The deal with travel deals

Cheap. Buy now. That seems to be the modus operandi of most travel discount sites. Whether it's collective-buying sites like global behemoth Groupon or exclusive members-only portals such as Reebonz City, not an hour goes by every day without one of these websites posting a travel deal.

While websites such as Tablet Hotels, Jetsetter, Vacationist have always held flash sales for hotels, upping the ante is TripAletz, which combines private sales and bulk buying, and members receive special rates and if enough of them purchase a deal. And their deals are literally out of this world - to celebrate its official launch, TripAletz offered a trip to outer space onboard the Linx Mark I. (You still have time grab the bargain - if you have US$85,000 (S$104,000) in change, that is.

The competition is heating up. Expedia, the largest online travel company in the world, announced on June 1 that it was tying up with fellow online giant Groupon to launch Groupon Getaways starting in North America. Then, popular travel search engine, Wego, launched its own discount microsite, Wego Fast: Deals. Last month also saw the entry of Spire, a newcomer backed by luxury hotel portals Perfect Escapes and Travel Intelligence.

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Editor: Cristian Segura writes articles related with technology, social media and marketing. Sponsored by Costa Rica Hotels, Motor de reservas en linea and Travel to Costa Rica