We booked packages for years and the last three trips we booked separate using Alpharooms and Travel Republic out of Kansas City. That said we will do a package next time if it's cheaper and the times work out. We always try to check it both ways and pick whatever works best for the trip at hand.
When have done both, the last two years booked through Alphrooms and American directly. This year it was quite a bit cheaper to do the package. Best advice, shop around and check everything.
Package deals are almost always less expensive with Canadian charter carriers such as Sunwing, Signature, Nolitours, etc. In the US we have noticed that Apple Vacations has similar packaging but that their pricing may not be as good as using Cheapcaribbean.com. Airfair, hotel and transfers as well as tourist card/departure tax and cancellation insurance, through Nolitours, for a week in February, was just about $1300/person CDN for us and we even had direct flights with in-flight meals and wine. We compared that to a build-it-yourself pricing from Detroit and Buffalo (our package was through Toronto) and the prices were about the same but we didn't get direct flights and would have had to drive further to the airport. We're looking at a week in the fall and finding that the price is very tempting - we may be dared to repeat!
US residents can purchase through Alpharooms for accommodations just ensure your selecting the US page (right hand corner - click flag), but as for travel republic, I'm unsure - never heard of this, but I am sure others will know!
I noted that flights to-from Cancun are stupid expensive right now booking it alone, so right now packages might be best.
We have for years always done the package deal through Cheaptickets. This time, I kept seeing people talk about Alpharooms. Checked it out back in March, for July, and got 8 nights for $157 a night. Great deal. Checked flights from DFW and at that time were really stupid high...even Spirit. Ive always seen airfare drop about 6 weeks out from the departure date and so, I waited. Guess what....? They didnt hardly budge. Long story short, Ill stick to package deals from now on. A month and a half back, I would have saved $350 if Id waited and gone with Cheaptickets again. The room rate was a deal....the airfare killed it.
We've always had the best luck with Orbitz. Although we've found very similar deals on other sites the Orbucks and promo codes usually save us a couple of hundred over all other competition. When we go domestically, we typically have our best luck with hotwire, but with that, we're taking a gamble because you don't know the name of the hotel until after booking.
We've checked both, but always find that the package deals through CheapTickets or Expedia are the best price out of LAX (California).
