At IgoUgo, travel is our bread and butter, our modus operandi, our thing. Still, we’re the first to admit that it’s not always easy—finding good deals (and booking them before they sell out) has a way of suddenly making your couch look like a good place to spend your vacation time. Luckily, travel planning is getting smarter, from predicting airfare patterns to investigating better ways to save on popular trips—even those known for their high price tags. And, of course, there’s no telling where a little determination and dumb luck will get you.