Best Way to Get Discounts on Travel Within the USA

Let’s be honest—traveling around the United States can get expensive fast. Between flights, hotels, rental cars, food, and activities, a week-long trip can easily cost thousands of dollars. But here’s the good news: there are tons of ways to cut those costs down significantly if you know where to look and how to book smartly.

I’ve spent years figuring out how to travel more while spending less, and I’m going to share everything I’ve learned about scoring discounts on domestic travel. No gimmicks, no credit card churning schemes (unless you’re into that), just practical strategies that actually work.

Timing Is Everything

Before we dive into specific discount strategies, let’s talk about the single biggest factor that affects travel costs: when you go.

Travel during the off-season. Every destination has a slow season when hotels are desperate for guests and airlines have empty seats. Want to visit Florida? Go in summer when it’s hot and humid, not during spring break. Interested in skiing? The slopes are way cheaper in early December or late March compared to the holiday season.

Be flexible with your dates. If you can shift your trip by even a few days, you might save hundreds of dollars. Tuesday and Wednesday flights are usually cheaper than Friday and Sunday. Staying over a Saturday night often drops hotel prices significantly.

Book at the right time. For domestic flights, the sweet spot is usually about three weeks to three months before your trip. Too early and prices haven’t dropped yet. Too late and you’re paying premium prices. For hotels, you can sometimes score last-minute deals, but for popular destinations during busy seasons, booking a few months ahead is safer.

Flight Discounts: The Big One

Flights are usually the most expensive part of any trip, so this is where you can make the biggest impact.

Use fare comparison tools religiously. Google Flights is my go-to because it shows you a calendar view of prices and lets you search “anywhere” if you’re flexible on destination. Skyscanner and Kayak are solid alternatives. Set up price alerts for routes you’re interested in—these tools will email you when prices drop.

Consider budget airlines. Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant get a bad rap, but if you’re smart about it, they can save you serious money. The trick is to travel light—pack everything in a personal item that fits under the seat, and suddenly that $39 flight is actually $39, not $150 after baggage fees. Yes, the seats are tight and there are no frills, but for a two-hour flight, who cares?

Southwest is secretly amazing. Unlike other airlines, Southwest lets you check two bags free and change flights without fees. Their prices aren’t always the lowest, but when you factor in the free bags, they’re often the best deal. Plus, they have sales all the time—sign up for their email list and snag flights during their frequent promotions.

Use airline shopping portals. Most major airlines have online shopping portals where you earn miles for purchases you’d make anyway. Buy something through the American Airlines shopping portal, earn miles, use those miles for a free flight. It takes time to accumulate, but it’s literally free money for shopping you were already doing.

Book connecting flights manually. Sometimes booking two separate one-way tickets on different airlines is cheaper than a single round-trip ticket. It takes more effort and comes with risk if your first flight is delayed, but for big savings, it can be worth it.

Student, military, and senior discounts exist. If you fall into any of these categories, always check the airline’s website directly. Many offer discounts that don’t show up on comparison sites. Some airlines give military members free checked bags or discounted companion fares.

Hotel Hacks That Actually Work

Hotels have so much flexibility in their pricing, which means there’s a lot of room to negotiate and find deals.

Never book at full price. Seriously, never. There’s always a discount code floating around somewhere. Google “[hotel name] discount code” or “[hotel chain] promo code” before booking. Sites like RetailMeNot and Honey often have working codes.

Join hotel loyalty programs—they’re free. Even if you don’t travel often, sign up for Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG Rewards, etc. Members often get lower rates than non-members, plus you earn points for free nights. The programs are free to join and take two minutes to sign up.

Book directly with the hotel after checking prices. Use sites like Booking.com or Hotels.com to compare prices, but then call the hotel directly and ask if they can match or beat it. Many hotels will, and you’ll get better customer service if something goes wrong. Plus, you’ll earn loyalty points that third-party bookings don’t always give you.

The credit card trick. Some hotel chains give you automatic elite status just for having their credit card. Hilton and Marriott both do this. Elite status means free breakfast, late checkout, room upgrades, and sometimes free nights. If you’re planning to stay at these hotels anyway, the annual fee often pays for itself.

