Peter Greenberg: Hawaii Package Deals

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-06-09

Hello Peter, In June 2010, my husband and I plan on going to Oahu and Maui. Are packaged deals the way to go, or should we book everything separate? We need air, hotel, and car. We plan on staying one week in each place. How far ahead should we book everything?
–Brenda
Grant Park, Ill.
 
Package deals are often a good option to save money, and they offer the convenience of booking everything at once. Companies offering package holidays, such as NWA World Vacations and Apple Vacations offer a wide variety of trips to destinations all over the world and let you stay in various classes of hotel. These companies let you book single-city trips online, but since you are interested in a multi-stop trip, you’ll have to book it over the phone.
 
For popular destinations like Hawaii, try to book at least nine months before you go, to make sure the dates and locations you want are not sold out. The earliest you can book is around 12 or 13 months in advance of your departure date.
 
Of course, it is possible to take a do-it-yourself approach to vacation planning. But in your case, since you have a complex, multi-island itinerary, including flight, car, and hotel for each leg, it’s less hassle to let a professional handle it. DIY booking won’t necessarily save you money either. Package-vacation companies can often get lower prices than you can by booking directly, because the companies get bulk discounts on flights and hotel rooms. And many of them are now offering price-guarantee programs, which refund you the difference if the price of your trip goes down after you pay for it.
 
And as always, remember to buy trip insurance, but don’t buy it from the vacation company that sold you your package. If the company were to go bankrupt, you could lose any recourse for getting your money back.