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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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