foodie like me, consider doing a food tour based on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

Book it last minute. Almost every online travel site has a last minute section with discounted prices. Sites like hotwire.com, which don’t reveal your final selection until after you pay, can offer a deep discount on luxury hotels. While I was paying down my student debt, I used this option to book overnight urban getaways for under $100.

Make it professional. Several of my friends are photographers who travel the world and occasionally take a picture. This allows them to write off a portion of the trip as a business expense. Try to co-ordinate your vacation with something work related. You can either pay for the trip through work or write it off as an expense.