Travel Deal of the Day (April 30, 2008)
If you are looking to rent a large, truck/SUV-style car as opposed to a smaller, more fuel efficient car, you are in luck – car rental companies cannot charge as much for these larger cars now because of high gas prices. So, if you actually want a large car, you can now find much more reasonable prices when renting these larger cars at many car rental locations and you may end up with a larger car when reserving a smaller car.
The Deal:
When renting your next car, be strategic about your car rental selection. If you want a large, gas-guzzling SUV-style car, reserve the cheapest car available. What – am I crazy? How can this be? Due to gas prices, more people are actually preferring to reserve small, more fuel efficient cars.
Actually, what I want you to do is make two reservations (since most car rental reservations have no cancellation fee). Make a reservation for the cheapest car available and make a separate reservation (can be with the same car rental company or a different car rental company) for your must-have car. If you reserve a small car (because it is available at the lowest price), you are very likely to end up with a free upgrade to a much larger car because of increased demand for smaller, fuel efficient cars. You may actually find that large, gas-guzzling cars such as SUVs may be available for a lower price than a small, compact car. So, my advice is to reserve the cheapest car available and inquire at the check-in counter about what kind of car you are actually receiving. If you do end up with too small of a car, inquire about a free or paid upgrade. You are quite often able to receive an upgrade to your most preferred large car at a significant discount to what the price would have been if you had reserved the large car in the first place. If the upgrade strategy fails, then rely on your second reservation – but in these days of very high gas prices, you will likely end up with a large car at a significant discount.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 29, 2008)
As I discussed in the post yesterday, I highly advocate thinking far ahead when booking holiday weekend travel. This becomes the most important when booking Thanksgiving travel.
The Deal:
If you are traveling for Thanksgiving weekend and you must fly the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after Thanksgiving, buy your air tickets right now. I know it seems early; I know you are thinking that I must be crazy to be thinking about Thanksgiving in April. This advice is based on years of watching Thanksgiving airfares. They do not decline. Unlike a normal travel day (when airlines are unsure if seats will be sold), airlines are certain they will sell as many seats as they offer for Thanksgiving weekend, especially for the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This provides airlines with the ability to continue to increase fares as we approach November. Since seats are so limited for Thanksgiving travel, if you must go on the peak dates, you must buy your tickets as early as possible.
With all this being said, my advice for Thanksgiving weekend travel is to avoid the peak travel days (avoid Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday and Monday following Thanksgiving if at all possible). But, if you must travel on the most in-demand days, buy your tickets now or you will pay more.
The Inside Scoop:
Remember that many Thanksgiving weekend airfares do not require a Saturday night stay (as Saturday night stay requirements are imposed so that business travelers will pay a higher airfare – but there are few, if any, business travelers over Thanksgiving weekend). So, consider returning on the Saturday after Thanksgiving if you need to return for work on Monday and you want to save money.
As I discussed in the post yesterday, I highly advocate thinking far ahead when booking holiday weekend travel. This becomes the most important when booking Thanksgiving travel.
The Deal:
If you are traveling for Thanksgiving weekend and you must fly the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after Thanksgiving, buy your air tickets right now. I know it seems early; I know you are thinking that I must be crazy to be thinking about Thanksgiving in April. This advice is based on years of watching Thanksgiving airfares. They do not decline. Unlike a normal travel day (when airlines are unsure if seats will be sold), airlines are certain they will sell as many seats as they offer for Thanksgiving weekend, especially for the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This provides airlines with the ability to continue to increase fares as we approach November. Since seats are so limited for Thanksgiving travel, if you must go on the peak dates, you must buy your tickets as early as possible.
With all this being said, my advice for Thanksgiving weekend travel is to avoid the peak travel days (avoid Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday and Monday following Thanksgiving if at all possible). But, if you must travel on the most in-demand days, buy your tickets now or you will pay more.
The Inside Scoop:
Remember that many Thanksgiving weekend airfares do not require a Saturday night stay (as Saturday night stay requirements are imposed so that business travelers will pay a higher airfare – but there are few, if any, business travelers over Thanksgiving weekend). So, consider returning on the Saturday after Thanksgiving if you need to return for work on Monday and you want to save money.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 28, 2008)
Always think two holidays ahead if you want to save money when traveling for a holiday weekend. With Memorial Day just a few weeks ahead, people wanting to spend a lot of money will buy tickets now for travel over Memorial Day weekend. Those people wanting to save money will buy July 4th or even Labor Day weekend tickets now.
