Illustration by Ingo Fast
|
Trip Tutor: Group Mentality
By Laura Daily, March & April 2006
Large numbers equal buying power, but you don’t have to organize a Shriners’ convention to tap into sweet deals
|
Whether you’re planning a family reunion or a gathering of college chums, there are websites that will negotiate group discounts and book multiple rooms or cabins instantaneously (services the big travel sites don’t offer).
Need a string of adjoining rooms or perhaps an entire floor? Let Groople grapple with availability and pricing of hotel rooms in an unfamiliar city (888-447-6675; www.groople.com). Another nifty feature: its Group Cruise Wizard, which not only pinpoints an available suitable cruise for your crew but also gives you the option to let everybody select and pay for his or her individual stateroom online.
AARP: Discounts on Airfare, Cruises and Car Rentals
AARP members save on airfare, cruises, car rentals, hotels and lodging, vacations and tours. Joining
AARP online is fast, easy and only $12.50/year.
Group Travel Planet negotiates deep discounts with 10,000 “group-friendly” hotels (you have to book a minimum of five rooms) and lets you manage all the comings and goings via an easy-to-navigate online account (866-216-3010; www.grouptravelplanet.com). And, like Groople, human backup is a mere toll-free call away.
The only hitch with either site? Each makes the job of travel planner look so easy you’ll be stuck with it for reunions to come.
|
