Discount travel deal

ROAD WARRIORS ARE MORE COST-CONSCIOUS THAN they've been in years. Here are a few tips for tightening your belt:

(1) Play your cards right. Remember, not all discount cards are created equal. For example, government subcontractors are often entitled to negotiated rates at hotels. But look closely: Sometimes you can find even better deals through a Web site or travel agent.

(2) Learn to negotiate. Haggling used to be an activity confined to leisure travelers. However, small-business owners are now getting into the act, too. "Ask if the price they're giving you is the best they can do," advise Mary Hunt, who publishes Cheapskate Monthly, a newsletter dedicated to helping people save money. Hunt has slashed hotel bills by as much as half--just by asking.

(3) Click online--check offline. Airlines, once reluctant to cut fares for business travel, are now slashing prices and lifting restrictions on Saturday-night stay-overs. The best strategy is to check online with a carrier's Web site and then go offline to a travel agent you trust to make sure you've got the best deal.