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Cruises are perhaps the easiest gang trip, simply because once you’re on the ship, everything is right there. Cruise companies, which generally define a group as at least eight staterooms or 16 adults, will often reward such groups with discounts or perks. For example, on the Norwegian Cruise Line, groups occupying eight rooms or more can get $30 to $50 per person off the total fare, along with a certain number of amenities. A party sailing on the Norwegian Pearl to Glacier Bay in Alaska this summer would be rewarded with three points — which can be used for a group perk like a cocktail party or divided up for individual cabin perks like a $50 onboard credit for such things as drinks or spa treatments. Carnival Cruise Lines also offers perks, which might include an onboard credit or Champagne and chocolates; as with most cruise lines, the selection varies with the sailing and when you book.
Plan to reserve nine months to a year in advance since group availability can be limited; on the Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, group discounts disappear 120 days before sailing. Also ask about special rates: Carnival has an Early Saver fare of up to 20 percent off (available up to three months ahead of time for cruises of five days or less, and up to five months ahead for longer ones). And if you’re using a travel agent, ask about further discounts. Mary Ann Moorehead, a travel consultant based in Garden City, N.Y., who works for Altour, a luxury travel company, sometimes has access to special deals and promotions; for instance, her agency offers American Express cardholders $100 back for any trip over $3,000.
Hotels
Most chains have an online group-booking form and a special desk that handles arrangements for booking at least 10 rooms, often at a discount. However, if your bunch is smaller, you might still be able to work something out. For instance, a small group that recently stayed at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center was able to secure a discount of 15 percent off the lowest available rate for three nights, said Andrew Flack, vice president for global brand marketing of Hilton Hotels and Resorts. In that case, the group was booking fewer than 10 rooms, but after explaining the situation (one guest was being inducted into the Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame nearby), the hotel came up with a deal.
Since individual hotels in a chain often determine their own rates and promotions, following up with the specific location may result in additional perks. “If you go at an off time, you can sometimes negotiate your rates a little bit more or get added benefits depending on your group size,” said Laurie Goldstein, a spokeswoman for Marriott International, who specified free breakfast, parking, Internet access and even a free extra night as some of the potential benefits.
However, most do-it-yourself planners head straight to the Internet. The go-to site is Hotelplanner.com, which specializes in group bookings (Kayak and Travelocity use it for their group hotel arrangements, as well). Fill in your preferences and Hotelplanner will return bids from its 40,000 partner hotels, which include InterContinental, Hilton, Starwood, Best Western and Hyatt. “All of our rates need to be lower than what that hotel is offering as an individual rate on that day,” said Tim Hentschel, the site’s chief executive. What’s more, Hotelplanner offers rate protection if prices drop, and also has some cash-back promotions.
A recent search for 10 rooms in the Orlando, Fla., area for four nights this September returned results as low as $29 a night at the Inn at Summer Bay in Clermont, less than 23 miles away. One standout was a $159 a night offer at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, which was 18 percent off the lowest published fare; in addition, Hotelplanner offered an estimated $160 cash back. The Wingate by Windham, noted by the site as a family-reunion-friendly hotel, was offered at $94 (7 percent off the lowest rate), with a suite upgrade for one room and $80 cash back.
Airlines
Most of the major airlines have a group reservations desk and an online quote-request form for groups of 10 or more. But how much of a discount you’ll get can vary greatly, if you get one at all. For instance, JetBlue does not guarantee a discount (and if it did offer one, it would be for groups of 20 or more only), while American Airlines offers 5 percent off published fares for groups of 10 or more, along with a lowered group car-rental rate from Avis. This reporter recently filled out online forms for an 11-person group at various carriers for the same New York-to-Orlando trip, and compared the fares with individual ones on each airline’s own Web site. Delta’s discounted round-trip group fare was $220 (versus $235) and Continental quoted $284 (versus $348).
Hotelplanner also works on group airfare bookings, providing specialists who negotiate fees and send you options. But deals can still be hard to come by. David Coleman is president of AirGorilla.com, a travel-booking site that works with Hotelplanner on group reservations. As he pointed out, since there are rarely enough cheap coach seats to accommodate a group, large parties often have to start with more expensive seats and negotiate down from there. The result is a fare that is unlikely to be lower than the normal coach fare. Booking as a group does offer advantages, however. Mr. Coleman noted that it ensures that everyone in your party is on the same plane, and it lets you reserve a block without specific names or a full payment right away.
Whatever the results of your negotiations, be sure to check out each airline’s policies for booking group travel. JetBlue asks for $50 a person to hold a seat, requires full payment 30 days in advance for domestic flights (60 days for international) and charges $100 to change a name in the group. American has similar guidelines, but offers one free name change up to 48 hours before the trip.
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
If you’re stuck with the job of group coordinator, convention and visitors bureaus can be your secret weapon. In addition to online tools like budget planners, time lines, maps and guides, many have a staff member who can work with you to compile information on hotels, restaurants and activities. The Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau and many other bureaus will mail personalized kits to your entire group.
The best part? In addition to free logistical assistance, you’re likely to save money. For example, a family planning a reunion in Baltimore for this July worked with Visit Baltimore to secure 26 rooms at the Tremont Plaza downtown for $119 a night (the rack rate at that time would have been $200); the hotel also waived fees for a meeting space for the group’s church service and for the use of a hospitality suite.
The lesson here is that the more information you provide and the earlier you provide it, the more help and savings you’re likely to get from a convention and visitors bureau, an airline, a cruise company, a hotel or a travel agency. The best advice for finding money-saving group deals is simply this: ask. WITH summer on the way, many families and friends are starting to think about reunions and group vacations. But as anyone who has tried to organize a large group of travelers knows, the process can be daunting and can carry a big price tag. Luckily, there are ways to make group vacations more affordable and the planning process more streamlined, whether you’re trying to arrange hotel stays, cruises or airline reservations. Here are a few tips.
