As a student, you’re going to find that you’re going to get a lot of discounts with a lot of things, including travel.  If you have come across the site, StudentUniverse.com, I wanted to tell you a little bit about what I found out about it when I was trying to book an airline ticket.

I’m going to give you an example below and show you how other websites have fared.  From there, you will be able to use your own judgment.  Take a look at 3 of my examples below and you can see exactly how the airfare matches up and if its worth checking out.

Example #1: LAX to ORL on a Wednesday PM / round trip 7 days

• Student Universe $312 via US Airways
• US Airways $312 [cheapest]
• AirTran $319
• Delta $459
• Frontier $411
• United $469

Example #2: NYC to DTW on a Saturday AM / round trip 7 days

• Student Universe $167 via US Airways
• US Airways $167 [cheapest]
• Delta $221
• Spirit $219
• Continental $345
• American $221

Example #3: DFW to SEA on a Tuesday PM / round trip 7 days

• Student Universe $318 via AirTran
• AirTran $318
• Alaska Airlines $369
• Delta $332
• Midwest $401
• US Airways $394

NOTE: I used Kayak to compare all the other airlines not using a student discount.

Now the funny thing that I soon realized is that you don’t get a Student discount at all.  In fact, you can get the same deals on any other site.  I did 3 examples as you can tell and every single example matched up to another airline.  I’m not sure if the website is a front for students to use it, or what.

You don’t have to prove that you’re a student either, which I don’t get.  I thought for sure that when I was booking my flight that I would have to show some sort of ID and I didn’t.

Overall, if you’re a student, I wouldn’t highly recommend that you stick with a site like this.  Sure, they are going to be able to scope out the best deals, but you’re going to do just as good with any other site, so don’t be afraid to check out other comparison engines.

A final word of advice is to check the airline direct as this is going to be your best bet possible when looking to get the cheapest deal possible.

Credit: Flickr

Have you ever wondered what kind of discount an airline employee gets or what you may get if you’re going to get a job in the field?  If you’re looking for a job, you’re probably wondering about all the perks that come included.  From your health benefits to your pay, there are a lot of things to think about, just like any other job.

The discounts on hotels and food…

When you’re on the clock with the airline, you’re going to find that you’re going to get a hotel room, a food credit, as well as a budget.  Every airline is going to vary in this department though.  You’re going to find that many of them are going to vary.

Now, flight attendants and such will generally get paid once the door shuts until it opens.  This is the policy for many airline based companies.  Again, it isn’t for all.  If you find yourself flying overnight, you can count on getting a hotel room.

Discounts on services outside of travel…

The cool thing about being an airline employee is that you’re going to get discounts on more than just travel.  With other industries as well, you can get these kind of perks too.

With most of the companies, you’re going to get a discount on your cell phone, package delivery with companies like FedEx and more.  Each company will have their own discount with a company, so again, its important to refer to the HR department when you have a question in that regard.

Discounted travel…

Yes, you can even get discounted travel for your family members.  This is great for those that are looking to take trips all the time.  What you’re going to find out is that the discount is rather nice and again, this is going to vary from airline to airline.

No matter where you work in the field, you will notice that every industry have some sort of perk or reward.  You should never just head into a field just for the discount, as it won’t be worth it.  Instead, you will want to ago into a field because you love it.

I know the employee discounts are rather vague but it’s hard to give hard numbers when each company offers a discount, while others don’t.  Some may offer 15% off, while the other company is 7.  To get detailed answers, you will want to either ask the HR department, or ask someone that works for the company itself.

Everybody loves to take a trip to Disney here and there.  I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that said they didn’t like the place!  Now, if you’re looking to take a vacation at Disney, I would recommend that you highly consider an inclusive package.

What makes an all inclusive package so good?

These packages are going to include everything that you need and by purchasing a package such as this, you’re going to not have to worry while you’re on your vacation.  Since vacations are meant to be stress free, its great to know that you won’t have to pay for next to nothing.

What should I look for in an all inclusive vacation package?

You’re going to want to make sure that you’re getting everything imaginable.  The way I see it is that the more that you’re going to get, the better its going to be for you.

You’re going to want to get your Disney tickets, your food, hotel, as well as any other goodies that you can think of.  Now, keep in mind that this route may not be the cheapest route to take.  Its always best to compare the prices, because you may find that they rip you off in pricing when it comes to tickets, food, and more.

Take your time when making a choice

You’re going to find that there are literally hundreds of Disney packages and I’m not exaggerating when I say thing.  You’re going to want to do your homework when comparing them, because what you’re going to find out is that there are a lot of people / companies to choose from.