Consider alternative accommodations. Vacation rentals, hostels (yes, there are nice hostels in the US), and even college dorm rooms during summer can be way cheaper than hotels. Airbnb isn’t always the cheapest anymore, but VRBO, Vacasa, and booking directly with property owners can still save money, especially for groups or families.

Ask about discounts. When you check in, just ask “Do you have any discounts available?” You’d be surprised how often the answer is yes. AAA members, AARP members, government employees, teachers, and healthcare workers often get discounts that aren’t advertised.

Rental Cars: The Overlooked Money Pit

Rental cars can sneak up on you with hidden fees and insurance add-ons. Here’s how to keep costs down.

Skip the airport rental. Rental car companies at airports charge extra fees just for being at the airport. If you can take a quick Uber or shuttle to an off-airport location, you’ll often save $50-100 on a week-long rental.

Use Costco Travel. If you have a Costco membership, their travel portal often has the best rental car rates—sometimes 30-40% cheaper than booking directly. You can cancel and rebook if prices drop, which they often do.

Decline the insurance (usually). If you have car insurance, it probably covers rental cars. Call your insurance company to confirm. Your credit card might also provide rental car insurance if you use it to book. Don’t pay $20/day for insurance you don’t need.

Rent the smallest car that works. Unless you actually need an SUV for a mountain trip with tons of gear, rent a compact car. The savings add up over a week, plus you’ll spend less on gas.

Look for free upgrades. Joining the rental company’s free loyalty program sometimes gets you complimentary upgrades. If you’re polite when you check in and they have cars available, sometimes they’ll upgrade you just because.

Consider not renting at all. Depending on where you’re going, public transportation, Uber, or walking might be cheaper and less stressful. New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston—you don’t need a car in these cities. You’ll save money and parking headaches.

Food: The Budget Killer Nobody Talks About

You can find cheap flights and hotels, but if you’re eating out three meals a day at restaurants, you’re still going to blow your budget.

Stay somewhere with a kitchen. Even a mini-fridge and microwave help. Grab groceries for breakfast and lunch, then splurge on a nice dinner out. You’re cutting your food costs by two-thirds while still enjoying the local food scene.

Use apps for restaurant deals. Groupon still works for this. So does OpenTable—many restaurants offer points or discounts for reservations through the app. Some cities have local deal apps too.

Eat lunch instead of dinner. Many restaurants serve similar dishes at lunch for half the price. If there’s a fancy restaurant you want to try, go for lunch instead of dinner and save $30+ per person.

Happy hour is your friend. Tons of restaurants have amazing happy hour deals—discounted appetizers and drinks. Make that your dinner. You’ll eat well and save money.

Ask locals where they eat. Hotel concierges will recommend touristy places. Ask your Uber driver, a bartender, or someone at a coffee shop where locals actually eat. You’ll find better food at better prices.

Attractions and Activities

You didn’t travel all this way to sit in your hotel room, but attraction costs add up quick.

Look for city passes. Most major cities have tourist passes that bundle attractions—CityPASS, Go City, Sightseeing Pass. If you’re planning to visit multiple attractions, these often save 30-50%. Just make sure you’ll actually use enough of the included attractions to make it worthwhile.

Free days and discount days. Many museums have free admission days or “pay what you wish” evenings. Google “[city name] free museum days” before your trip. National parks have fee-free days several times a year—plan around those if you can.

Student and senior discounts everywhere. Seriously, if you qualify, always ask. Movie theaters, museums, tours, even some restaurants—discounts exist if you ask for them.

Book tours directly or use Viator/GetYourGuide. These platforms often have user reviews so you know what you’re getting, and they frequently offer discounts or promo codes. Sign up for their email lists and wait for a sale if your trip isn’t urgent.

Free activities are the best anyway. Hiking, beaches, walking tours, local festivals, farmers markets—some of the best travel experiences are free. Every city has free or cheap things to do if you look beyond the obvious tourist traps.

Credit Card Points and Miles (The Advanced Strategy)

I said we wouldn’t get too deep into this, but I have to mention it because if you’re going to travel regularly, credit card rewards can fund entire trips.

Get a travel rewards card with a signup bonus. Cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture, or airline-specific cards offer huge signup bonuses—sometimes enough points for a free round-trip flight just for signing up and meeting the minimum spend.