The Deal:
The most common time to buy airfare for a holiday weekend is a few weeks before that holiday weekend. If you are looking to save money, you should plan further in advance as most of the cheapest seats for travel for an upcoming holiday weekend were sold far in advance. This becomes the biggest issue if you must fly the most heavily traveled times during holiday weekends (i.e., you must fly the Monday evening of Memorial Day weekend or the Sunday after Thanksgiving).
During the time over the next few weeks when most are focusing on Memorial Day, I would advocate that you start thinking about July 4th, Labor Day or even Thanksgiving travel. Start checking airfares and getting ready to purchase your tickets when you notice that fare drops significantly. Don’t follow the crowds by buying your tickets for very busy holiday weekends with only a few weeks in advance – think ahead and save money.
Always think two holidays ahead if you want to save money when traveling for a holiday weekend. With Memorial Day just a few weeks ahead, people wanting to spend a lot of money will buy tickets now for travel over Memorial Day weekend. Those people wanting to save money will buy July 4th or even Labor Day weekend tickets now.
The Deal:
The most common time to buy airfare for a holiday weekend is a few weeks before that holiday weekend. If you are looking to save money, you should plan further in advance as most of the cheapest seats for travel for an upcoming holiday weekend were sold far in advance. This becomes the biggest issue if you must fly the most heavily traveled times during holiday weekends (i.e., you must fly the Monday evening of Memorial Day weekend or the Sunday after Thanksgiving).
During the time over the next few weeks when most are focusing on Memorial Day, I would advocate that you start thinking about July 4th, Labor Day or even Thanksgiving travel. Start checking airfares and getting ready to purchase your tickets when you notice that fare drops significantly. Don’t follow the crowds by buying your tickets for very busy holiday weekends with only a few weeks in advance – think ahead and save money.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 24, 2008)
As has been publicized recently, the number of seats between the mainland US and Hawaii has decreased substantially recently due to airline shutdowns. If you are planning on using frequent flyer points to get you to/from Hawaii, the airline shutdowns may make it even more difficult to find seats available using frequent flyer miles. But there are still ways to use your miles.
The Deal:
Here are some ways to use your frequent flyer miles for your upcoming trip to/from Hawaii:
(1) If you are searching for economy class seats that will require you to use the fewest miles possible (on most airlines, 35K miles for an economy class ticket between mainland US and Hawaii), check all days of the week and all partner airlines. Availability for popular travel days such as Friday and Sunday (or days near holiday weekends) will be first to go. Sometimes seats using miles open up at the last minute - so if you are able to plan a last minute trip, you may have good luck finding seats available using miles. Also, check availability using an airline’s partners. This will likely require calling the airline. Even if you have to pay a booking fee (for using the services of a phone agent at the airline), the fee is well worth it if you are able to find free seats for your Hawaiian holiday. Note than many airlines will let you spend double miles to buy any economy class seat that is for sale (usually 70K miles), but I consider that a bad value for your miles in almost all situations.
(2) Look into using your miles for a free trip in First Class. For a long (usually overnight) trip, it may be worth it for you to spend extra miles and fly First Class to and from Hawaii. Most airlines now charge 75K miles roundtrip between the mainland and Hawaii. Definitely look into this option if all economy class seats at the 35K level have already been sold. It is a far better option to spend 75K roundtrip miles for a first class ticket than to spend 70K miles for a more costly economy ticket to Hawaii.
(3) If economy and first class seats available using miles are sold out, consider buying an economy class ticket and using miles to upgrade the tickets to First Class. Many airlines offer this option for a limited number of seats. There are a few caveats here – (1) before buying non-refundable economy class tickets, ensure that those flights are available for upgrades using miles to first class & (2) some airlines now charge a “co-pay” fee in addition to frequent flyer miles to upgrade a paid coach ticket to first class. You must factor a “co-pay” fee into your total airfare cost to verify if using miles is a wise choice.
As has been publicized recently, the number of seats between the mainland US and Hawaii has decreased substantially recently due to airline shutdowns. If you are planning on using frequent flyer points to get you to/from Hawaii, the airline shutdowns may make it even more difficult to find seats available using frequent flyer miles. But there are still ways to use your miles.
