DETROIT – Help Me Hank found quite a few people with big summer travel dreams.
"Usually, I would like to go to Florida," said Diana Hallifield of Clinton Township.
"I can to to Alaska. I want to go to Vermont, all those places, just not beachy, I'm open," said Emma Emery of Oxford.
Price Predictions
This year the airlines are giving your budget a bit of a break. According to Orbitz.com air fares are down 10 percent from summer of 2015. The website also crunched numbers from the last three years looking for time periods with the most affordable fares.
"During the month of June is was the first week. It was the first week during the month of July. During August it was the last week of the month when demand started to drop off as kids head back to school," said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor at Orbitz.com.
While air fares trend lower, hotel rates are up 17 percent according to Orbitz. That's a switch from recent travel seasons when air fares tended to be higher and there were plenty of hotel deals. This summer finding the perfect price on that hotel room might take some extra bargain hunting.
There are several travel tricks you can use. "Look for promotion codes. This can save you anywhere from 10, 15, 20 percent on the price of your vacation,"
said Tornatore.
Travel experts also say another good tactic is to look for packages that combine your air fare and hotel, "bundling" can save you hundreds of dollars. There can be certain restrictions, such as a minimum stay required, but the savings can be significant.
If you are going to spend money on your hotel, Tornatore says be sure to look for perks that give you more for your money. "Things like kids stay free, kids eat free, free breakfast, free wifi, free resort credits for things that you're going to be paying to do at the resort anyway."
New Airline Rankings
If you're not sure which airline to choose, WalletHub.com has new rankings of the best and worst options. The website used government data to analyze
the 10 largest U.S. airlines as well at three regional carriers.
According to WalletHub, Virgin America and JetBlue top the list of best airlines. United, American and ExpressJet are rated the worst.
Delta, the biggest carrier at Detroit's Metro-Airport, is ranked the best for avoiding cancelations, delays and mishandled luggage. ExpressJet and Envoy
Air get the worst marks in that category.
JetBlue offers the most comfortable in-flight experience, while Spirit and Frontier are the least comfortable.
Help Me Hank Travel Savings Advice
No matter what time of year you travel, here are some of the tricks you can use to save money on your next vacation.
One website that give you a really good look at comparing air fares is Flights.Google.com. You can search by dates, destinations, or specific interests to
get a good look at your options and prices range.
*Bundle your air fare, hotel and rental car.
*Look for travel apps that lead you to savings
*Search for promotional codes on travel websites, like Orbitz.com
*Join loyalty programs for airlines and hotels to get deals and special perks
*Fly on days when there are more open seats: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday
*Consider alternative airports near your destination. A 50 mile drive might save you $100 a person.
*If you're traveling as a family, but you're comfortable sitting separately, buy individual tickets as you might be able to grab bigger savings separately rather than sitting as a group.
*Do a flexible date search.
*Take advantage of the 24 hour rule. Passengers have 24 hours after buying a ticket to get a full refund. The day after booking, check to see if fares have fallen, cancel and rebook at the lower rate.
*Fly routes that are flown by discount carriers like Southwest, Frontier, and Spirit. Other airlines are matching or beating their fares.