Hotel Deals Provide Incentives for Air Travelers : Airlines: Travelers can get discounted rates and convenient bookings at many foreign destinations, but sometimes lose when prepaying in dollars.

One way for consumers flying to an overseas destination to get hotel discounts is to book rooms through their airline. Carriers often negotiate special rates with certain hotels as a way of luring more passengers into their planes. In some cases, the airlines may even own the hotels or have a financial interest in them.

Besides the money saved on nightly room rates and the “one-stop shopping” convenience of booking both airline and hotel reservations at the same time, other benefits for consumers when making hotel reservations through airlines is that the deals often include transfers to and from the airport to the hotel, one or more meals and tax and service charges. In some cities, travelers may get such other perks as half-day city sightseeing tours and discount coupon booklets.

Room rates are likely to vary from season to season.

With many of the programs, you have to prepay your hotel rooms before leaving the United States by buying vouchers. That way, you’re protected against any decrease in the value of the dollar to the foreign currency. Then again, if the value of the dollar goes up, you could be losing money through the vouchers. Some airlines provide a complete refund for any unused vouchers, while others charge a cancellation fee.

By providing hotel bookings--and helping to arrange such extras as ground transportation, too--many airline representatives function almost as “unofficial” travel agents. Consumers should inquire of those representatives what services they can provide.

Not all airlines offer discounted hotel rates. Delta, for example, will book hotels in destinations it serves as a convenience for its customers, but offers no discounts, according to spokeswoman Frances Conner. Northwest Airlines offers all-inclusive package deals--as do most airlines--but does not book hotel rooms.

“Eventually, to stay competitive, all the airlines will have to offer a room-booking service to their passengers,” said Jan Wood, a Los Angeles-based regional sales manager for TWA.

In the ultra-competitive airline market, both foreign airlines flying from the United States and U.S. carriers heading overseas offer discount rates on accommodations to various destinations. The practice is more common, however, among foreign airlines. Some examples:

--American Airlines (800-433-7300) has tie-ins with more than 900 Best Western hotels, primarily in Europe, as part of its “Fly-Away” program. Travelers typically get discounts of 20% to 30% off regular rates. In London, American offers discounts of 30% to 50% at 24 hotels. American’s rate at The White House hotel in Regent’s Park is $42, compared to the regular rate of $132. At the Rembrandt Hotel, the rate is $49, compared to $125.

--Singapore Airlines has a “Stopover Holidays” program covering 198 hotels in 41 cities and 28 countries. The program is open to any class of traveler--first, business or coach--and is good for as many nights in the hotels as desired. When travelers make their air reservations, they can purchase a voucher booklet that includes separate vouchers for the hotel, airport-hotel transfers, either continental or full American breakfasts, and--in many cases--a half-day motor-coach tour of the city. In Singapore, the cost of the first night at the Boulevard Hotel costs $94, while any successive nights are $104. That’s compared to the regular per-night rate of $153.

--As part of its “Getaway” program, TWA (800-221-200) can arrange discounts on hotels in 22 cities in Europe, including eight hotels in Paris, four each in Brussels and Amsterdam, and three in Frankfurt. Other cities include London, Bath and Stratford-on-Avon, in England; Nice, France, and Munich, Berlin and Stuttgart, in Germany.

--Air France, through its Jet Vacations subsidiary, offers a Flexi-Plan program involving more than 400 hotels in 11 countries. Discounts can be as high as 18% off regular rates, and the package price includes continental breakfast, taxes and service charges. Travelers must purchase vouchers in the United States. Call (800) 538-0999.

--British Airways (800-247-9297) has a “London Plus European Traveler’s Choice” program offering discounts as high as 50% off regular rates at 65 hotels in London and 87 hotels in 27 other European cities. Vouchers must be purchased in the United States, and continental breakfast, taxes and service charges are included.

--Japan Air Lines (800-525-3663) has a variety of discounts in its “JAL World Hotel Selections” program that covers more than 240 hotels in 30 countries. Vouchers are not used in this program. Travelers simply ask for a JAL World Hotel when making airline reservations. JAL’s rate at the Tokyo Grand Hotel is 11,000 yen (about $83, double occupancy), while the regular rate is 16,000 yen (about $120). At the Ginza Dai-ichi Hotel, the special rate is 15,000 yen, compared to the regular price of 20,000 yen.

--SAS (800-252-0178), through tie-ins with 146 hotels in 38 countries, offers at least a 10% discount off regular rates, with the discount going up to 20% at some properties. The special rate includes continental breakfast as well as taxes and service charges. Vouchers aren’t used.

--Lufthansa (800-645-3880) has nearly 600 German and Austrian hotels in more than 300 cities in its “Classic City and Resorts Hotels” program. Most of the properties offer a discount, with the vouchers covering breakfast and taxes/service charges. A double-occupancy room at the Bristol Hotel Kempinski in Berlin for about $175, compared to the regular rate of about $245. And at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski in Munich, it’s $137 instead of $250.