I’m already planning a trip to Left Coast Crime at the end of this month, and I can’t wait. I’m channeling my inner Laurel Beacham to remember all the tips to make going from point A to point B more memorable.
First up, I booked my late-February flight in August, and not only got a great price, but the flight is nonstop, too. I would have paid more for nonstop alone, but instead I got exactly what I needed at a discount. Beyond that, here are a few more ways you can save money–and maybe time, too–for your next trip.
- Subscribe to airline newsletters, so when they’re running a lightning sale you get immediate notice via email or on your phone. I try to fly Southwest every chance I can to build up miles (though I always check other carriers for better deals), and getting the Southwest e-newsletters helps me grab extra savings, too. Other airlines that offer cost saving newsletters are Virgin, JetBlue, Hawaiian and Alaska Air. There are likely more, but that’s my short list.
- Tuesdays are the best day to catch a great fair on a domestic flight because that’s still the day the airlines price match one another.
- Always clear your cookies from your browser after checking out an airline. That innocent looking trail of cookies tells airlines you’ve been by their site before–and how many times. So if you search multiple times you risk getting your price bumped up because they know you are really interested.
- Are you traveling as a big group or family? Consider renting a house or condo for your stay instead of booking a hotel. This is often cheaper than hotel rooms for everyone, and you’ll have a kitchen and places for everyone to gather and relax together.
- Take a collapsible water bottle with you to fill after you leave airport security. I recently traveled without one and got pretty tired of paying $5 for a regular-sized bottle of water every time I was stuck in an airport for a layover.
- I was going to stop at five tips, but here’s one I’ve used a lot, and it’s really paid off. If you are a student–or you’ve recently been a student and still have your student ID–don’t forget to take it with you. I’ve received event and museum discounts all over with a student ID I was required to have for a three hour class I took several years ago. My student ID doesn’t have a date on it, and I’ve never been questioned because my picture is right under the university logo. Same goes for AAA memberships and AARP memberships. Flash those cards people and save some green.
Okay, those are my short tips of the day. Do you have any travel tips you’d like to share?
I always pack ahead of time…and then take out about 2/3 of what I thought I wanted to take. I’m usually by myself so anything that is easy to carry works for me! So, did you channel your inner Laurel purse already? :>)
I don’t have much but I got three fresh ideas from your article. I do carry two white trash bags for dirty clothes,a couple of extra baggies, and a set of prethreaded needles. Those baggies my stay in my suitcase for a year but they eventually come in handy. Also carry a pair of kid scissors (Fiskar) in my purse and they come in handy on almost every trip. Since they are short and have a round tip, even airlines have not problem with them. When I go to a conference where I am likely to collect a bag and literature or samples I carry one of my own cloth bags and a small purse that will fit in the bag. I may haul my enormous purse one the plan but usually stick with the tote and small purse there too so I have room for water and my Kindle plus those must have that end up in my suitcase once reality sets in.