Travel Tricks How to Travel Better but Pay Less

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Published by Live and Invest Overseas

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Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1

TIP#1: Be a Flexible Flyer ................................................................................................................... 2

TIP#2: Take Advantage of Round-the-World (RTW) Fare ...................................................................... 3

TIP#4: Save through Package Deals .................................................................................................... 8

TIP#5: Split Your Tickets .................................................................................................................... 8

TIP#6: Slow Down...Take the Bus ....................................................................................................... 9

TIP#7: Avail of Senior Discounts ...................................................................................................... 11

TIP#8: Save on Expensive Hotel Calls ............................................................................................... 12

TIP#9: Don’t Rule Out a Five-Star Stay ............................................................................................. 13

TIP#10: Go Like a local ..................................................................................................................... 14

1

Introduction

Dear Overseas Living Letter Reader,

With airlines the world over cutting their flight schedules and increasing surcharges to

cope with rising fuel costs, is it possible to secure a true “bargain” fare today? At time

of writing, flights across the United States are an average 13% higher than last

summer...while many of the world’s airlines are planning to bump up their fuel

surcharges by as much as 50%.

Admittedly, with these developments, you’re less likely to find your email inbox

inundated with the usual quantity of low-cost airfare offers. But that doesn’t mean you

should just give up. Now, as much as ever, you need to do your research to ensure that

you’re getting the best deal possible.

In the following report, you’ll read some tried-and-tested strategies for getting the best

price on your flight, hotel room, or from your car rental company. And also how to get

that little bit more from your travels...

As a discerning traveler, you appreciate that traveling better isn’t always about

traveling first class. While you want to enjoy an extraordinary travel experience, you

know that that’s not always determined by what section of the plane you sit in or

whether you have admission to exclusive clubs and bars. It’s more about the

experience. And, for a better travel experience, you need to avoid the main tourist

traps. We’ll tell you more about how to travel like a local in the following pages.

Finally, if you qualify as a “senior traveler” with certain travel companies, airlines,

hotels, etc., you may receive discounts on accommodation, meals, car rental, etc. Read

on for details of this and more to help you plan a more affordable...and more enjoyable

trip.

Sincerely,

Lynn Mulvihill

Editor, Live and Invest Overseas

2 Travel Tricks: How To Travel Better But Pay Less

TIP#1: Be a Flexible Flyer

Flexibility is the golden rule when it comes to bagging a good flight deal. If you’re able

to push your arrival and/or departure time out by a day or two (and sometimes, even a

few hours), you can make considerable savings.

When searching flights bear the following tips in mind:

• Flights are generally cheapest during mid-week—Tuesday to Thursday. (Note:

Friday and Monday are the most expensive days to fly.)

• Early morning, afternoon, and early evening are the most popular flying times.

You are more likely to find a cheaper seat traveling outside “rush hour”

• Non-stop flights are typically more expensive than those with a stop-over or

transfer involved

• Flying into a secondary (or tertiary) airport can mean considerable savings.

These airports usually offer efficient ground transportation to your destination city.

Most travel search engines make it convenient for you to search alternative dates, e.g.

with a “my dates are flexible” button, so it doesn’t mean you’re running multiple search

screens.

A month ago, for example, I was searching return flights from

Dublin to Prague for my husband. He needed to be in Prague

on Friday and leave Sunday. Sticking with those days, the best

price I came up with was 210 euros. Not bad. But, I didn’t buy that fare straightaway. Instead, I changed the return day to

Monday, which knocked 100 euros off the price. Since

extending his accommodation by one night meant an additional

cost of just 15 euros, I bagged the ticket.

Tip: No matter how flexible you are, the earlier you book your flight, the more likely

you are to save money. While this seems to go against the grain, considering all those

“last minute deals,” it’s a proven strategy. One month later, that same Dublin to

Prague return flight I booked for my husband is 100 euros more expensive.

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TIP#2:Take Advantage of Round-the-

World (RTW) Fare

If you’re flying long-distance, say from the United States to Australia or Asia you

may find a cheaper fare by opting for a round-the-world ticket. RTW agents work

with airlines around the world to combine the cheapest flights they can find into

affordable itineraries.

Going to Australia, for example, you could travel to

the Cook Islands, Auckland, New Zealand, and

Sydney, Australia from just under US$1,500. At

time of writing, the cheapest round-trip ticket from

Los Angeles to Sydney on Expedia.com is US$1,639.

So, not only are you saving money on your airfare,

you’re getting to add to your travel experience.

What if you don’t want to avail of all the stops? Some agents will allow you to omit a

stop or two. Be sure to check the details before you book.