Readers' Comments
Share your thoughts.
Cruises are perhaps the easiest gang trip, simply because once you’re on the ship, everything is right there. Cruise companies, which generally define a group as at least eight staterooms or 16 adults, will often reward such groups with discounts or perks. For example, on the Norwegian Cruise Line, groups occupying eight rooms or more can get $30 to $50 per person off the total fare, along with a certain number of amenities. A party sailing on the Norwegian Pearl to Glacier Bay in Alaska this summer would be rewarded with three points — which can be used for a group perk like a cocktail party or divided up for individual cabin perks like a $50 onboard credit for such things as drinks or spa treatments. Carnival Cruise Lines also offers perks, which might include an onboard credit or Champagne and chocolates; as with most cruise lines, the selection varies with the sailing and when you book.
Plan to reserve nine months to a year in advance since group availability can be limited; on the Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, group discounts disappear 120 days before sailing. Also ask about special rates: Carnival has an Early Saver fare of up to 20 percent off (available up to three months ahead of time for cruises of five days or less, and up to five months ahead for longer ones). And if you’re using a travel agent, ask about further discounts. Mary Ann Moorehead, a travel consultant based in Garden City, N.Y., who works for Altour, a luxury travel company, sometimes has access to special deals and promotions; for instance, her agency offers American Express cardholders $100 back for any trip over $3,000.
Hotels
Most chains have an online group-booking form and a special desk that handles arrangements for booking at least 10 rooms, often at a discount. However, if your bunch is smaller, you might still be able to work something out. For instance, a small group that recently stayed at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center was able to secure a discount of 15 percent off the lowest available rate for three nights, said Andrew Flack, vice president for global brand marketing of Hilton Hotels and Resorts. In that case, the group was booking fewer than 10 rooms, but after explaining the situation (one guest was being inducted into the Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame nearby), the hotel came up with a deal.
Since individual hotels in a chain often determine their own rates and promotions, following up with the specific location may result in additional perks. “If you go at an off time, you can sometimes negotiate your rates a little bit more or get added benefits depending on your group size,” said Laurie Goldstein, a spokeswoman for Marriott International, who specified free breakfast, parking, Internet access and even a free extra night as some of the potential benefits.
However, most do-it-yourself planners head straight to the Internet. The go-to site is Hotelplanner.com, which specializes in group bookings (Kayak and Travelocity use it for their group hotel arrangements, as well). Fill in your preferences and Hotelplanner will return bids from its 40,000 partner hotels, which include InterContinental, Hilton, Starwood, Best Western and Hyatt. “All of our rates need to be lower than what that hotel is offering as an individual rate on that day,” said Tim Hentschel, the site’s chief executive. What’s more, Hotelplanner offers rate protection if prices drop, and also has some cash-back promotions.
A recent search for 10 rooms in the Orlando, Fla., area for four nights this September returned results as low as $29 a night at the Inn at Summer Bay in Clermont, less than 23 miles away. One standout was a $159 a night offer at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, which was 18 percent off the lowest published fare; in addition, Hotelplanner offered an estimated $160 cash back. The Wingate by Windham, noted by the site as a family-reunion-friendly hotel, was offered at $94 (7 percent off the lowest rate), with a suite upgrade for one room and $80 cash back.
Airlines
Most of the major airlines have a group reservations desk and an online quote-request form for groups of 10 or more. But how much of a discount you’ll get can vary greatly, if you get one at all. For instance, JetBlue does not guarantee a discount (and if it did offer one, it would be for groups of 20 or more only), while American Airlines offers 5 percent off published fares for groups of 10 or more, along with a lowered group car-rental rate from Avis. This reporter recently filled out online forms for an 11-person group at various carriers for the same New York-to-Orlando trip, and compared the fares with individual ones on each airline’s own Web site. Delta’s discounted round-trip group fare was $220 (versus $235) and Continental quoted $284 (versus $348).
Hotelplanner also works on group airfare bookings, providing specialists who negotiate fees and send you options. But deals can still be hard to come by. David Coleman is president of AirGorilla.com, a travel-booking site that works with Hotelplanner on group reservations. As he pointed out, since there are rarely enough cheap coach seats to accommodate a group, large parties often have to start with more expensive seats and negotiate down from there. The result is a fare that is unlikely to be lower than the normal coach fare. Booking as a group does offer advantages, however. Mr. Coleman noted that it ensures that everyone in your party is on the same plane, and it lets you reserve a block without specific names or a full payment right away.
Whatever the results of your negotiations, be sure to check out each airline’s policies for booking group travel. JetBlue asks for $50 a person to hold a seat, requires full payment 30 days in advance for domestic flights (60 days for international) and charges $100 to change a name in the group. American has similar guidelines, but offers one free name change up to 48 hours before the trip.
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
If you’re stuck with the job of group coordinator, convention and visitors bureaus can be your secret weapon. In addition to online tools like budget planners, time lines, maps and guides, many have a staff member who can work with you to compile information on hotels, restaurants and activities. The Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau and many other bureaus will mail personalized kits to your entire group.
The best part? In addition to free logistical assistance, you’re likely to save money. For example, a family planning a reunion in Baltimore for this July worked with Visit Baltimore to secure 26 rooms at the Tremont Plaza downtown for $119 a night (the rack rate at that time would have been $200); the hotel also waived fees for a meeting space for the group’s church service and for the use of a hospitality suite.
The lesson here is that the more information you provide and the earlier you provide it, the more help and savings you’re likely to get from a convention and visitors bureau, an airline, a cruise company, a hotel or a travel agency. The best advice for finding money-saving group deals is simply this: ask.
