Favorite Travel Sites Part 2

Another favorite travel site

Why we love Skyauction

http://www.skyauction.com/
Others may disagree (there are actually a couple sites devoted to bashing them) but we have only had good experiences using Skyauction.  Suffice it to say that until we discovered this site back in 2002, DH and I traveled but we didn't really travel if you know what I mean.  We have traveled to Costa Rica (twice), Dominican Republic (four times), St Thomas, Aruba, Curacao, St Kitts, Bahamas, Anguilla and even Washington DC by buying airline tickets, hotel accommodations and air/hotel packages from Skyauction.  I will confess that Skyauction customer service is not the best and it's often tough to speak to an actual person unless you're persistent or have used them for awhile and know the efficient staffers and seek them out.  As with any travel vendor you need to do your homework.  Some tips:

• Watch auctions for a bit to understand how things work.
• Read the Skyauction FAQs so there are no surprises.
• When you're ready to jump in, know what the fair market price is for any airline ticket or hotel accommodation you're considering buying from them or any other travel auction site.  It's easy to lose your head and keep bidding against someone who is deadset on winning.  
• Learn to walk away - your auction is likely to be offered again.  However, sometimes smaller hotel properties only offer 1 or 2 auctions.  If you've been watching for a while, you'll get an idea of whether supply is running out.
• Be flexible on dates.   
• "Pay Now Travel Later" is your friend.  With this option you win an auction and can pay for 1 or two nights to "hold" your win and can come back later and pay the balance once your dates are final.  A word of warning -- prices do go up.  I have seen the starting bids on properties increase over time because of high bids from prior auctions.  If you're sure you'll be going to a place, the sooner you bid the better.  Conversely,  the longer an auction stays out there, the more likely it is that the buying frenzy will die down and you can get what you want at a lower price in a later auction.  Your call.  Another reason to watch your auction for a bit before jumping in.
• Final means just that.  Once you've selected your dates and Skyauction has confirmed them with the travel vendor, you are locked in.
• If Sky can't book the dates you requested you will get your money back and can purchase elsewhere.
• Caveat -- in years past I have never had an issue with Skyauction running out of nights at a hotel.  However, last year I noticed that I won two hotel auctions to Anguilla and Sky did not have enough nights left to book them.  I was pleasant and didn't back down and they eventually found an additional hotel to accomodate us that was actually better than the first.  We ended up spending 5 nights each in two excellent properties so it worked out in the end.  

Quote of the Day

If you reject the food, 

ignore the customs, 

fear the religion 

and avoid the people, 

you might better stay at home.  

~ James Michener

a waterfall in Grenada