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Tips on using travel sites
ConsumerReports.org offers tips for lowering airfare and pitfalls to avoid when booking online travel.
CBS News interviews ShopSmart Magazine about travel site gimmicks to avoid.
CNN Travel provides advice for booking a cruise from Brad Tuttle, the Trip Coach at BudgetTravel.com.
Sites that provide Travel planning and other helpful information
Airfarewatchdog.com is recommended for receiving alerts about airline sales.
BidddingforTravel.com is an online forum for Priceline.com users. Message boards that list winning bids and try to associate hotel descriptions (rating, neighborhood, etc.) with actual properties are especially helpful.
BetterBidding.com is a forum for Priceline and Hotwire.com users. You can search by city for winning bids for either site.
CruiseCritic.com provides comprehensive information, user-submitted critiques and photos on every cruise ship option available to vacationers.
FlightAware.com provides real-time flight tracking, airport weather and other airport information
The site iFly.com offers detailed information on hundreds of U.S. airports as well as flight tracking.
Raveable.com summarizes reviews from major booking sites to help you find the right accommodations.
SeatGuru.com provides advice on the best seats on the specific planes used by each airline. The site uses color-coded seating charts to reveal information like which seats don't tilt, have less or more legroom or are likely to be colder than others.
Stay.com creates a personal travel guide with restaurants and tourist spots you select plotted on a map that you can print and take with you.
WebFlyer.com offers information about frequent-flyer programs and promotions.
Need help planning a complex trip? Zicasso.com connects its users with travel agents who can help with trip planning.
Sites for flights and other travel
BreezeNet.com (operated by Priceline)
CheapTickets.com (owned by Orbitz.com)
SideStep.com (owned by Kayak)
Sites for finding and booking accommodations
Note: Expedia, Inc. is the parent company of Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, TripAdvisor.com, SeatGuru.com, Airfarewatchdog.com and numerous other travel sites.