Lori Allen at the AWAI Travel Division (website: www.thetravelwriterslife.com) offers a

further tip on buying your RTW ticket: “Waiting until the last minute to book RTW

tickets won’t get you the best deal. As the ticket agency has to figure out the

cheapest tickets for your route, you’d do best to book as far ahead as you can.”

Good sources for RTW tickets include: www.airtreks.com and

http://www.roundtheworldticket.com

4 Travel Tricks: How To Travel Better But Pay Less

TIP#3:How to Fly for Peanuts—

Choosing a Reward Card

By Lori Allen

Every credit-card company, hotel, and airline has a travel rewards program. And,

this weekend, I spent 15 hours researching them.

Not all rewards credit cards are created equal. So, if you’re looking for one that

gives you free flights or hotel stays based on how much you charge to the card,

here’s what you need to know...

First off, a general rule of thumb when comparing reward programs: If credit card

companies give you one point for every dollar you spend on the card, then every

point with that company is worth US$0.01

(a penny per point).

That said, every reward program is different in terms of what and how they offer

rewards. And that’s where things get tricky.

The American Express Starwood card, for example, gives

you one “Star Point” for every dollar you spend. Then you

can transfer those points into any frequent flyer program

you choose. Want to take a U.S. Airways flight across the

United States? That’ll cost you 25,000 U.S. Airways

Dividend Miles.

If you’ve accumulated over 25,000 American Express Star

Points, you’d simply ask them to transfer 25,000 of them

into your U.S. Airways Dividend Miles account, and you’d

book the ticket through U.S. Airways.

The American Express Blue Sky Travel card, on the other hand, gives you points

that are exchangeable for travel dollars. With this card, you simply buy your

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airline ticket as usual and charge it to your card. Once the charge goes through, you

call the number on the back of the card and tell them you’d like to use your Blue

Points to pay for that ticket.

Blue charges 7,500 points for every US$100 reimbursement. So, if your ticket is

US$300 and you want your Blue Points to cover the whole thing, they’ll deduct 22,500

points from your account.

With the penny-per-point ratio as our guide, you can see that both of these cards are a

pretty good deal. Your 22,500 Blue Points equates to US$225. So, you’re essentially

getting a US$300 ticket for US$225 worth of points. And 25,000 Star Points equates to

US$250. Yet the cheapest U.S. Airways flight I can find from here to my in-laws in

Alabama is US$648. So, I’m getting a US$648 ticket for US$250 worth of points

(Note: This will always be true if the ticket you’re redeeming costs more than US$250

on the market. If you can find the flight you want to take for less than US$250, it’s not

worth cashing in your points to buy the ticket).

Here are a few other factors you should consider before choosing a card that’s right for

you:

1. Annual fee

After the first year, the Starwood card has a US$65 annual fee and most other cards

don’t.

2. Hotel stays

The Starwood card gives you a GREAT deal on hotel stays if there’s a Starwood

property where you’re traveling. Starwood properties include Sheratons and Westins

among others. They’re generally nice hotels that are divided into categories.

You’re not likely to stay in a Category 1 Sheraton because they’re in remote towns

across the United States. But Category 2 hotels start in places like Orlando, Quito,

Shanghai, and Dubai, and they’ll only cost you 2,000 to 3,000 points (US$20 to

US$30 a night).

Category 4 hotels (usually priced around US$200 per night online) are more

widespread, but even they’ll only cost you 10,000 points a night. Compare that to say,

the Elite Rewards Mastercard from Bank of America that charges 7,500 points for one

night at a Super 8 Hotel or Days Inn, and you’re getting a pretty good deal.

6 Travel Tricks: How To Travel Better Buy Pay Less

3. Tiers

Some cards like the Capital One No Hassle Miles operate on a tier system. Thirty-

five thousand points buys you a ticket between US$150 and US$350. The nice thing

about Capital One is that they offer you 1.25 points for every dollar you spend. The

downside is that 35,000 points for a US$151 ticket is an awful deal. And it gets

worse as you progress up the ladder, with a US$400 ticket costing you over 60,000

points.

4. Blackout dates

When you transfer miles into a frequent flyer program, your tickets are subject to

blackout dates. There are only so many free seats available on each flight.

With the Starwood card, for instance, it’s not likely I’d get a free seat on Delta

around Christmas time to a popular destination like Orlando. Whereas with the Blue

Card, I might pay an exorbitant amount to get to Orlando on those busy days

(maybe US$600 for my ticket as opposed to US$300 any other time of year), but I’d

be able to use my points to get a reimbursement to offset some of that fee.

