TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Traveling can be great fun but can also be expensive. We found some life hacks that will help put more money in your wallet on your next trip.

Tammy Levent is the CEO of Elite Travel and has won the Gold and Silver Magellan award for innovated travel. “First make sure that you not only check the Tampa Bay area for airline tickets, but we are only an hour drive into Orlando, maybe an hour and a half. Your layover is going to be longer than that. And they have direct flights most of the time and way cheaper flights.”

Tampa resident Mitt Patel says he typically travels twice a month. Patel always checks the Orlando flights before booking airfare. Patel recently flew Air Lingus to London and says he saved $400 by flying out of Orlando. “Typically if it’s a $100 difference maybe $200 I’ll still fly out of Tampa but being $400, actually more than $400, it made so much more sense to fly out of Orlando than it did Tampa.”

Levent suggests using online search sites that have price alerts, like Kayak. Choose your flight schedule in advance and you will receive alerts when the prices drop. Then book it directly on the airline’s website. Levent warns, “If there is a hurricane there is a delay a cancellation or if there is a problem? You will not get protected unless it’s direct from the airline or a travel agency.”

And when paying outside of the United States, use a travel credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Leslee’s Amazon credit card saved her big bucks when she was in Canada. And you can also try a credit card that is travel connected because they include discounts and rewards with travel related services.

Levent says online search sites are OK for hotels and airlines, but travel agents use direct sources to get deals on vacation packages.

Levent also cleared up a misconception about using a travel agent. Leslee “always thought that we had to pay you to do the work.” Levent answered, “You can pay me if you want but no, stay away from those agencies. Do not book with any agency that tells you they want money up front.  Stay away.” Levent says reputable travel agents are paid by the vender.

Another hack that sometimes works with international flights, is to change the point of sale location on your search site. So the site believes you are booking from inside the country you will be visiting. Leslee found up to $100 in savings when doing this checking on flights with Norwegian Air.

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