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General Travel Tips
Ask and You Shall Receive!
Whether you're renting a car, checking into your hotel or visiting
a theme park...Ask what sort of discounts are available. You'd be
surprised how much money you can save just by asking. Often reservationists
and clerks are trained to take your money and make the reservation.
By simply asking questions like “what type of discounts do
you offer?” or “do you have any special rates that might
help us?” you can sometimes save a bundle.
Not only does this apply to cash discounts but also to upgrades
and amenities. When checking into a hotel, ask to be put in their
best available room or ask specifically for the best view. You'd
be surprised at the results. Also ask what services and amenities
they offer. Speak up and be heard. Remember, you are their guest
and you are also a paying customer.
Comments and Compliments Are Important
Travel is a service industry. This means to be profitable, airlines,
hotels, resorts and cruise lines need to make their customers happy.
If something goes wrong, within reason, most reputable companies
want to make it right. Also, if they do something exceptionally
wonderful, they want to hear about it too. Writing letters and sending
emails can often yield you free travel or discounts on future trips.
It's not a guarantee, but it's often an overlooked opportunity to
get additional travel benefits. Use the internet or call customer
service to get the contact information for local managers, corporate
big shots or even the president of the company.
Off Season Benefits
“High Season” means this is the time of year that everybody
wants to go. Because it's a popular time, travelers can expect to
pay a higher price or premium. Obviously some destinations, events
or types of vacation are very dependent on the weather, season or
calendar. Yet travelers can often save 50% or more by visiting during
“low season”. Besides saving a bundle, there is also
the benefit of less crowds. You can also expect to see terms like
“mid-season” or “shoulder season”. This
is the the time of year between high and low season. Usually rates
fall somewhere between the high and low season prices.
The holiday season is another time of year when you can expect to
pay more. Again, higher demand means higher prices. When planning
and pricing your trip, you may see small print that says something
about “black out dates may apply”. Simply translated,
it means expect to pay higher prices on specific dates.
Days of the Week and Departure Times Make a Difference
People like to use their days off to their advantage. Most like
to travel on the weekends. Again, when something is in demand, you'll
pay a premium for it. If you can travel mid week, you will usually
save money. With flights, the time of day your flight departs also
is worth comparing. It all depends on what cities are your departure
and arrival cities. For example, sometimes you'll save a bundle
flying in the evening. If you're visiting the relatives, this may
work to your benefit. If you're paying for an extra night in a hotel,
you'll need to weigh and measure the value.
Being Flexible Pays Off
Check out the possibilities when doing your comparison shopping.
Sometimes, driving a bit further to a larger hub airport instead
of flying from your local airport may save you money. In other cases,
the exact opposite can be the case. Being flexible and open to other
options and possibilities can help your budget. Much depends on
your circumstances. If you are traveling with infants or small children,
convenience might be worth every penny.
Shop the Restrictions
Unless you're a millionaire, comparing prices when you're planning
a trip is a must. When doing so, it is extremely important to read
and understand the fine print. Often price is determined by restrictions.
Usually the lower the price, the more restrictions are attached.
For example, you might be searching for a flight between New York
and San Francisco. You might find that there are seats available
on the same flight in coach class but one costs significantly more.
If you read the fine print, you'll find that the higher price ticket
is “unrestricted”. This means you are completely flexible
to change your plans if you change your mind. The cheaper fare is
probably restricted. This means, if you want to change your flight
arrangements, you will pay a fee or lose out entirely.
Depending on your particular circumstance, you need to take restrictions
into careful consideration. It's great to save a bunch on discount
tickets or vacation packages but if your plans change, it could
end up costing you more in the long run. Restricted fares can save
you upwards of 70% off regular airfares. By all means, use them
to your advantage...just make intelligent choices and above all,
understand the fine print.
Plan Ahead or Be Spontaneous
This sounds a bit schizoid but it is something to consider. It used
to be that the farther ahead you made your reservations, the lower
the price you paid. Airlines charged different rates for reservations
made 21, 14 or less than 7 days from your departure date. Times
are good for airlines and hotels right now. Lots of people are traveling
and it's hard to sometimes get availability. This is a good reason
to shop around, get your best price and plan ahead.
Even in the best of times there are empty seats, cruise cabins and
hotel rooms. If you are spontaneous and can be flexible with time
away from school or work, you can find some fantastic deals and
bargains by making last minute reservations. Again, use your head.
I would not depend on a last minute fare if I were best man in my
brother's wedding!
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