If you’re flying somewhere for the holidays, we’ve got a few tips to help you get the best deal you can.  Here are three things you might not know about travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia.

#1.)  PC Users and Apple Users Don’t Always See the Same Deals.  According to a recent article in “The Wall Street Journal”, the travel site Orbitz has started tracking how much Mac users spend on hotels compared to Windows users.

They found that Mac users spend as much as 30% more per night on hotel rooms.  So they programed their website to show Mac users some of the more EXPENSIVE deals at the top of the site.

#2.)  Sometimes It’s Cheaper to Use a Travel Agent.  Earlier this year, “The New York Times” did a comparison.  And for LONGER flights, they said going through a travel agent is usually your best option, even though they charge a fee.

One flight they checked was round-trip from New York to China.  The best price they could find online was a ticket through Expedia for $1,725.  But a travel agent was able to do it for $1,370.

That’s not always the case for domestic flights around the HOLIDAYS though.  So if you want to fly on December 23rd, don’t expect a huge difference.

#3.)  The Packages They Offer Aren’t Always a Great Deal.  Most travel sites offer your a deal if you get a plane ticket, a rental car, AND a hotel room.

But sometimes those deals include things no one else wants . . . like flights with a bunch of layovers, or cars that don’t have four-wheel-drive for the snow.

Source: Reader’s Digest