Saving Money on Travel
A Few Tricks of The Trade
If you’ve been pricing out vacations lately, especially for this summer, you’re probably still suffering from sticker shock.
Airfares in particular have skyrocketed, making it cost-prohibitive for many families to fly away to their dream destination. For those boarding a ship, it’s sobering to discover that a few hours on an airplane costs more than their entire seven-day cruise, which includes lodging, food and entertainment.
Consequently, it’s more important than ever to find ways to save money on travel. Here are a few of my favorite recommendations.
Be Flexible
The potential savings of being flexible is so significant that we should all change how we plan vacations. In the past, it was common to select a specific time to visit a destination, then book flights to get there and back. But these days, with airfares varying dramatically from one week to the next, it makes sense to find the cheapest airfares and backfill the trip around your flights instead.
Keep your destination flexible, too. For example, check out the airfares to nearby cities, especially if you’re going to Europe, and perhaps modify your plans to take advantage of sights and experiences that you otherwise wouldn’t have considered. Then hop a train to your original city of choice.
Get Creative
Sometimes it’s cheaper to fly into one city and return from another. As long as both flights are on a single itinerary, you still get the cost benefit of a round-trip ticket. On the other hand, many airlines don’t penalize you for one-way fares anymore, which means you could book the outbound flight on one airline and the return on another (what the industry calls a “hacker fare”).
You can use a service like Skiplagged to search for cheap one-way itineraries to “anywhere” – as long as there’s a layover at your destination of choice. Just disembark at the layover point and forgo the final leg. But don’t do it on a round-trip ticket because a missed outbound connection will cancel the remainder of your booking.
Use your air miles creatively, such as when you don’t have enough miles for a round-trip ticket. Just redeem them for the flight out and pay for the return, or vice versa. Be sure to determine which direction has the cheapest fare and use your cash for that one.
Use Your Miles to Upgrade
Free flights are great, but you get the highest value from your air miles with international upgrades. Pay for a coach ticket and use miles to bump up to business class. Even after the corresponding copay, a full-fledged business class ticket will cost significantly more. Just be aware that mileage upgrades are harder to get than ever, so it helps to plan far in advance, preferably just after a flight is added to the carrier’s schedule (10 to 11 months). If the business cabin is empty, the airline will typically release a couple of seats for upgrades. But if it’s already filling up, they’ll wait until the last moment in hopes of selling the empty seats to full-fare passengers. It’s a pretty safe bet they will, so if you’re sitting on a waitlist for that mileage upgrade, don’t hold your breath.
Maximize the Strong Dollar
In case you hadn’t noticed, the U.S. dollar has been soaring against numerous foreign currencies, so it makes sense to visit countries where you’ll get the most for your money. As of this writing, the Euro has dropped to roughly $1.10 USD, meaning that most of Europe is “on sale.” On the other hand, the British pound is still around $1.43, so your money won’t go quite as far in the UK.
If you crave a European experience, but don’t want to travel overseas, try Montreal or Quebec City, as every U.S. dollar will get you 1.34 Canadian dollars. The same exchange benefits hold true with all of Latin America, including Mexico.
Obtain a Travel-Based Credit Card
Premium airline and hotel-chain credit cards usually incur an annual fee, but if you travel much at all, the savings more than make up for it, and you get VIP benefits as well. If you have a favorite airline, for example, check out the various levels of credit cards offered by their bank partner and see which one makes sense for you. Benefits range from free checked bags and priority boarding to zero foreign transaction fees and airline club access.
Get Your Money at an ATM
You shouldn’t show up in a foreign country without any local currency at all, but get the majority of it after you arrive at a major bank ATM. Yes, you’ll incur a nominal ATM fee, but the currency conversion will be at a more favorable rate than an airport currency exchange counter.
Pick Up the Phone
I know it sounds low-tech, but don’t underestimate the value of speaking to a live human being. The Internet doesn’t house every deal or discount, and a person with the right knowledge or credentials can often manipulate the system to save you even more money.
For example, travel agents have access to discounted bulk and consolidated airfares that aren’t available to the general public, and they know all the tricks of the trade to find every possible benefit. And if the agency is affiliated with a powerful travel network like American Express, they may have access to in-house incentives or credits that you’ll never see when booking direct.
If you’re heading to a hotel or resort and don’t like what you see online, call the property directly and ask to speak with a manager – someone with the authority to override rates and room assignments. Ask if there is anything he or she can do to make your stay more affordable, and make sure to highlight any anniversaries, birthdays or wedding proposals in the works.
Wherever you travel, it never hurts to ask anyone for anything. All they can say is no. Just be courteous and charming about it, not one of those people who bellows about how important or deserving he is.
You never know how much power that seemingly low-level desk clerk has, and she would much rather graciously add to your celebration than feel arm-twisted into an upgrade.
Kevin Streufert is a Park Hill-based travel advisor and an Amazon #1 bestselling novelist. He has traveled the world since age 3, with a particular focus on Europe. He can be reached at kevin.streufert@cruiseplanners.com.