The Deal:
Here are some ways to use your frequent flyer miles for your upcoming trip to/from Hawaii:
(1) If you are searching for economy class seats that will require you to use the fewest miles possible (on most airlines, 35K miles for an economy class ticket between mainland US and Hawaii), check all days of the week and all partner airlines. Availability for popular travel days such as Friday and Sunday (or days near holiday weekends) will be first to go. Sometimes seats using miles open up at the last minute - so if you are able to plan a last minute trip, you may have good luck finding seats available using miles. Also, check availability using an airline’s partners. This will likely require calling the airline. Even if you have to pay a booking fee (for using the services of a phone agent at the airline), the fee is well worth it if you are able to find free seats for your Hawaiian holiday. Note than many airlines will let you spend double miles to buy any economy class seat that is for sale (usually 70K miles), but I consider that a bad value for your miles in almost all situations.
(2) Look into using your miles for a free trip in First Class. For a long (usually overnight) trip, it may be worth it for you to spend extra miles and fly First Class to and from Hawaii. Most airlines now charge 75K miles roundtrip between the mainland and Hawaii. Definitely look into this option if all economy class seats at the 35K level have already been sold. It is a far better option to spend 75K roundtrip miles for a first class ticket than to spend 70K miles for a more costly economy ticket to Hawaii.
(3) If economy and first class seats available using miles are sold out, consider buying an economy class ticket and using miles to upgrade the tickets to First Class. Many airlines offer this option for a limited number of seats. There are a few caveats here – (1) before buying non-refundable economy class tickets, ensure that those flights are available for upgrades using miles to first class & (2) some airlines now charge a “co-pay” fee in addition to frequent flyer miles to upgrade a paid coach ticket to first class. You must factor a “co-pay” fee into your total airfare cost to verify if using miles is a wise choice.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 22, 2008)
The five-star Wynn Las Vegas Hotel is offering rooms this summer for $159/night.
The Deal:
Rooms at the Wynn Las Vegas are on sale this summer for $159/night. Rates are valid on select weeknights from May 2008 to September 2008.
How:
(1) Go to the Wynn Las Vegas.
(2) Enter promotion code “WDMSM31” in the promotion code box in the reservations area of the website.
The five-star Wynn Las Vegas Hotel is offering rooms this summer for $159/night.
The Deal:
Rooms at the Wynn Las Vegas are on sale this summer for $159/night. Rates are valid on select weeknights from May 2008 to September 2008.
How:
(1) Go to the Wynn Las Vegas.
(2) Enter promotion code “WDMSM31” in the promotion code box in the reservations area of the website.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 17, 2008)
The Las Vegas summer specials have begun – given the slow economic conditions, the Las Vegas hotels will likely offer very good promotions, especially during May and June. The Bellagio is offering a decent rate on rooms this summer for midweek travel.
The Deal:
The five-star Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas is offering rooms this summer starting at $159/night. Rates are valid for Sunday-Thursday nights from May 21, 2008 to September 4, 2008.
How:
Go to the Bellagio Deal.
The Las Vegas summer specials have begun – given the slow economic conditions, the Las Vegas hotels will likely offer very good promotions, especially during May and June. The Bellagio is offering a decent rate on rooms this summer for midweek travel.
The Deal:
The five-star Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas is offering rooms this summer starting at $159/night. Rates are valid for Sunday-Thursday nights from May 21, 2008 to September 4, 2008.
How:
Go to the Bellagio Deal.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 16, 2008)
Do you realize that when a flight is operated by one carrier but also sold by another carrier as a code-share flight, a seat may be less expensive when booking on one carrier versus the other carrier?
The Deal:
When booking a seat on a plane, you should verify whether the flight is also operated by a code-share partner. If so, check the price of that same seat if purchased from the code-share partner. In some situations, the seat may be offered at a different price on that code-share partner. In most cases, even if you do book the seat on a code-share partner, you are likely still eligible for the same frequent flyer benefits since the code-share partners usually offer a variety of mileage earning options.
