Guerrilla Travel Tactics .......................... 10663$ $$FM 03-23-04 13:02:49 PS Guerrilla Travel Tactics Hundreds of Simple Strategies Guaranteed to Save Road Warriors Time and Money JAY CONRAD LEVINSON THEO BRANDT-SARIF American Management Association New York • Atlanta • Brussels • Chicago • Mexico City • San Francisco Shanghai • Tokyo • Toronto • Washington, D.C. .......................... 10663$ $$FM 03-23-04 13:02:50 PS Special discounts on bulk quantities of AMACOM books are available to corporations, professional associations, and other organizations. For details, contact Special Sales Department, AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Tel.: 212-903-8316. Fax: 212-903-8083. Web site: www.amacombooks.org This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Levinson, Jay Conrad. Guerrilla travel tactics : hundreds of simple strategies guaranteed to save road warriors time and money / Jay Conrad Levinson, Theo Brandt-Sarif. p. cm. ISBN 0-8144-7170-6 1. Business travel. I. Brandt-Sarif, Theo. II. Title. G156.5.B86L48 2004 910Ј.2Ј02—dc22 2003025986 ᭧ 2004 Jay Conrad Levinson and Theo Brandt-Sarif. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. 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Printing number 10987654321 .......................... 10663$ $$FM 03-23-04 13:02:50 PS Contents Preface ............................................. vii Acknowledgments .................................... ix Chapter One Fasten Your Seat Belts—We’re About to Take Off ........... 1 Chapter Two Airfare Savings—Part I: Saturday Night Fever and the Power of 7, 14, and 21 . ...... 8 Chapter Three More Airfare Savings with Advance Notice: How to Save Big Without a Saturday Night Stay ............ 38 Chapter Four ‘‘Last-Minute Airfare Savings’’ Doesn’t Have to Be an Oxymoron ....................... 49 Chapter Five First Class for a Fraction of the Cost .................... 65 Chapter Six Comfort in Coach Class: It Could Happen to You! . ....... 76 Chapter Seven Airfare Consolidators: Hacking Through the Jungle of Savage Wholesalers ....................... 89 Chapter Eight Far from the Madding Crowd: Is Airline Lounge Membership Worth the Cost? ............ 98 v .......................... 10663$ CNTS 03-23-04 13:02:52 PS vi Contents Chapter Nine Navigating the Internet to Discover Unbelievable Airfares .... 104 Chapter Ten Maximize Your Opportunities for Earning Frequent Flyer Miles ....................... 129 Chapter Eleven Getting the Most Mileage Out of Frequent Flyer Awards . .... 146 Chapter Twelve The Many Benefits of Airline Alliances ................... 156 Chapter Thirteen How to Capture the Best Price at the Best Hotel ............ 161 Chapter Fourteen Ten Best Discount Rates to Request When Making a Hotel Reservation ...................... 177 Chapter Fifteen Hotel Loyalty Programs: Perks and Promotions Aplenty ...... 187 Chapter Sixteen Hotel Internet: Where to Book Good Rooms at Great Rates Online . ....... 197 Chapter Seventeen Car Rental Strategies: How to Put Those Savings in Overdrive 207 Chapter Eighteen The Affinity Card Advantage: Why Smart Travelers Buy Now and Pay Later .............. 227 Chapter Nineteen The Art of the Complaint: How to Make It Right When Things Go Wrong ............ 240 Chapter Twenty The Last Word: A Quick and Easy Checklist of Ultimate Savings Strategies .......................... 249 Appendixes ......................................... 256 Index .............................................. 267 .......................... 10663$ CNTS 03-23-04 13:02:53 PS Preface If you’re a business traveler, what you don’t know about travel can hurt you. In the pocketbook. On the road. At the airport. At the hotel. In large cities. In small towns. At home. In foreign countries. Yet, the pain of ignorance is felt by business travelers every single day and on every conti- nent. I hear a resounding ‘‘ouch!’’ What makes the pain go away? Knowl- edge. Strategies. Information. Insights. Enlightenment. Just the kind of wisdom contained in this book. Guerrilla travelers achieve conventional goals using unconventional means. This means you’ll get where you need to . or where you’ve always wanted to visit, only now you’ll learn new ways of getting there, ways that can save you scads of money, avoid inconvenience, prevent frustration. As one who has traveled the world extensively, I consider myself not only a road warrior, but one who has made all the mistakes possible, including several bordering on the impossible. I’ve overpaid on every one of the con- tinents, failed to capitalize on a galaxy of bargains, truly been a poster child for