8 Ways You're Overpaying for Travel, Plus How to Stop

Airfare prices in the U.S. increased by 26 percent in January 2023 compared to the same month last year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index. In the meantime, rates at hotels were also up four percent month-over-month, 8.5 percent year-over-year and 16.3 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels in January of 2020. With the price of all types of travel surging in 2022 and still on the rise in 2023, it's more important than ever to shop around for deals when you're booking airfare, hotels, cruises, vacation packages and more. Not only that, but you'll want to avoid overpaying for travel in common situations where people consistently pay more than they need to. Tired of overpaying for your much-needed vacations? Consider these ways you may be paying more for travel in 2023 and beyond, as well as our advice on how you can stop.

While flight prices can vary week by week and even day by day to every destination and across every possible airline, there are some airfare trends that ring true over time. In fact, data from Hopper shows that the cheapest day to fly is typically Wednesday for both domestic and cheap international trips. In the meantime, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays tend to have the highest flight prices overall due to increased demand. Save money by doing this instead: Avoid flying on weekends and book midweek trips instead. For example, compare flight prices for a Tuesday - Tuesday trip or a departure and flight home on a Wednesday for your next vacation.

You'll definitely want to have a credit card with you any time you're traveling outside the United States, but a lot of people just bring along their everyday card without thinking much of it. Unfortunately, many cash back credit cards and traditional credit cards charge foreign transaction fees that typically tack on 3% to the cost of every overseas purchase they make. Save money by doing this instead: Pick up a credit card with no foreign transaction fees before your international vacation, and you can skip this unnecessary cost altogether.

You can absolutely book airfare, hotel stays and rental cars separately and pick exactly what you want, but you can also bundle different aspects of your trip into a vacation package for potential savings. Unfortunately, not bundling travel might mean you're doing yourself a disservice since you may wind up paying more than you have to. Save money by doing this instead: Consider bundling your airfare, hotel or resort stay, rental cars and more in a single reservation. Expedia.com says bundling airfare with a hotel stay can help you save 30% compared to booking separately, but you'll never know unless you check.

Packing light is a bit of an art form, and that's especially true if you're planning a long trip or traveling overseas. If you have to pack for different seasons during a single getaway, there's an even greater chance you'll have to bring larger luggage and have to fork over the average checked bag fee of $30 to $50. Save money by doing this instead: Consider using packing cubes, planning your daily outfits or booking a place with a washer so you can bring fewer clothing items along on your trip. If you're able to avoid a checked bag at $30 a pop for your family of four, that's a potential savings of $120 one-way and $240 round-trip for each trip you take.

Travel loyalty programs may seem like a pain since they want your email and contact information, and since you have to remember your loyalty number for each booking you make. If you never join, however, you're missing out on easy savings when it comes to hotels and cruises. Save money by doing this instead: Many hotel loyalty programs (like Hilton Honors) offer a best-price guarantee for their members and some cruise lines (like offer discounts on all cruises for their loyalty members. Join these free programs and you can unlock these savings for free.

Shopping for travel can seem overwhelming, and sometimes the easiest thing is just finding what you want, booking it and never thinking about it again. However, booking hotels, resort stays and cruises yourself may mean missing out on obvious savings you could get from tweaking travel dates or not taking advantage of promotions that come and go over time. Save money by doing this instead: Using a travel agent can help you find the best deals since these professionals know how to search for the lowest rates and can often throw in free extras on cruises and hotel stays (e.g. on-board credits, free breakfast, etc.). Not only that, but using the services of a travel agent is 100% free.

Airport food is notoriously expensive and not always that great, but sometimes grabbing something at the airport is the easiest thing to do. Unfortunately, a fast food meal for a family of four can easily run $50 to $100 a pop, and the cost of a sit-down meal with cocktails only goes up from there. Save money by doing this instead: Bring travel snacks with you in your backpack so you can save on unsavory, overpriced airport food. Consider easy and mess-free snacks like bags of nuts, jerky, granola bars and dried fruit, and you'll be happy you brought these items along.

Not having a travel credit card means you don't get any freebies that can make travel more enjoyable and less expensive. For example, you probably won't get perks like free checked bags or priority boarding with your airline, and you'll have to pay for a day pass if you want to spend time in an airport lounge. Worse, you won't be earning points or miles you can use to book airfare, hotel stays and other travel for free.Save money by doing this instead: Getting an airline credit card can help you score free checked bags, free in-flight wifi and other perks, whereas a flexible travel credit card can get you annual travel credits, membership with or TSA PreCheck, airport lounge access and a range of other benefits. Just make sure you pay your credit card balance in full each month so these perks don't cost you in the long run.