FrugalMonkey Discount Travel News

Category: Travel News

  • Labor Day Stalls Travel Deals

    It happens almost anytime there is an expected peak in travel. With so many people taking off for the Labor Day weekend, there has been a lull in recently lowered travel prices. Flights are full, so discounted seats are few. Everyone is hitting the road and as a result, gas prices are up.

    However, one enjoyable travel discount appears to remain and that can be found in lowered hotel rates and vacation package prices. Be sure to take the time and hunt down a good hotel deal for this weekend and enjoy at least one part of the Labor Day weekend that hasn’t momentarily rebounded from the traveling lull.

    Be sure to keep an eye out for travel deals following the Labor Day weekend. Fall is the slowest time for the travel industry, and with so many people traveling this weekend there are sure to be some great last minute travel deals approaching for the following weeks! We’ll keep you updated as they come in. For now, happy travels!


  • Jet Blue Pulls Promotion

    Sorry kiddies. If you were hoping to snatch up a Jet Blue all-you-can-travel pass, then you’re out of luck. Jet Blue just announced this morning that the promotion, one that allowed passengers to fly to any number of domestic Jet Blue locations throughout September for only $600, has been suspended. As you might imagine the suspension was announced due to an extremely large volume of pass purchases, so many in fact, that Jet Blue spokesperson Sebastian White says, “We want to make sure that we don’t sell so many (passes) that it becomes a challenge for people to find seats.”

    As the travel industry approaches the slowest months for travel in the upcoming weeks, we wonder if they will promote the pass again.

    Would you buy an unlimited pass?


  • The Need for Travel Agents

    When the Internet first took hold of the travel industry, we were introduced to websites such as Expedia and Priceline.


    Now, the web is full of related sites, bombarding consumers with travel deals available on Travelocity, Travelzoo, Orbitz, Hotwire, CheapTickets.com, and a number of plentiful others. These travel deal websites provide consumers with enough information and travel deals from major companies that many people don’t see the need to consult travel agencies for help when booking vacations. After all, there is already plenty of information available online. For many consumers, the ease with which deals are readily available simply translates into that many more deals. There are others however, that disagree.

    It seems that there are a number of consumers growing uneasy and discontented with the way the Internet approaches travel. One savvy traveler put it, “there is more information online, but less value.” There is a growing trend among travelers to go back to relying on travel agents. While they see the online deals as helpful for some, many consumers believe it is hard to tell what options you have because there is simply such an overwhelming amount of information.

    Since this study, there has been a growing trend in the use of travel agents.


    These employees are educated on what is available and what is not, when it comes to a specific travel deal, airline, or Mexico cruise vacation. As a result a larger number of people have gone back to using travel agents instead of fighting the labyrinth of information and supposed travel “deals” available online.

    If you’re sick of trying to work your way through the maze of travel information online, you’re not alone. It seems that people want to go back to one-on-one communication with an agent, rather then 20-30 page loads and hoards of flight clicks.

    What do you think? Are you happy with your online travel needs or do you find yourself overwhelmed and not impressed?

  • Travel Industry News

    As Labor Day approaches we are left wondering if the incredible travel deals of summer will keep coming or, if we’ll see a spike in deals like the $39 each way offered by Southwest this summer.


    After a little bit of research, here is was the travel experts at FrugalMonkey have turned up:

    Fall is of course the slowest time of year for travelers, which lends itself to good upcoming travel deals. Low activity in the travel industry means airlines propose deals to increase travel among passengers. However, airlines have also just recently announced that they will be cutting back on flights in order to cut costs, which have continued to cause a loss in profits due to the recent economic slump. The result are less flights offered, which alternatively means less open seats and a loss in travel deals. Travel experts suggest however, that there will still be great deals popping up from time to time, and hotels are likely to continue offering excellent deals. However, as airlines can’t seem to recover from the recent dip in travel profits, they will be cutting flights back entirely. Stay tuned for more info and travel deals from FrugalMonkey.

