9 Money-Saving Travel Tips

3. Be Loyal

Hotels are looking for your allegiance—and extending extra incentives to gain it. Most loyalty programs, including those of Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood, and Wyndham, have eliminated blackout dates for points redemption, so you can get free nights even during peak season. Taking it a step further, the Starwood Preferred Guests club’s new SPG Flights program lets you use points to purchase plane tickets for any day of the year—even during holidays such as New Year’s and Presidents’ Day. And with Hilton HHonors Point Stretcher Rewards, you can check in to participating hotels for 40 percent fewer points. To make earning rewards easier, Wyndham ByRequest is giving out double points for every visit (up to four stays) through January 2009, and this spring Marriott Rewards is giving out 2,500 extra points per visit, starting with your second stay.