Have Bags, Will Travel (and Save Money While Doing it)

November 17, 2010

In my line of work you get to see the inside of the airport an awful lot, but over the years I’ve learned how to travel for less.  Here are some ways I’ve learned to save when it comes to flights, hotels, and rental cars.

Flights

When it comes to saving money on flights, sometimes you have to go the extra mile – literally.

I discovered this a few years ago when booking a flight to Birmingham.  I live about halfway between two airports: Charlotte and Greensboro.  Now at the time I could fly from Charlotte to Birmingham for about $600, OR I could fly from Greensboro to Birmingham for about $250.  What was the difference?  The flight from Charlotte was nonstop, while the flight from Greensboro had a layover.  Guess where the layover was?  Charlotte.

To this day I can’t quite figure out how flying an extra leg on a trip makes the trip less expensive, but if it means saving $300 or more on a trip, you won’t hear me complaining anytime soon.

Hotels

Similar to booking flights, there are many Web sites that offer “discounts” on the cost of a hotel room, but when I’m looking for a great room at a great price, I turn to Hotwire.com. Hotwire.com offers some of the best deals anywhere.  Just last week I stayed at a hotel that listed for $149 a night for only $89 a night.

There is a reason Hotwire.com is able to offer such unbelievable deals, so before you run out and make your next reservation, consider the following:

  • You don’t know where you are staying until after you book your room. Hotwire.com allows you to search for hotels by geographic area, so you know the approximate location, but if your travel plans require you to stay in a specific place, you’d better use a different method.
  • All sales are final! I once booked a room for a week only to have my schedule change.  Now I only book a room a couple days in advance once I’m sure my schedule won’t be changing.
  • No loyalty points awarded. This can be an issue for the frequent traveler.  I console myself by remembering that saving $40 to $60 a night on a hotel room will probably add up to more than the value of the points I’d otherwise collect.

Rental Cars

I also use Hotwire.com for rental car reservations.  It has the same conditions as listed for the hotels, but I always know I’m getting a car from one of the top carriers for much less.

Here are a few other money-saving tips:

  • Don’t pay for the upgrade. Very often I am asked if I’d like to upgrade my vehicle for a few dollars more per day.  Surprisingly, when I decline I still end up in a nicer car.  I once drove around Houston for a week in an SUV for the price of a compact.
  • Don’t pay for unnecessary insurance coverage. Many renters have rental car insurance from their auto insurance company or credit card issuer, so check with both to see what coverage, if any, you already have.
  • Watch the clock! Most rental car agencies charge based on a 24 hour reservation, so if you land at 3 PM on Tuesday and drop off at 6 PM on Wednesday, you end up being charged for two days.
  • Return it full. Unless you are absolutely in jeopardy of missing your flight, take the 10 minutes to fill the gas tank, and use the money you save to buy a meal before your flight. 🙂