When thinking about picking out a package, you’re going to want to ask yourself the following questions, to help better understand the packages.

• How am I going to get here?  Airplane?  Car?
• Are you going to rent a car here?  You may not need one if you plan on staying on Disney the whole time.
• What are you looking at in terms of amusement parks?  There are a lot of them, so you’re going to want to choose wisely.
• What kind of premium benefits do you want?  Do you want spa treatment?  Alcohol?  Fine dining?

Are you happy staying a few miles away from Disney?

The more you get, the more you’re going to pay.  Location is also going to play a major role as well.  If you stay on the resort, plan on paying a pretty penny.  If you don’t mind staying a few minutes away, this can drastically cut your bill by 20%.

Prices are going to change all the time, so what you’re going to want to look out for is for whats best for you.  Be sure to start your hunt a few months before you want to go.   By doing so, you should be able to land yourself a great deal.

I’m a big fan of finding travel deals on the web.  In fact, whenever I take a vacation with my family, I will always make sure that I’m getting a deal and this is why I will use websites online such as Travelzoo, Clark Howard, and more.

Now, the question today is, “Are the Clark Howard travel deals worth it?”  In the long run, they aren’t going to hurt you, as they don’t charge you for the information, but lets compare some deals on many major deal sites and see how they match up.

These deals are going to be accurate of July 2010.  Regardless of the date, it should give you a good idea on what kind of “deal” you’re truly getting.  Some websites truly do want to give you a deal, while others are in it for their own pocketbook.

The Vacation Destination: Ft. Lauderdale, FL

CLARK HOWARD: I was able to find an airline ticket where I could travel any day via Delta airlines for $55 each way.  This was for a one way ticket and was valid from August to November.  This was the only deal I could find.

TRAVELZOO: I found a 4 diamond beach resort over in Ft. Lauderdale for $99.  This hotel would generally run you around $220 for the night alone.  I also found another deal for $89.

BOOKIT: They had a 99 hour sale going on where I could get a 4 star hotel resort for $69 a night, making them by far the cheapest so far.  By looking at the pictures, they had some great pictures.

EXPEDIA: Generally your bigger named sites don’t have the deals that you’re looking for, since the viewer base is massive.  What you’re going to find out is that when a good deal hits, it’s going to go like cash in the street.  I did manage to find deals ranging from $70 – $155 but the pictures just didn’t do justice to the rest mentioned above.

Overall, Clark Howard does have some decent deals and yes, they will vary.  At the time, I picked a completely random hot spot and scoured a few websites that I love to check out.  Even though they had a deal, the thing I didn’t like was that it was in the far future and wasn’t really for a “last minute” deal.

If you’re looking for last minute deals, you may want to look elsewhere, but if you’re like most people and plan for the future, then it will be a wise choice to just scour for some deals.  In the end, its a great site and you should be able to find plenty of deals around the globe.

Credit: Flickr

Israel, believe it or not is a hot spot to travel and while traveling from the United States can be really expensive, you’re probably going to want a few tips to drop your prices down.  If you’re flexible with your traveling, you can save a lot of money on your trip alone.

Getting there via the air…

The first thing that you want to keep in mind is your flight.  Experts will tell you that you can save a lot of money by flying either on a Tuesday or a Wednesday.  Since these are your slower days, you’re going to be able to save a lot money.  Again, this is why its important that you try to be flexible with your flying down there.

As long as you’re not loyal to an airline, you’re going to find that you can compare on many search engines such as Kayak and more.  By getting a quote from 3 different airlines, you should get a good idea on what the airline is going to cost you.

Searching for a place to stay…

Like any other vacation spot, you’re going to need a place to stay.  Whether you want to stay with a relative/friend, or you want to get a hotel yourself, I wanted to give you some tips on how you can land the best hotel for your dollar.

I always recommend Priceline for bookings.  The reason I like them so much is that I can name my own price.  No, the hotel won’t accept any price that you send to them, but they will consider prices that are around 30% off the base price, making it a steal sometime!  Priceline can save you some money and if you’re not going to buy a package deal, I would highly recommend the price naming service.

You’re going to find that if you book as a package deal, it may or may not work for you.  Its going to depend on the time of year, where you’re going to stay, as well as who you book through.

Travel agents still exist and if you’re having a hard time finding something online, you may want to call one up.  Websites such as Travelzoo also offer great deal packages that you can take advantage of as well, so be sure to keep your eyes out there.

While these deals aren’t necessary narrowed down to Israel, you can use the same tips and get deals elsewhere as well.  If you have any other tips or tricks, be sure to leave them in the comments field below!