Once you have an ideal flight price in mind, track airfares with a service like Yapta.com or Hotwire.com's Trip Watcher. Simply register your route and dates, and when the fare drops to a price you've chosen, you'll be alerted via e-mail. It's way less time-consuming than the old method of doing a new search every few days or every few minutes.
Travel is full of pitfalls. One wrong step and your vacation could be ruined by a seedy hotel room, an overpriced restaurant, a wasted afternoon at a tourist-trap attraction or an overnight flight crammed in the middle seat. So, guarantee a smooth trip by planning thoroughly. Here's how to make all the right moves.