It’s in… Resort Wear. Now we just need a resort to hit when the new year comes. For the “Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know” we went to Condé Nast Traveler for The Perrin Report to help us get the best deals:

1.  Fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. Traveling on off-peak days–and at off-peak times–means lower fares… and a greater chance of snagging those elusive mileage-award seats. Taking two days off for a long weekend? Instead of a Thursday-Sunday or Friday-Monday trip, save money by flying on a Saturday and returning on a Tuesday.

2.  Buy Airplane Tickets Midday on Tuesdays. “When I purchase a domestic ticket, I usually do it on a Tuesday between noon and 3P.M. Airlines tend to announce fares sales on Monday nights, and other airlines match those sales on Tuesday mornings.”

3.  Snag Mileage Award Seats Over a Weekend. Call the mileage-award redemption desk… I’ve gotten award tickets for my family of four several times by following frequent-flier guru Randy Petersen’s advice to phone just after midnight over the weekend. Airlines update their inventory on Fridays and occasionally on Saturdays – changes that go into effect at midnight – yet most people don’t call until Monday. (Less calls mean the agents will have time to work with you too.)

4. Sign up for E-mail Notifications. The best airfare and hotels sales are largely announces. Airlines and hotel companies target specific subsets of travelers– loyalty program members, holders of certain credit cards, people who’ve registered on their websites–and alert them by email. 

5.  Carry Credit Cards that Earn You Elite Status. Play your travel-rewards credit cards right and you’ll receive special rates and perks. Carry one airline-branded card and one hotel-branded card that help you attain and maintain elite status.

6. Lock in Business-Class Bargains from Etravelbid.com. Etravelbid.com negotiates unpublished, discounted business-class fares with no advance purchase requirements.

7. Get Seat Alerts from Experflyer.com. If you don’t want to return to an airline’s site repeatedly to check whether a better seat has opened up, consider paying $5 per month for an ExpertFlyer membership. Punch in the flight you’re on and the seat type (e.g. aisle) or rows you want, and you’ll be alerted by email if any of those seats become available. You can also receive alerts on the availability of mileage-award seats and upgrades.

8.  Use Tripadvisor to Connect with a Hotel’s General Manager. Often a general manager will reply to critiques of their property on TripAdvisor. When you book a room, read the replies, note their e-mail address, and write to them saying that you admire how they’ve replied to reviews and you’re looking forward to staying at their hotel on X date. They’ll appreciate your kinds words, assume you may be a frequent reviewer, and hopefully do something extra for you during your stay.

9. Score a Better Room by Making Requests. If you don’t ask for a great room, you’ll get what’s left over after everybody else’s requests have been filled. Phone the hotel’s on-site reservations manager to ask for a specific view or floor (or ask the general manager when you email him.) If you are celebrating a special occasion, say so.  Hotels often do something extra to make sure your stay is memorable so you’ll tell your friends and return for future celebrations.

10.  Get Into a Sold Out Hotel. Find out when cancellation penalties kick in for the date you want to arrive, then call the property on the morning of that day. You can scoop up rooms made available by people who’ve just cancelled.

**Above tips from Wendy Perrin in the November 2011 Traveler issue.