You should also note that the same issue arises when booking a frequent flyer ticket. A frequent flyer partner may offer the same flight for fewer miles. Such is often the case with short-haul nonstop flights. Some carriers offer promotions that allow you to redeem reduced mileage amounts for short-haul flights. The promotion may not apply on all carriers – so be sure to check around to verify if you can obtain the same seat for fewer miles.
Do you realize that when a flight is operated by one carrier but also sold by another carrier as a code-share flight, a seat may be less expensive when booking on one carrier versus the other carrier?
The Deal:
When booking a seat on a plane, you should verify whether the flight is also operated by a code-share partner. If so, check the price of that same seat if purchased from the code-share partner. In some situations, the seat may be offered at a different price on that code-share partner. In most cases, even if you do book the seat on a code-share partner, you are likely still eligible for the same frequent flyer benefits since the code-share partners usually offer a variety of mileage earning options.
You should also note that the same issue arises when booking a frequent flyer ticket. A frequent flyer partner may offer the same flight for fewer miles. Such is often the case with short-haul nonstop flights. Some carriers offer promotions that allow you to redeem reduced mileage amounts for short-haul flights. The promotion may not apply on all carriers – so be sure to check around to verify if you can obtain the same seat for fewer miles.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 14, 2008)
As mentioned previously in this blog, various four and five star hotels offer American Bar Association (ABA) discounts for ABA members. These rates can be very inexpensive when compared with other, publicly available rates.
The Deal:
Check out the ABA rates being offered during 2008 – some hotels are offering very competitive rates using the ABA discount. One example is the five star Ritz Carlton New Orleans, which offers a $129/night rate (seasonal rate/depends on availability) – it will be very hard to find any other rate at that hotel even close to $129/night.
How:
Go to the 2008 ABA Hotel Rates.
As mentioned previously in this blog, various four and five star hotels offer American Bar Association (ABA) discounts for ABA members. These rates can be very inexpensive when compared with other, publicly available rates.
The Deal:
Check out the ABA rates being offered during 2008 – some hotels are offering very competitive rates using the ABA discount. One example is the five star Ritz Carlton New Orleans, which offers a $129/night rate (seasonal rate/depends on availability) – it will be very hard to find any other rate at that hotel even close to $129/night.
How:
Go to the 2008 ABA Hotel Rates.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Travel Deal Of The Day (April 10, 2008)
Many airlines are now charging to check more than one bag. In some cases, the first checked bag will incur a charge if it is over a certain weight or size limit. My answer to all these fees is to avoid checking bags.
The Deal:
The best way to avoid excess or oversize baggage fees is to avoid checking luggage. If you are used to checking luggage, this idea may seem impossible to implement. But, in reality, it is quite often possible to have only one carry-on (and one small additional personal item such as a laptop bag or purse) per person. Next time you travel, mark down which items in your suitcase you actually used on your trip or those items which you used and you felt were essential. When you get home, verify if those “necessities” would actually fit in a carry-on bag – most likely, the answer is yes.
Even if you find you cannot fit everything into a checked bag, consider sending your “checked” items ahead using a ground expedited shipper (UPS Ground, Fed Ex Ground, DHL…). It is often cheaper to use such an expediter instead of checking the bag – and you can track your bag and know that it has arrived at your expected destination.
Many airlines are now charging to check more than one bag. In some cases, the first checked bag will incur a charge if it is over a certain weight or size limit. My answer to all these fees is to avoid checking bags.
The Deal:
The best way to avoid excess or oversize baggage fees is to avoid checking luggage. If you are used to checking luggage, this idea may seem impossible to implement. But, in reality, it is quite often possible to have only one carry-on (and one small additional personal item such as a laptop bag or purse) per person. Next time you travel, mark down which items in your suitcase you actually used on your trip or those items which you used and you felt were essential. When you get home, verify if those “necessities” would actually fit in a carry-on bag – most likely, the answer is yes.
Even if you find you cannot fit everything into a checked bag, consider sending your “checked” items ahead using a ground expedited shipper (UPS Ground, Fed Ex Ground, DHL…). It is often cheaper to use such an expediter instead of checking the bag – and you can track your bag and know that it has arrived at your expected destination.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 8, 2008)
The four-star Westin St. Maarten is offering rooms for $149/night throughout the summer.
The Deal:
Obtain a room at the Westin St. Maarten for $149/night from June 1, 2008 through October 19, 2008 (limited blackout days apply).