unsophisticated, needlessly expensive travel on land, sea, and air. But I have learned from my mistakes, and with this book, you can too. These aren’t tactics reserved for the rich and famous, the connected and powerful. These are tactics available to any traveler at any time. These are tactics that can save you a whale of a lot of money—and I’m referring to the largest whale that ever prowled the ocean deep. Guerrilla travel tactics involve the how-to’s of travel, along with the where-to’s, the when-to’s, and even the why-to’s. Did you know that the most efficient way of reaching hotel reservation departments is by fax? It’s the truth. Did it ever dawn on you that strategies for obtaining the best values in coach-class airfares are very different from those for business or first class? Did you realize that just three mileage-earning credit and charge cards tower above all the rest when it comes to maximizing free travel? I’m just barely scratching the surface when I disclose these money- saving gems to you, and I’m only referring to saving on hotel rates. There are mind-boggling tactics that can also help you save big money on car rentals and flights. There are eleven chapters devoted entirely to helping vii .......................... 10663$ INTR 03-23-04 13:02:56 PS viii Preface you save huge money on air travel. There are tips for getting the most from your online connection and using the Internet to save monster amounts of money. You’ll learn which credit cards to use—and which not to use— when traveling. You’ll be given the lowdown on nonrefundable airline tick- ets. Most of all, you’ll be given the proper mindset to cut your travel costs drastically. And you’ll learn the best strategies for obtaining value. Value is, after all, the name of the travel game. The astute road warrior means business when he or she travels, but far too many are clueless when it comes to gaining the most for their travel dollar. Businesslike they are not when they leave the confines of their office for the airport. Information they gained when they first began in business has been replaced by more current information. If you’re a road warrior— and if you’re a true-blue guerrilla—you’ll make it your business not only to learn these travel tactics, but to save a fortune by putting them to use. It’s incredibly easy. In many cases, it’s painfully obvious. But I guess it’s not that obvious or there would be no need for this book. Instead, there is a crying need for this book. And as a guerrilla, you need only to breathe life into these tactics with your own travel. At this point, I’m not certain whether to give you a hearty ‘‘Bon voy- age!’’ or a wink and a high five for learning what savvy business travelers— but not the travel industry—want you to know. I’ll tell you what: Here are my congratulations for being poised on the threshold of a whole new travel mentality . and here are my wishes for a delightfully frugal bon voyage! Jay Conrad Levinson, Marin County, California .......................... 10663$ INTR 03-23-04 13:02:56 PS Acknowledgments Theo Brandt-Sarif would like to thank: My father and mother, who gave me the courage to explore new fron- tiers and instilled my passion to travel. Jeff Herman, our agent, for his expert guidance. Ellen Kadin, senior acquisitions editor at AMACOM, who has the pa- tience of a saint. Mike Sivilli, associate editor at AMACOM, for his excellent editing. Susan Lerner and Jean Lynott, for their incredible research skills. Patrick Lynott and Danielle Lerner, who did much of the groundwork for the appendixes. Randy Gage, for his ongoing guidance on how this book should be. Vicki McGown, the editor-in-chief, who made our writing come alive. Philip Wolf, Internet visionary, who has taught me so much about online travel. Tracie Grossman at United Airlines, who exemplifies outstanding cus- tomer service. My inspiring children—Trevor, Justin, and Lauren—who transform my trips into magical experiences and memories of a lifetime. And above all, to my wife and soul mate Deborah, who has stood by me like a rock. ix .......................... 10663$ $ACK 03-23-04 13:02:59 PS Where not specified, any stories contained in this book may reflect the experiences of either author. Since the travel industry is highly volatile, information provided in this book may change. The book is intended to be a guide to travel strategies rather than providing a detailed overview of every rule and regulation. Please be sure to verify information provided with the supplier or vendor concerned. .......................... 10663$ EPIG 03-23-04 13:03:03 PS Guerrilla Travel Tactics .........................