Offer Your Best Travel Tips in the Comments by 10am Eastern Saturday morning to Win.
Some of y’all will remember that I hosted an online forum about technology and travel that was sponsored by National Car Rental coinciding with the launch of their new mobile app.
I rent regularly from National and had been looking forward to the introduction of a mobile app (finally!) and the folks participating in the chat were friends and travel heroes.
I like the products I like, I share the reasons why here, and I don’t want there to be confusion over my motives — if I benefit personally from a referral link I always say so in the post, I frequently try to arrange to give any miles I may earn from referrals back to you in the form of bigger bonuses (some companies are receptive to this, others are not) and I prefer to do giveaways rather than take freebies myself.
There was modest compensation for participating in the National forum, and I already gave away half the amount here on the blog. I split it up into more than one giveaway largely because I didn’t want to have to do tax reporting!
I want your best travel tips in the comments.
- You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry should be a bona fide travel tip. I will compile the best tips in a subsequent post.
- I will select two winners, largely at random but to be eligible to win the entry must be (in my sole judgment) a genuine tip.
- Two prizes of (2) $100 Visa Gift cards each will be awarded.
You have a great chance of winning because internet traffic drops like a rock on Friday evenings, second slowest only behind Saturday evenings.
So.. what are your best travel tips? They can be anything from ways to improve the odds of getting an airline upgrade, a hotel suite upgrade, clearing airport security quickly, the best place to eat at a given airport, anything at all.
I love to learn from this community of readers, and love to be able to share your knowledge back with everyone else. I look forward to reading your submissions, and of course to selecting two winners!
- You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. Don’t miss out!
Make sure you carry on your I Pad, reader, phone, chargers, camera, music/instruments, glasses, contacts, toothbrush, change of clothes & shoes in case of lost luggage, and if travelling overseas make sure your credit cards don’t charge a foreign transaction fee.
It’s customary when visiting friends in Japan to bring a small gift that represents the area you’re from (“omiyage”). Consumables are generally appreciated, because Japanese living spaces are typically small and knick knacks pile up, but I don’t like to bring candy or food. I’ve found that small calendars with pictures of my state or city make nice gifts, and they don’t have to be kept forever (it helps if you live in a picturesque state/city, of course!)
only 12,500 award miles from NRT-NAD on UA award travel one way. the secret is you could get off in Perth….which is normally 25K each way. got it?! good! my ticket is already booked and i payed 33 bucks! Boarding Area life time follower!! i learned all these things from all you miles and points addicts!
For long trips, tiny packets of laundry detergent have been invaluable.
Keep a spare credit card some place other than your wallet.
Use the TKTS booth in NYC to get discounted tickets to shows. No guarantee a certain show will be available, but if you’re flexible you can save some money!
Do not bring stinky food on an airplane! As lovely as that tuna sandwich may taste to you, the people around you don’t want to smell it!
Not high tech, but my fear of get my TV remotes has me raiding the ice bucket for the plastic cover and then using that to encase the remote so I never touch it!
When returning a rental car, take a photo showing both the mileage (which proves the timing) and the gas gauge on full.
Underpack. If you think you might need something, don’t take it. You can buy just about anything you really might need and will usually find you won’t need to.
Most people don’t think of New Orleans as a family destination, but with the Audobon Aquarium, Insectarium, and Zoo, Mardi Gras World, paddlewheel boats, surrey bikes in City Park,….even the WW2 Museum….it is one of my favorite family vacation spots!
Thinking of how to get to and from the airport. Don’t rule out using Public Transportation. In many cases its the easiest, fastest and most inexpensive way to get to and from the airport. Applies to most major national and International cities. Case in point.
In NYC there is the Airtran from JFK which connects to the subway and Long Island Railroad. Total cost to get to Manhattan $7.50. From LaGuardia you can take the Q70 bus, (it even has luggage racks) express to the subway. Total cost $2.50 and your in the city in less than an hour.
When I travel to LAX, if going casual and one bag, I always take the local bus. 20 minute ride and a five minute walk. Voila. Total cost 25 cents. (I get the senior fare). Beats parking at $20 a day plus tax, or a $40 cab ride.
If you leave your cell charger at home, ask the hotel reception for one to use. People leave these behind a lot and most hotels have a great selection behind the front desk.
Please excuse my auto correct changing germy remotes to get my remotes. Sorry and ignore this as an entry.
Check on what your status perks might be at the hotel you’re staying at. We recently stayed at a hotel and were surprised to find out that my elite status allowed access their full-up health club including daily exercise classes…not just a small exercise room like so many hotels have.
While you are on Air, it’s good to get little high.
Best kids club and spa resort EVER: Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa in Vilamoura, Portugal. Take your family…yes, your young kids…and RUSH to this resort!
A sound machine app is a lifesaver in a less-than-quiet hotel room.
When on a plane, keep dousing your nose with saline spray. You will be less likely to get sick. Works very well for me.
Always travel with a plug expander (i.e., a wall plug that turns one outlet into three). Even at peak demand, with every outlet taken, you’ll be able to charge up.
Remember that while MOST Chase UR transfers are instant, not all are. Chase UR transfers normally take 1 or 2 business days (and the website warns that they may take as long as a week). Plan accordingly.
Unfortunately, I don’t get to fly business often, so if you are often stuck in economy for long-haul and you know it’s not gonna be a super-busy flight, I prefer to check in online as close to boarding time as possible. It you are in a plane with a three seat arrangement on each side, you can choose a window seat in a row with a seat at the isle taken. Chances are that the middle seat won’t be taken by other passengers (again, unless the flight is full). This way, at least you have some extra leg-room to stretch and some space to put your personal items/pillows etc.!