How:
Go to the Westin St. Maarten Deal.
The Inside Scoop:
You should note the reason for the low rates – hurricane season is in full force from June through October. With that being said, this is an excellent rate, and if you are willing to travel during a time when there is a risk of a hurricane, you likely will be able to obtain quite a deal on a luxury Caribbean hotel.
The four-star Westin St. Maarten is offering rooms for $149/night throughout the summer.
The Deal:
Obtain a room at the Westin St. Maarten for $149/night from June 1, 2008 through October 19, 2008 (limited blackout days apply).
How:
Go to the Westin St. Maarten Deal.
The Inside Scoop:
You should note the reason for the low rates – hurricane season is in full force from June through October. With that being said, this is an excellent rate, and if you are willing to travel during a time when there is a risk of a hurricane, you likely will be able to obtain quite a deal on a luxury Caribbean hotel.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 7, 2008)
If you are a seafood enthusiast, McCormick & Schmick’s (a seafood restaurant in many major cities) is offering $20 off your next meal just for making your reservation online.
The Deal:
Receive $20 off of your next meal at McCormick & Schmick’s for making your reservation on their website.
How:
(1) Go to the McCormick & Schmick’s Promotion.
(2) Follow the steps on the promotion page.
If you are a seafood enthusiast, McCormick & Schmick’s (a seafood restaurant in many major cities) is offering $20 off your next meal just for making your reservation online.
The Deal:
Receive $20 off of your next meal at McCormick & Schmick’s for making your reservation on their website.
How:
(1) Go to the McCormick & Schmick’s Promotion.
(2) Follow the steps on the promotion page.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 3, 2008)
Universal Studios Orlando is offering a weeklong pass for $79.99. When you consider the daily price of admission to Orlando theme parks, this is quite a deal, even if you are only going to Universal Studios for a few days.
The Deal:
Get a weeklong pass to both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure for just under $80.
How:
Go to the Universal Orlando Deal.
Universal Studios Orlando is offering a weeklong pass for $79.99. When you consider the daily price of admission to Orlando theme parks, this is quite a deal, even if you are only going to Universal Studios for a few days.
The Deal:
Get a weeklong pass to both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure for just under $80.
How:
Go to the Universal Orlando Deal.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (April 1, 2008)
I enjoy reading travel guides when researching a potential vacation destination. Guides such as Fodors, Frommers, Lonely Planet and others provide useful information about a destination. But, these days there is no reason to actually buy the book – you can legally obtain most of the information for free from a variety of channels.
The Deal:
Here are some convenient ways to obtain travel guide information for free:
(1) The most obvious place to look for such information is on the website of these travel guides. Most of the travel guide websites provide a majority of the information provided in their books for free on their websites.
(2) Check your library. You can often find the most recent guide for a destination at your library. My local library provides full-text versions of the guides online – you do not even have to go to the library to get a copy of Fodor’s Florida 2008.
(3) Check ITunes. Many of these travel websites now offer free podcasts regarding popular destinations. They are great tools for researching your proposed destination.
(4) Check out your local American Automobile Association (AAA) branch. AAA provides free travel guides for many destinations for members.
(5) Use tripadvisor.com, which is a great source of traveler-provided reviews of hotels, restaurants, attractions and destinations.
I enjoy reading travel guides when researching a potential vacation destination. Guides such as Fodors, Frommers, Lonely Planet and others provide useful information about a destination. But, these days there is no reason to actually buy the book – you can legally obtain most of the information for free from a variety of channels.
The Deal:
Here are some convenient ways to obtain travel guide information for free:
(1) The most obvious place to look for such information is on the website of these travel guides. Most of the travel guide websites provide a majority of the information provided in their books for free on their websites.
(2) Check your library. You can often find the most recent guide for a destination at your library. My local library provides full-text versions of the guides online – you do not even have to go to the library to get a copy of Fodor’s Florida 2008.
(3) Check ITunes. Many of these travel websites now offer free podcasts regarding popular destinations. They are great tools for researching your proposed destination.
(4) Check out your local American Automobile Association (AAA) branch. AAA provides free travel guides for many destinations for members.
(5) Use tripadvisor.com, which is a great source of traveler-provided reviews of hotels, restaurants, attractions and destinations.
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