Clark Howard's Tips

July 11, 2008

Airlines are parking hundreds of planes in the desert, and car rental companies are dialing back on new purchases for their fleets. But hotels are sitting ducks during this travel recession. After all, you can't just stop production on a hotel that's been in the pipeline for several years.

All the extra room inventory means that what you pay for a booking will be going down. Marriott is just one chain that's reported soft bookings.

4-star hotels and below will respond to these market conditions with cuts in price. Fancier hotels, meanwhile, will offer package deals instead of outright discounting. In general, you should also look for weekend rates to be expanded from Friday-Saturday to Thursday-Sunday.

In addition, the growing number of parked planes has really hit cities like Las Vegas, Orlando and other vacation destinations.

When you do fly, you should only do so with a carry-on. Four of the Gang of 6 full-fare airlines now charge you $15 from the moment you check in your first bag!

And don't go over the weight limits with bags you do check in. Christa and her family almost faced an $80 fee for being 5 pounds over the limit -- until she opened up the suitcase and started taking things out!

Be sure to get a standard FAA-approved carry-on and don't remove the FAA tag. A couple of the full-fares have "revenue-enhancement officers" who watch passengers with non-standard carry-ons and force them to check the their for a fee.

Consumer advice courtesy of