Use the right card for the right purchase. Travel cards give extra points on travel purchases. Use them for flights, hotels, and rental cars to maximize points.

Don’t carry a balance. This whole strategy only works if you pay your card off every month. Credit card interest will negate any rewards you earn.

Transfer points strategically. Some cards let you transfer points to airline and hotel partners at better rates. This gets complicated, but if you’re into it, there’s a whole community of people who fly first class for pennies using points.

Package Deals Can Actually Save Money

I know, I know—package deals sound scammy. But sometimes bundling flights and hotels actually does save money, especially for popular destinations like Vegas or Orlando.

Check Costco Travel, Expedia, and Priceline. They bundle flights and hotels and sometimes throw in rental cars or activities. Compare the package price to booking separately—sometimes the savings are real.

All-inclusive resorts for certain trips. If you’re going somewhere like Hawaii or a beach destination and you plan to eat and drink a lot, an all-inclusive package can save money compared to paying for each meal and drink separately.

Membership Discounts You Might Already Have

You might already belong to organizations that offer travel discounts without realizing it.

AAA membership gets you hotel discounts, rental car discounts, and sometimes attraction discounts. If you don’t have it, it’s like $50/year and often pays for itself in one trip.

AARP isn’t just for old people—you can join at 50, and the discounts are legit for hotels, flights, and rental cars.

Alumni associations sometimes offer travel discounts through partnerships with travel companies.

Entertainment.com still exists and offers discount books with restaurant and attraction coupons for most major cities.

Credit union and employer benefits. Some credit unions and employers offer travel discounts through partnerships. Check your benefits portal—you might have access to discounted rates you didn’t know about.

Last-Minute Travel Deals

If you can be spontaneous, last-minute deals can be incredible.

HotelTonight app specializes in same-day and next-day hotel bookings at discounted rates. Hotels would rather fill rooms at a discount than leave them empty.

Airlines sometimes drop prices. Follow accounts like Scott’s Cheap Flights or Secret Flying on social media. They post mistake fares and flash sales that can save you hundreds.

Be ready to book immediately. The best last-minute deals disappear fast. If you see something good and can make it work, book it before it’s gone.

Road Trips: The Underrated Discount Travel Option

Sometimes the cheapest way to travel is by car, especially if you’re traveling with family or friends who can split gas costs.

Gas apps save money. GasBuddy and Waze show you the cheapest gas stations along your route. Over a long road trip, this adds up.

Pack snacks and drinks. Gas station food is expensive and unhealthy. Stop at a grocery store before you hit the road.

State and national parks are incredible value. An annual National Parks Pass is $80 and gets you into every national park for a year. If you visit more than one park, it’s worth it. State parks are even cheaper and often just as beautiful.

Sleep in your car if you’re adventurous. I’m not saying this is for everyone, but some people save a ton of money by camping or even just sleeping in their car at rest stops. It’s not glamorous, but it works.

The Mindset Shift

Here’s the thing about travel discounts—they require effort. You have to research, compare prices, sign up for email lists, be flexible, and sometimes deal with minor inconveniences.

But that effort pays off. I’ve taken trips that would have cost $2,000 for under $800 by using these strategies. That’s real money that lets me travel more often or splurge on experiences that actually matter.

The other mindset shift: focus on value, not just the cheapest option. The absolute cheapest flight might have three connections and take 14 hours. Is that worth saving $50? Maybe not. But saving $300 by flying out on a Tuesday instead of Friday? Absolutely worth it.

Putting It All Together

You don’t have to use every strategy in this article. Pick a few that make sense for your situation and start there.

If you’re planning a trip right now, here’s what I’d do:

1. Search flights on Google Flights with flexible dates to find the cheapest days to fly
2. Sign up for hotel loyalty programs before booking
3. Check Costco Travel for both flights and hotels
4. Search for promo codes before clicking “book”
5. Look up free activities and discount days at attractions
6. Ask about discounts everywhere—worst case, they say no

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. With a little planning and flexibility, you can see more of this amazing country without breaking the bank. Start with one trip using these strategies, see how much you save, and you’ll be hooked.

Now stop reading and start planning. Those discount flights won’t book themselves.