Travelers who are booking vacations or business trips often wonder, should they book air travel and hotel together in a package deal, or should they book their hotel and air travel separately? The answer is that it depends on the circumstances.

Hotel And Air Travel Package Deals

Travelers who need to watch their budgets (and who doesn't?) should always compare package deals that combine air travel and hotel with the cost of making their own arrangements separately.  One shopper announced that she had found the very best deal: $500 for three nights in a hotel and approximately $200 per person for a flight that left late at night and would make one stop each way.


A group of friends recently booked travel for a 50th birthday party in Las Vegas. Out of the party of six, two were online veterans who considered themselves savvy Internet shoppers. They agreed to look for the best air travel and hotel deals online, so they could pounce on the best deal once they found it.


The other shopper went off the beaten path and spent quite a bit of time searching for the very best air travel and hotel deals – even if that meant booking airfare and hotel separately. That shopper found an even better deal: $343 per person for non-stop, mid-day airfare plus three nights at Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino! Each traveler saved over $300, and they used the extra savings to book a show while they were in Las Vegas.

Don't Be Afraid To Book Separately

Booking separately usually gives you more flexibility about which airline you fly on and which hotel you stay in. While the Las Vegas travel group found their best deal on an air travel and hotel package, don't be afraid to make up your own travel package by booking airfare and hotel separately. You also gain flexibility on time of departure at either end, and whether you will be on a non-stop flight or a flight that makes one or more stop in either or each direction.

Book Together For Group Travel

With group travel, getting a package deal is sometimes the only way to guarantee that all members of the group will be on the same flight and get to stay in the same hotel. Moreover, your hotel rooms will be more likely to be on the same floor, or at least closer together, if you book as a group.The one time when it makes sense to purchase air travel and hotel together in a package is when you are traveling in a group, like the Las Vegas party.

Finally, booking as a group will ensure that each member of the travel party pays the same amount for the trip as the other members of the party. This is the best way to avoid hard feelings when traveling together.