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Experts Offer Tips To Get The Best Travel Deals This Summer

(CBS) -- The summer travel season starts the end of the month. Experts say you won't find the usual summer air-fare wars, but there are still some bargains you don't want to miss.

Professional Photographer Angela Keefe is looking to fly her family to Sarasota this summer.

"Of course, everyone is looking for the best deal," she says.

But finding deals will be a little tougher this season, according to travel expert Kendra Thornton.

"We've had some mergers; we've had some bankruptcies -- all of that results in less capacity, fewer seats. And that means prices are going to be up as a result," she says.

Prices will be up an average of $4 a ticket, she says.

David Fry is planning a summer trip to Boston and is already seeing a big jump in fares.

"Tickets that were $300 in the past now are closer to $400," he says.

But there are some cities that won't break the bank. CBS 2 recently found round-trip fares from Chicago's O'Hare to Washington, D.C.  on American for $261, and to San Francisco on United at $321. Flying out of smaller airports, Southwest from Midway to Denver costs $142; to New York, $150; and to Orlando, $266.

Leah Fox-Greenberg just booked the Orlando deal.

"There's me, my husband and my daughter, so actually not a bad deal," she says.

To find the best deal on any flight, Thornton says start with search engines like Kayak, Orbitz, Travelocity or Expedia that compare prices -- then sign up for price alerts.

When you book a flight, try to avoid flying on weekends and consider leaving midweek, like on a Wednesday.

"Prices are a little bit lower," Thornton says.

If you're flexible on where you go and when you travel, check out last-minute bargains and deals that are only available for a few hours at a time on sites like Airfarewatchdog. Other options: Hotwire and Priceline.

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