holiday-travel

 

It’s that time of year, where families (or individuals) escape the work week in order to spend time with their loved ones. Most times, spending time means that they will have to travel some distance. When traveling domestically or internationally, however, the costs to purchase an airline ticket or rent a car can become overwhelming to your wallet. So, what should you do if you need to make a quick trip someplace?  Here are some simple tips to help avoid going over budget.

 

1. Check and purchase airline tickets from discount websites – Try to avoid booking tickets directly from carrier sites. Delta, AirTran, United, and others will charge you absurd amounts when booking fares from them. The best thing to do is check sites like Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, CheapAir for the most inexpensive flight. Sometimes, less costs may mean that you will have to lay over somewhere. But, as long as you can spare a hour or two, making one-stop shouldn’t be a big problem. Another great site to check is AirFareWatchDog.com. If you sign up for their email list, they will send you daily or weekly emails listing the best rates among all airlines. Once you get the email, you can click on a price and go straight to the corresponding website to make your purchase. 

 

But note…most discounted flights will have travel date limitations. So, be sure to make sure that the special offer concurs with when you are planning to travel. 

 

2. Lower costs by avoiding the simple pleasures (i.e. WiFi) – Nowadays, airlines are trying to stay one step ahead of the competition by offering a more enjoyable flight experience. They do this by offering WiFi, seating with extra leg room, select meals, alcohol, etc. Even though these nice additions may make your flight more comfortable, the extra fees attached to them may disappoint you.  Avoid putting a dent in your pockets by buying a standard/economy seat. Unless, you are 6 feet tall, your legs will survive a short flight (stand up and stretch during the flight). Also, use your flight time to catch up on some reading. Bring a book instead of purchasing WiFi. If your flight will only take two hours, your friends on social media will not fret about you being away for that long. 

 

For meals, save money by packing some snacks at home or stopping by your favorite fast food spot. If there are food restrictions when boarding your plane, just hide your goodies in a purse or carry-on bag. 

 

3. Pack lightly – A major headache for most travelers are the extra baggage fees. Delta, for instance, charges $25 for a second carry-on. Also, if your luggage is over the 50lb limit, you’ll incur more fees. So, save up some extra spending money by packing lightly. Only carry with you the bare necessities. Weekend trips should only account for one bag. If so, one carry-on bag will be at no cost to you. 

 

4. Take advantage of corporate/government discounts on rental cars – A lot of us forget that our company or state agency have discounted rates at selected rental companies.  Check with your job first to see if they offer such a thing. A corporate discount may only be 10-15% of the rental cost. But at least that will knock down the final rental rate. Also, corporations or AARP rates come with special privileges like renting without confirming payment or preferred status which allow you to reserve a car during busy holidays. 

 

 

Thanksgiving will be here in a few days so it may seem last minute. And with last minute reservations come high costs. But don’t worry, there will be people who will cancel their reservations. If so, this will free up seats on flights and cars in the lot. Airlines and some rental companies offer “last minute” deals anyway. You may just luck up and cop a deal for little or nothing.

 

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