  • Airlines on Twitter

    Two new airlines have turned to Twitter to promote travel deals and to help market last minute deals to consumers. In what the industry has now coined “Cheeps”, Jet Blue and United Airways have followed suit by promoting travel deals through the social networking site. This is becoming increasingly popular as consumers can choose to ‘follow’ their favorite airline while hawking for deals. It is also turning into a great marketing ploy, where airlines offer hard-to-refuse prices that get gobbled up in no time.

    Follow our associate site, JobMonkey on Twitter!


  • Still Going Strong

    Flight deals, hotel deals, vacation packages, car rentals, and cruises are all cheaper than they have been in years. Although it seems like at any day the travel industry is going to unveil extraordinarily high prices, the travel deals continue to pour in. This has us smiling of course, because there is so much industry news (and deals!) to pass onto consumers, we can barely type fast enough to keep up.

    We just wanted to pass along a travel update saying, “All is well! Continue to book up those great travel deals!” While you’re doing so, consider taking a look at FrugalMonkey’s free online travel guides. We have information about South African wildlife vacations, Mexico beach resorts, and cruises in Alaska. Whatever you want to do, or wherever you want to go, you can find it here at FrugalMonkey.


  • When to be Wary of Travel Deals

    It pays to be a smart consumer. Or does it? Perhaps we mean you will pay less if you’re a smart consumer.


    At least that’s the case when it comes to travel deals online. Travel sites love to project amazing travel deals that will get you around the world and to incredible locations for just pennies. Like this one deal, advertised by Green Earth Travel that suggested one person could travel to Ireland for only $399. However, when travel experts tried to book that flight the trip rang in at amounts closer to $2,300! The deal presented online was for a flight to Ireland in December or January (keep in mind you’d be enjoying temperatures on an average of 50F as the high and would be traveling during Ireland’s wettest season).  You would also have to travel from Boston and share a hotel room with four other people in order to find trip fares that low! Which brings us to our point: be wary of travel deals. Not every advertised ‘deal’ will get you the trip you’re looking for.

    On FrugalMonkey you will only find airfares and vacations that accurately represent a real trip. It’s our travel guarantee so that you can rest assured that you will never have to be wary when read about travel deals on FrugalMonkey.

  • Best Domestic Airline

    Drum roll please.

    The votes are in. The ballets cast and the results are ready. America has voted and the Best Domestic Airline for American travelers this year is… Virgin America!

    So, if you’re trying to pick whom to fly, you can hop on a Virgin America flight, and join the rest of the pleased domestic travelers for an Internet filled, friendly-service flight. Virgin was just recently voted the best domestic airline for the second year in a row as it leads the pack in service and comfort for passengers. Virgin America owns airlines like V Australia, the Australian version of the carrier. If you’re planning a trip back from visiting the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, then consider flying with #1,Virgin.


  • Beware of the Fine Print

    Online travel shoppers are getting pretty spoiled. With so many deals available due to the lull in the economy, it seems like all the chips are with the consumer. Beware! This isn’t always the case.


    Many online travel sites like Expedia and even airlines like American Airlines have travel policies like awarding travelers free flights if they can find a cheaper deal. Others include refunds on trips if a traveler wants to book that same vacation at a cheaper price with another carrier. Although this seems very customer friendly, the truth is that within the fine print there are some serious regulations. Expedia for instance requires that you make your claim within 24 hours of booking if you find a better flight and American Airlines’ cut off is midnight that same day. While there are some sites that offer more time, like Orbitz, Kayak, and Hotwire, keep in mind that your free for all purchasing might not equal the savings you have in mind.

    Keep an eye out for regulations that might back you into a corner. You don’t want to get stuck with a more expensive flight then you’re willing to pay. As a general rule, we recommend booking only when you’re sure you want to travel, especially when it comes to luxury or family vacations. Remember, offers might not include cancellation refunds and have other strict regulations, so be a wise shopper.

    For a full list of cheap travel sites, like Kayak and Orbitz, see the FrugalMonkey Travel Deals page.

    We’re here to help!