Money Saving Secrets of a Travel Junkie
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Money Saving Secrets of a Travel Junkie How to Save Big Money on Air Travel, Cruises, Lodging & More.... by Stephen Linder © Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................... 4-5 Air Travel................................................................................................................... 6-31 How Fares are Determined ......... 6 Combination Deals .................... 20 Booking Airfare .......................... 6 Hidden Cities ............................. 20 Student Discounts ....................... 8 Displaced Passenger Tips .......... 21 Flight Schedules ......................... 9 Bump Tickets ............................ 21 Seat Inventory ............................. 9 Compensation ........................... 22 Airline Codes .............................. 10 Flying Standby ........................ 25 Hubs for Major Airlines ............. 10 Code Sharing ............................. 25 Where to Shop ............................ 12 First Class Travel ...................... 26 Internet Booking Pitfalls ............. 13 Round the World Fares ............. 26 Change Fees ................................ 14 How to Pick Seats ..................... 26 Fare Alerts .................................. 14 International Travel ................... 26 Net Savers ................................... 14 Consolidators ............................ 27 Special Offers ............................. 15 Charter Companies .................... 28 Free Phone Calls ......................... 16 Bucket Shops ............................. 28 Delayed Flights ........................... 16 Couriers ..................................... 28 Changing Flights ......................... 16 Discount Carriers ...................... 29 Missed Flights.............................. 17 Travel Agents ............................ 29 Frequent Flier Programs ............. 18 Travel Documents ..................... 29 Mileage Credit Card Programs ... 19 Airport Parking .......................... 30 Baggage Limits .......................................................................................................... 32-38 Liquid Restrictions ...................... 33 Damaged Bags .......................... 37 Lost Baggage .............................. 33 Damaged Goods ........................ 37 Protecting your Bags ................... 35 Duty Free ................................... 38 Where to Bags Go? ..................... 35 Dining ........................................................................................................................ 39-41 Eating Out ................................... 39 Restaurant Weeks ...................... 40 Restaurant Discount Plans .......... 39 Dining Coupon Books ............... 40 Other Transportation ................................................................................................. 42-44 Trains .......................................... 42 Rental Cars ................................ 42 Buses ........................................... 42 Insurance Tips ........................... 42 Greyhound .................................. 42 Drive Away Services ................. 44 Discount Bus Lines ..................... 43 Rentals by the Hour ................... 44 Hotels and Lodging ...................................................................................................... 45-48 Private Homes ................................ 45 Free Lodging ............................. 46 Hostels ........................................... 45 Cheap Hotels ............................. 46 B&B’s ............................................ 45 Calling vs. Walking In ............. 48 Online Booking .............................. 45 Hotel Programs ......................... 48 Camping ......................................... 46 Timeshares ................................................................................................................... 49-52 Gateaway Weeks ........................... 50 Timeshare Tours ........................ 51 Secondary Market ......................... 50 Timeshare Definitions ............... 52 Cruises .......................................................................................................................... 53-55 Cruise Discounts ............................ 53 Port of Departure Discounts ...... 54 Ship Excursions ............................. 53 Cruise Ship Concerns ................ 55 Special Occasions .................................... 56 Disease Warnings ....................... 57 Free Drinks in Vegas ............................... 56 Travel Review Sites ................... 58 Other Hotel Amenities ............................. 56 Travel Guide Books .................... 58 Safety ....................................................... 56 Travel Writing ............................ 58 Exchanging Money .................................. 57 Conclusions ................................ 59 Other Travel Tips ..................................... 57 Websites ..................................... 60-62 Introduction: My wife and I are avid travelers. In the past ten years, we have traveled outside the coun- try many times. We’ve taken several cruises, stayed at luxury resorts and have been on over 10 rail excursions, including the Orient Express yet we did all this travel for much less than most other people paid. We own a tour company that provides property tours for clients interested in owning a second home, vacation property, rental property or re- tirement home in Costa Rica. You can see our company online at www.PacificLots.com. My background: I studied international business in both undergraduate and grad school and most of my working life has involved various elements of travel. I am internet savvy and have been so since the internet first evolved. I have taken many vacations at a much lower cost than most people have thought possible. Recently while speaking at a seminar for International Living, someone suggested I write down what I have learned and share it with others. Here is a collection of tips and techniques I’ve learned over the years. If you take the time to work with them, they are guaranteed to save you money over and over again. • How would you like to stay in a suite at the Four Seasons Resort, in Carlsbad, CA in a two bedroom suite for just $249 for the week? This suite came complete with remote operated gas fireplaces, 40 inch flat screen TV’s in each room and had two bedrooms with king sized beds, two and a half baths, a washer and dryer and a full kitchen with granite counters. • Or maybe you’d prefer staying in an Oceanside suite in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This hotel charged $279 per night for the room yet we stayed there for $299 for seven nights! • Imagine flying first class from Boston to Mexico and having the airline give you a $600 cash voucher, after only having paid $379 for the round trip ticket. The airline also put me up in the Marriott for a night and included a free dinner and breakfast as well. • We also paid $349 per ticket, round trip, from Boston to Puerto Rico and the airline put us on a direct, earlier flight and gave us $2000 in cash vouchers which we used for two years of flights. 4 • We booked a 4 star hotel in Scottsdale, AZ in December, 2008 for only $59 per night! • In 2006 we traveled from Key West, FL to Maui, HI round trip on American Airlines for only $10 per person! • In 2003 we took a seven day cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines out of Miami for only $299 per person. • We have received thousands of dollars in vouchers and free tickets from major air- lines. • In 2006 I took a 17 day tour of the Rocky Mountains, visiting Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. I visited seven national parks on the trip, four national monuments, took six antique train rides and stayed in a private room in great hotels every night. My round trip airfare was paid in full from Key West, FL to Denver, CO and all of my meals and expenses were paid for as well. I did this by volunteering to be a guide for a travel company. • I toured the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Arizona in 2008 as a guide and again had all my meals, expenses and airfare paid. I received over $500 in tips from the passengers. • How about a four day train ride through northern California and Oregon for free, in- cluding all airfare, meals and lodging? All these stories are true. Each one came as a result of careful planning and paying atten- tion to details. With a bit of foresight, some good luck and the right timing, these oppor- tunities are easier to come by than most people are aware. In this book I will reveal some little known ways to make travel almost pay for itself. Stephen Linder Disclaimer: Some of the tips and suggestions contained in this publication skirt the intent of travel service providers. Use these tips at your own risk. The author does not accept any responsibility or offer any guarantees that a method included in this publication will work as suggested. 5 Air Travel How fares are determined: Fares are a factor of flight schedule, date and destination. Fuel costs are often playing a bigger role these days as well. Fares set by the airlines combine factors of schedule, date, time of day, number of connections, available cheap seat and award class seating, etc... to determine the cost of a given seat on an airline. Air- lines constantly watch their competitors pricing and adjust prices accordingly. Fares in the US and Canada are filed with