Quick Points: Book now and then periodically check for hotel and airline price drops

I often have sticker shock when booking flights and hotels. Even so, I select the best option and book a rate that offers free cancellation.

By doing so, I'm securing a reservation in case prices increase. However, I periodically check my hotel and flight reservations for price drops and find I can often rebook several at a lower rate each time I sweep through my upcoming reservations.

I like spending less on travel, and I suspect you do, too. In this article, I'll discuss how and why you should book travel you can freely cancel now and then occasionally check for price drops.

Book refundable travel

Whether traveling domestically or internationally, booking travel you can cancel without fees is usually best. Doing so gives you flexibility with minimal downside.

Luckily, most hotel award nights are freely cancelable until shortly before your stay begins. And you can often find good-value cash rates that allow you to cancel until a few days before arrival. Meanwhile, some airlines allow you to cancel award flights — and sometimes even paid flights — for no fee. In some cases, you can even refund a nonrefundable airline ticket.

Related: Ultimate guide to canceling a flight and getting a refund with major US airlines

Check for better rates

Being able to cancel flights and hotels for free doesn't just give you flexibility if you decide not to travel. It also lets you cancel and rebook if you find a better deal.

Every two weeks, I receive a Todoist reminder to check for price drops on my upcoming flight, hotel and car rental reservations. When searching for price drops, I focus on paid rates and programs that use dynamic award pricing. I've had particularly good luck catching price drops on IHG stays, Marriott stays, American Airlines award flights and Southwest Airlines flights.

Related: Key tools and tips to find the cheapest airfare

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Rebook at a better rate

Some programs let you quickly change an existing booking when you see a price drop. For example, it's easy to reprice a Southwest flight when the fare decreases. And if you've booked a Delta Air Lines flight that allows free changes, you can quickly rebook your same flight when the price drops. Marriott Bonvoy also makes it easy to reprice stays by modifying your stay via the website or app.

Unfortunately, some programs don't allow you to change your reservation to a lower price. To reprice your stay, rental or flight with these programs, you must make a new reservation and cancel your existing reservation.

Related: Airlines that offer you a credit if the price of airfare drops

Bottom line

Catching price drops can save you serious points, miles and cash. So, I recommend setting aside time every few weeks to check pricing on your freely cancelable bookings. If your experience is like mine, you'll likely see more price drops than expected. And unless you have a lot of upcoming travel bookings, it likely won't take too long every time you go through your pricing checks.