Be friendly. If you get angry because things aren’t going your way and you show it, things will probably continue to not go your way.
The Hilton HHonors program is impossibly complex, but you don’t have to work hard to figure out optimal redemptions. I’ve posted a summary at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16556311-post11.html; the downloadable Excel spreadsheet takes all the guesswork out of it.
ok one more! please forgive me if this was already posted!
Amex card’s and some other CC’s like Ritz Carlton have a $200 airline incidental credit….which incidentally renews at the beginning of the next calendar year. so you get $400 in credit’s and still have time to decide if you want to keep the card. how do you use these credit’s? well i had a close in booking fee recently for $150 (75 per ticket because of not booking 21 days in advance) and they credited it back. Now I must tell you the way they code these charges did not automatically reverse the close in booking fee’s because it appeared on my CC statement like a ticket purchase. So if you want to get the credit you will have to call and explain the situation (calmly) to an agent and the will take care if it. miles and point’s addict’s are very dear to me! thank all of you and enjoy your travel’s!
Approached in the wrong way, airport security checkpoints offer excellent opportunities for losing your things (or even having them stolen). Instead of waiting until you’re in line — and juggling wallet, laptop, shoes, etc. — to get organized, do it before you even enter the line.
I always stop at an empty counter or airport chair & empty my pockets into my backpack & ready my ID and boarding pass. When I go through security, all my valuables (except my laptop) remain hidden & comparatively safe, as opposed to being exposed in a plastic TSA tray.
Use hotel linked credit cards for free nights. Matching hotel status may allow airline status to increase (ie Marriott/United and Starwood/Delta
Always check your points-earning settings on hotel programs BEFORE you check in. Know what the earn ratios are for partner miles vs. hotel program points, and confirm that your preferences are properly set in advance of arrival.
Flyertalk is a great resource for short term fare drops, however there is a lot of quick research required before deals expire. Make friends with 5-6 FT’ers and split up the work.
Invest in a ‘power brick’, something to keep your phone and/or tablet charged,while traveling. For an iPad, be sure it has at least 2 amp output
If you are single and travel on a limited budget, hostels are a great way to save money.
Book hotels in Europe during off-season to save money or your reward points.
If you have status with a hotel chain, print a copy of the published benefits (or bookmark the page on your smartphone) to have with you on property. Nobody can remember all the variations in amenities across various chains and status levels — from free breakfast to free wifi to late checkout — and it’s useful to have an advance plan for which ones you’ll be entitled to & may need to explicitly request.
Even if you book through websites such as expedia, always mention your rewards or club membership to earn points for your flight or hotel.
Ear plugs. Foam, wax, whatever floats your boat. From airplanes to hotel rooms, they are a great thing to travel with
If you really travel on a tight budget, then you can consider cheaper options such as couch sharing by giving a small donation to the guest who offers his/her bedroom or couch for crashing during your stay.
Keep a pair of clothes pins in your travel bag – great for blacking out and keeping the hotel drapes closed that are over the air conditioner, especially when you have an east-facing hotel room
Flightcar is great for saving airport parking!
Take an extension cord with you when you travel! Very handy.
One thing I like to do on domestic flights where I have my laptop is stop by RedBox on the way to the airport. More often then now, I’m on flights that don’t have AVOD, so you pick up a DVD, watch it on your computer in flight, and then drop it off at a RedBox when you land in your next city, which often gives you a good excuse to explore the local neighborhood to find one. But you can rent from one city and return to another with no additional charges- it’s awesome!
And of course, if I’m not flying with my computer and just have my ipad and I rent a movie from the Apple story, always go through one of the airline portals like aadvantage shopping! Might as well get a few extra miles to boot! =)
Write which card to use for what spend, on the back of the card with a fine tip Sharpie – also, note the cancellation date if/when you cancel the card & put a reminder in your (Outlook/Gmail) calendar when to re-apply.
I carry a small power strip that allows me to share an AC outlet with others who are charging their phones, tablets, and laptops.
Contract one of the award booking services to maximize your mileage redemptions – $150 can be money well spent!
Ear plugs, a book, water bottle are extra essentials to bring for a trip
If you are planning long, extravagant, or otherwise “once in a lifetime” trips, consider enrolling in status challenges or matches to upgrade your status for the trip. Most programs, you can only dot his once in your life, however, if the trip is worth it – go for it!
If you go to visit Petra in Jordan during the warm months (including still right now), it’s best to go in the afternoon, as the sun will be blocked by the mountains in most of the exploring areas (monastery, etc). The weather will be nicer in the shade and you won’t get as sunburned. Plus, towards the end of the day, you should be able to get camel, donkey, and horse rides for cheaper. They started asking for 20 dinars ($28 USD) per person for a camel ride back to the Treasury (valuable when you’re tired after exploring). However, around 4pm, noticing that there were a ton of camels and no customers, I got them down to 5 dinars ($7 USD) after some haggling. Well worth it since we were tired!
Take along space bags to free up extra room in your luggage.
Nowadays, I like to bring either an HDMI or RGB cable with me so that I can hook up my laptop/iPad to the TV in the hotel room. Many hotel rooms now have a built in spot for connecting it, while others require a direct linking to the TV. If you want to watch Netflix, Hulu, or something downloaded to your computer/iPad, it can be very useful.
Before heading out of the country, I always leave a copy of my itinerary with my family. Leaving my itinerary gives my family peace of mind knowing that if they don’t hear from me, they can always reach me at the hotel(s) listed on my itinerary.