Hey, Hey, Hey!

We all know how important a budget is to trip planning. Conversely, we also know how difficult it is to stay WITHIN the budget! I plan/ have planned a number of different trips for both work and leisure and have found a few different ways to aid in keeping travel AFFORDABLE. Lets face it, as 20-somethings, we don’t have the funds to putting up mad money!

Tip 1: Research, Research, Research.

  • While it requires a little bit more time and effort on your end, researching sites such as Orbitz.com, travelocity.com, bookit.com, hotwire.com and kayak.com for different prices will 100% save you money. Playing around with dates, timelines, and airlines as well is a good trick to getting the cheapest airfare/hotels possible.
  • If you don’t mind getting a couple of extra emails a week, you can subscribe to the email lists for these website and get alerted to “members only” sales and coupon codes.
  • Another trick is to follow your favorite airlines and hotels on Twitter and/or Facebook. For example, I follow JetBlue and
    Southwest on Twitter, so I can see as soon as they post those amazing $49 flight deals :)
  • As I mentioned above, sometime the airlines themselves have flight sales for both one way trips or round trips. It is a good idea to always give the specific airline website a quick glance to see if they are having a sale or if they lowered the price of a certain flight so that more customers will buy directly from them vs. a website like orbitz etc.

Tip #2: Rewards Programs and Frequent Flier Programs

  • While there are differing thoughts/ theories on how to most effectively use these programs, I have found it successful to join every airline’s free frequent flyer program. It is easy to join straight through each respective airline’s website. I have found this effective because I do find myself traveling to different domestic and international destinations and sometimes I do not have the option to stick to my favorite 2-3 airlines. Therefore, each time you fly with an airline, you will get points no matter what airline you fly.
  • I have also found it valuable to join the free loyalty programs (again, you can easily sign up from each respective hotel website.) Much like flying I think it is nice to have an account number with a hotel (or multiple) chain. Currently, I have free accounts with both Marriott and Hilton. You get points for each stay and any purchases you make at the hotel gift shop.
  • Lastly, if you are comfortable with getting a credit card, that is a fantastic way to show your loyalty to an airline or hotel chain and it will kick start your point earning for free flights and hotel stays. Chase also has credit cards that you can get to also earn points to all aspects of travel. It is really a personal preference. I currently have the Visa Marriott Rewards Card and I love it. The perks include free hotel stays, late check out, and 20% off at hotel stores and Hertz. Points are awarded as follows: 5 pts. per every $1 spent at the Marriott; 2 pts. for every $1 spent on airline tickets, car rentals & restaurants; and 1 per $1 spent everywhere else. I am planning a trip to Denver, CO at the moment with one of my best friends and my sister and we are not paying for a hotel ANY of the nights we are there. I paying solely on points/ vouchers from my Marriott card! :)
  • If you are a AAA member, ALWAYS remember to get your discounted hotel room rate.

Tip #3: Plan ahead.

  • Plan flights ahead of time, flights get more expensive the closer you get to your departure date.
  • When booking hotels, look to see if they include breakfast, parking and internet. Many hotels will include at least one the 3, if not all 3 depending on location and brand.
  • If you are planning to go to extremely popular tourist attractions, research them ahead of time to see if tickets and/or reservations need to be made ahead of time. (Also, this is helpful if you are going in a big group)

Tip #4: Daily Deal Websites

  • Daily deal websites such as groupon.com, livingsocial.com, google offers etc. often have getaways and vacation deals. These deals often include in-room amenities such as chocolates or a bottle of wine or include some type of dinner offer. It is important to research the hotel or resort that is being featured in these deals. However, I have had a great experience using these deals. I purchased a trip to The Palms in Las Vegas last October and it included entry to all the night clubs, all hotel amenities and access to the AMAZING buffet of food offered at the hotel. It was a fantastic deal and it was a great experience. These sites are just another place to look for a nicely packaged deal at a truly reasonable price.
The Palms - Las Vegas - we stayed here with the Groupon we purchased

The Palms – Las Vegas – we stayed here with the Groupon we purchased

Questions? Comments? Tweet to me @unabridged_12 or leave a comment below :)