Travel Hacks
Necessity or pleasure. Either are the reasons why we travel. However, because the cost of airfare, hotel and car rentals have increased over the last few years, meeting the need or desire to travel and simultaneously overcoming its increased cost can be stressful. We’re here to tell you — it’s doable! It is important to note that convenience is a big part of the cost of travel. Similar to other areas of life, the key to reducing your travel expense is finding as much flexibility as possible in your planning.
In my line of work — sports mom, non-profit volunteer and small business owner — I can be found in an airport somewhat regularly. (I’m finishing this blog post from an airport!) My travels have taught me some things from both experience and the advice of others that have made my family’s travel experiences more affordable. Before sharing travel tips for the specific parts of your itinerary, consider the following:
Join loyalty programs. Each dollar you spend on your flight, hotel stay and car rental can potentially be turned into points, miles or stars. Eventually, you will end up with a free, or almost free, plane ticket or hotel stay.
If you are planning a vacation, know your travel date range before you start your research. If you are planning a trip for an event, be it business or sports, do your best to learn your itinerary at your destination — where you need to be and when.
A I R F A R E ~
There’s the long-advised tip of searching for your airfare on Tuesdays. Though I’ve often tried this tip, too, I definitely wouldn’t depend on it.
It’s important to, first, compile a list of airports inside the radius that you are willing, or able, to travel to and from in order to get to your final destination. If saving money is important or necessary, you might be surprised to see the savings that driving an additional hour might get for you!
Then, do a city to city Google Flights search for your chosen travel dates. A city to city search will usually turn up results from multiple nearby airports. If it doesn’t and you can be flexible with airports, check for airfare at the specific airports on your handy-dandy list.
If the price you found is seemingly high and you are weeks away from your trip, check to see if the airline will allow you to place a hold on your tickets for a fee. When available, there are times that paying this small-ish fee is worth securing your current airfare option while also giving you time to see if prices will drop. It’s important to also keep in mind that most airlines allow for no-fee cancellations within 24 hours of purchase on airfare purchased at least 7 days before travel.
H O T E L ~
A few things to remember about hotel reservations:
Most of the time (unless the hotel is considered a resort) your credit card is needed to hold your reservation without holding the cost against your credit;
If you are planning a trip for a group event like your kids’ sports competition or a business conference, don’t forget that hotels and hotel rooms are limited;
The more recently a hotel has been built or renovated is a good indication of the quality of the “product” (or stay) that you will be purchasing… call ahead to ask for this information.
Check or ask the hotel for AAA, Costco, AARP, etc discount pricing.
With these in mind, make your hotel reservation as early as possible. Be aware of the hotel’s cancelation policy, just in case. Then, about a week or a few days before arrival, call the hotel directly to ask if they have a cheaper rate available for your travel dates. Sometimes, you’ll find that they do. If and when you ask, they will apply the cheaper rate to your reservation.
C A R R E N T A L ~
Because it is part of their work place’s account and it gets them either the best price or the best service, I have friends who maintain loyalty to specific car rental agencies. However, if, like me, this is not your situation, my best suggestions are Priceline or Expedia. Then, keep the following in mind:
Check both of these websites/services for best, current pricing along a variety of car rental agencies.
Some of the cheaper agencies may not be well-known. I’ve used both, successfully. Read the fine print for cancellation policies and payment holds, carefully, as you can save a good amount of money on these lesser name agencies with careful oversight on the process.
When checking pricing on these websites, check via desktop/laptop and your mobile phone. It’s hard to believe, but sometimes pricing on the same website can be different depending on where you do your search.
Finally, I’ve been known to also call individual car rental agencies for a quote by phone as sometimes the human-quoted pricing can be lower.
No matter where you go or what travel options you choose, we hope your trip is everything you need it to be. If for business or team sports, find opportunities to get to know the area you are visiting. In fact, using Uber or Lyft is a great way to get to know a local and garner local recommendations. If your trip is for pleasure, find time to rest. At our Legacy properties, helping you find rest is what we most love to do!
