There are a few things I will splurge on in life… Good food, unique experiences, and traveling. Traveling allows you to immerse yourself in new cultures, and introduce you to new people that you may otherwise never had the opportunity to meet.
I would love to travel the world, seeing everything big and small… but there is a hefty price tag that comes with those dreams, especially when you’ve got a family in tow. So instead of throwing up my arms in defeat, I began researching ways to ease my bank account into the idea of world travel. Here are some of the tips I’ve put into practice as I plan our next family vacation.
1. Track Travel Memberships
Whether you are already registered with airlines, hotels and car rental companies, or if you are new to the rewards game, keep a spreadsheet to easily track all of your membership information. I use a basic Excel spreadsheet with columns for membership numbers, reward points, logins/passwords, names affiliated with accounts (when I got married, some airlines were quick to make the change, others took months to adjust). I try to update this list frequently so we always know what we have available. Be sure to register all of your family members for their own rewards programs. This ensures they will start racking up points toward free travel ASAP.
2. Get Familiar with your Credit Card Rewards
I can’t stress it enough, find a good, free rewards card and start earning when you buy everyday items. Points can accrue quickly with the right cards! Make sure you research the redemption process of your card so you know exactly how and when you’ll want to cash in on those points.
3. Airfare May be Cheaper on Certain Days
It has been said by many in the travel industry, that booking your flight on the Tuesday, 6 weeks prior to your trip is the best time to get a good deal. There are sites that can help guide you on airline rates going up or down in the future (flightwatchdog.com and Google Flights are our favorite). Looping back to #1, if you haven’t already, sign up for memberships with all of the airlines that fly frequent routes out of your home airport. They will send you specials and updates on airfares. I’ve also found that traveling during the week (Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday) is usually the cheapest option on most airlines.
4. Ask for Upgrades
Want a room upgrade, but aren’t a platinum member of the hotel? I had always thought that upgrades were for those that held platinum cards or hotel loyalty points – that was until I traveled with an old boss of mine. She was a no-nonsense, bold personality, and it really paid off in our travels. She’d book inexpensive rooms with no frills, and at check-in would confidently suggest that an upgrade would be much appreciated. More often than not, the concierge would pleasantly oblige. And if a room upgrade isn’t available, there may be other amenities or upgrades that may be extended (late check-out, free drink at the bar, discounted kids activities, etc.).
5. Booking Site Chaos
I remember when sites like Expedia and Hotwire came out, promising an easier booking experience for travelers that wanted to make sure they were getting the best deal. My excitement died quickly when I would enter a destination and suddenly 20 new windows popped up on my screen. I wanted a site that would compare the hotel rates, give me options for areas and pricing, and provide a one-click reservation process. Enter hotels.com. This site is my go to for all of my family’s hotel booking needs. Not only does it give me everything I want in a site, but I also used it so often that we’ve received over 11 free hotel stays, at hotels of our choosing!
6. Change of Plans
Most airlines will encourage you to purchase a third-party insurance policy for your ticket in order to be eligible for certain cancelations/refunds, that extend beyond the airlines limited policies. I suggest weighing your options with this purchase. I will usually choose to add it on based on how much our tickets cost, and how long the trip is planned to last.
7. Pandemic Purchases
I can’t say if jumping at buying discounted airfare right now is a good or bad idea, but I can tell you that airlines are offering some of their best deals ever right now, including on future travel. With the uncertainty of when air travel will ever return to levels of pre-pandemic operation, airlines are offering additional refund and credit opportunities to ticketed travelers that need to change their schedules due to Covid-19. This opens up an interesting opportunity to future flyers, to purchase reduced cost flights now, and adjust plans as necessary as time goes on. This does pose a potential financial risk of travelers, as you’ll have to get to know the very small print of each airlines policies, and be diligent in tracking all of your booked travel so you don’t miss a rescheduling date or other important information.