Fly on off days. Many
carriers tack a surcharge (between US$30 to US$50 each way) onto tickets departing on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Kayak’s analysts found that international flights departing on a Tuesday and returning on a Wednesday cost 21 percent less than the average weeklong trip. And always be sure there’s a Saturday stay in your itinerary: airlines still penalize people for staying less than a week.
Buy a package. Make up for a high airfare with a discounted room. Hotels often drop rates when they’re bundled with airfare. That said, it’s still best to do your homework when using a deal-aggregating site such as Expedia or Travelocity: compare the prices of a package against buying the air ticket and hotel room separately. Not all packages are created equal.
Choose your airport and airline carefully. Your
destination makes a big difference. Heathrow has some of the highest mandatory taxes in Europe, while Dublin and Shannon airports have among the lowest, for better deals. Look for sales. Fare drops
can happen anytime during the year. Stay on top of them by signing up for alerts with your preferred carrier and online services such as Airfarewatchdog and Farecompare. If you do book a ticket through an airline website sale, work backwards with your travel dates so they fit around the sale periods. By doing so, you’ll enjoy substantial savings off normal fares, sometimes up to half off the regular rate.
Forget about perks. Most
airlines offer several levels of economy class. By choosing the lowest, you can easily save several hundred dollars per ticket as long as you don’t mind missing out on frequent-flier points, the chance for rebooking or cancelling your flights, and any inkling of an upgrade. A Singapore Airlines flight to Barcelona from Singapore in June offers fares as low as S$1,904—27 percent less than a ticket with full perks. For its part, Cathay Pacific offers up to five different economy options, so read the fine print online. Use your points. It’s easier
to find award tickets on international flights than on domestic ones, says Gary Leff, founder of BookYourAward. One tip: many airline websites do not include searches for all frequent-flier partners, so try multiple sites (or call multiple phone agents).
What’s Your Problem? Hotel-Bill Shock
do...
Heed the warnings. If the hotel informed you of resort fees and the like, you share some of the blame.
don’t...
Play up your loyalty. point out that you are a member of the hotel’s program, or a repeat customer.
Accept responsibility for fees buried in fine print. they should be clearly presented to guests.
the Final say
Q: What’s the best place to change currency? A: Find out if your bank has an affiliate abroad; it will offer the best exchange rates and may waive ATM fees for withdrawals. Stay away from airport and hotel exchange counters, which typically have poor rates and high commission fees. Keep tabs on the current exchange rate, so you’ll know whether you are getting your money’s worth.
Be afraid to stand your ground. If the front desk can’t help, ask for the general manager or guest services director. t r av E l a n d l E i s u r E a s i a . C o m
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