Skyauction. This time of year I get asked a lot about travel tips

So for starters I've made a tutorial for friends who have not yet had the Skyauction experience. It's realy the reason why we can get away so much.  Enjoy

Vacation planning    How to use Skyauction

www.skyauction.com/ is a clearing house auction site for buying vacations and other items. They have been around for a while and regularly have amazing deals at up to 80% less than normal prices. We personally have booked with them about 10 times and have never been disappointed. A weekend away, renting a place for a week, cruise, or a full inclusive stay in North America, Caribbean or Europe are all possible.

Many, many vacation properties are empty most of the year and property managers are glad to sell through skyauction to keep their staff on and overheads down. Typically condo rental (2-10 people) at resorts off season go for $300/week or all inclusive for $35/person/night.

  

If you have never used them before, here are a few tips to get you started.

e.g Looking for a getaway at a resort in N America for a week.

1)      Go to the closing soon section http://www.skyauction.com/auctions-closing-soon

2)      Scroll down the listings and look for a getaway certificate. They are often going at $1. This is not your final total price. But you will often win one for this amount. Click on the column Minimum Bid/Price to sort pricewise.

  e.g. This HOME AND AWAY SPECIAL certificate was available when I first wrote this. (If link doesn’t work just look for another similar one). If none is available try again a few days later.
http://www.skyauction.com/action/offer/2329447.  You can open all links on the site for info without any commitment to buy.

3) Check the real price. You do this by scrolling to the end. In my example it is $299 service charges + $20 booking fee + $1 auction =  $320 US.

4)      Before bidding. Check what is available by clicking on the link in the resort vacation section E.g. In my example that brings me here  http://www.resortcerts.com/preview_resorts

5)      Now look for what you want by choosing a region and place and when to find resorts that are available. E.g.  By selecting US, NC coast and March this shows me all these resorts available.
http://www.resortcerts.com/preview_resorts/search_results&swdate=03/2014&mlid=166

6)      Choose the place from the star rating and the number of bedrooms and the date you need and click on learn more.

7)      An optional step I highly suggest is to open another tab and use Travel advisor to check the reviews of the resort from other travelers. E.g. for Outer Banks beach Club in NC. http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g49256-d488045-r82974977-Outer_Banks_Beach_Club-Kill_Devil_Hills_Outer_Banks_North_Carolina.html.    DO NOT BOOK through this site ! (This is not the deal price). DO NOT purchase from the Vacation Certificates site. (It will cost you $599 instead of $320)

8)      If you now know what you want. Go back to the Skyauction site (step 2) and bid your $1 on the package. You will need to register with your CC # and everything. When bidding you are committing to the full $320. At the end of the auction, usually a couple of hours, you get an email saying if you won and a certificate number. At this point the $1 is deducted from your CC. The emailed certificate number you can then use on the site to book the actual vacation. When you book the $319 is deducted from your CC. It is non-refundable, non-transferable (Like most deals !)

Once you get into it, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. The only thing you have to be aware is that sometimes the vacation certificate site is not up to date….so sometimes, RARELY, when you come to book the place that was available, it is no longer there. It’s usually not a problem. Happened to us once when we were booking at a peak time. The certificate was valid for a year so we just waited until another equivalent one became available.

The process takes a few days, so don’t book last minute. (It needs about 4-7 days). The very best choice is usually 4-2 weeks before you want to go and during off peak times. But if you see something you like book early. Peak dates e.g. Christmas – New Year best to get at least 9 months in advance.

The places are very good. Some are way better than others. Some have spas, most have pools. Some have activity directors and complete children’s programs. All have well equipped kitchens and are often near good restaurants. (Travel advisor site will tell you all the details)

Do your homework and you can’t go wrong. We have never been disappointed.

Hope it helps. Have fun.

Give us a call if you need help

Doug + Carollynn