5. Special deals

Every card has its own unique marketing strategy for getting you to apply. Some

offer you 10,000 points on your first purchase. Others, like the Maximum Rewards

Platinum Visa, offer you triple points on everything you charge that’s travel-related

(hotels, rental cars, flights—a great deal if a good portion of what you charge to

your credit card is travel-related). And the Starwood card offers you an extra 5,000

points every time you transfer 20,000 points or more to a frequent flyer program to

purchase a flight (a great deal if you consider the penny rule, because they’re

essentially giving you US$50 worth of points every time you earn enough points for

a flight).

6. Interest rates.

If you plan to carry a balance on your card, interest rates should be your first and

foremost guide when you’re deciding which card is right for you. Don’t let any of

these other things cloud those waters. Remember, you’re only gaining a penny for

every dollar you spend here. You’ll spend much more than that if you carry a

balance and are charged interest even once.

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And, of course, you should also consider what I like to call “the Visa factor.” A Visa

credit card is more widely accepted than American Express. And I wouldn’t even

consider the Miles by Discover card, no matter what kind of reward points they offer,

simply because it’s not as widely accepted as Visa or MasterCard.

If you normally charge US$20,000 worth of expenses to your credit card each year,

then it’s likely that all US$20,000 can be charged to your Visa, earning you 20,000

points. With American Express, you can only charge US$15,000 or so to your card,

earning you only 15,000 points at the end of the year. All because AmEx isn’t so

widely accepted.

So which card is right for you?

Oh, if only it were that easy.

I can tell you that these cards aren’t worth their salt when you compare them to the

others:

• Capital One’s No Hassle Miles Rewards card

• Miles by Discover

• Elite Rewards World Master Card

And that these are the cards I recommended to my colleagues here in the office

(each person a different card):

• Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card by American Express

• Blue Sky by American Express

• Maximum Rewards Platinum Edition Visa

• Delta’s Platinum American Express card

Lori Allen is the Director of the Travel Division at AWAI, which publishes The

Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program and Turn Your Pictures into Cash as well as

myriad books and special reports geared to helping folks master the art of getting

paid to travel. She is also editor of AWAI’s four-times-weekly online newsletter, The

Right Way to Travel, which features articles geared to help writers and

photographers improve their skill and sell their work. For more information, visit

www.thetravelwriterslife.com and www.thephotographerslife.com.

8 Travel Tricks: How To Travel Better But Pay Less

TIP#4: Save through Package Deals

On most of the websites where you’ll go to search for flights (e.g. cheaptickets.com,

kayak.com, and expedia.com), you’ll find you can also book accommodation and

make car-hire arrangements.

This is not the same as pre-packaged vacations, where you are bound by some tour

company’s schedule. Rather, you get to choose when you fly, the type of

accommodation you stay at (from budget to upscale hotels), and the car you

drive...all bundled together at a considerable savings to you—usually in the region

of a few hundred dollars. Sometimes, you can add in further attractions, such as

theme parks and museums, to the package deal.

To give an example, right now on CheapTickets.com,

you can save US$526 on a week-long stay for two

in Paris, including round-trip flights from JFK

International Airport, accommodation at a four-star

hotel, and an economy rental car.

TIP#5: Split Your Tickets

Split ticketing involves buying separate outbound and return flights—in different

currencies. Say you’re traveling from New York City to London, for example. You buy a

one-way ticket to London in U.S. dollars and a separate one-way ticket (your return)

from London to NYC in British pounds. Obviously your destination, and the rate of

exchange at the time, will affect whether this makes sense. Right now, in these

times of a weakened dollar, it’s more difficult to save money this way—but worth

checking at least.

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TIP#6: Slow Down...Take the Bus

By Paul Terhorst

If you live in the United States, you hate bus stations. People in U.S. bus stations

look like they’ve just climbed out of plastic sacks.

This is not true in much of the rest of the world. In many countries, not only

derelicts, but also people like you and me take buses.

More to the point, outside the States, buses tend to depart from convenient

downtown terminals. You can buy your tickets at the last minute, even showing up

at the station just before your bus is scheduled to take off. You ride in comfort;

deluxe bus service beats first-class air travel in some places these days.

And you can’t beat the cost. Right now on Tica Bus, for example, you can travel

from Costa Rica to Nicaragua for US$40...from Costa Rica to Panama for

US$57...and from Panama to Honduras, Executive Class, for US$115. In other

words, you can cover a lot of ground for a fraction what you’d spend in airfares.

And you’re spared all the check-in lines, security hassles, and travel time to and

from the airport.

Plus, you’re covering all this ground at ground level, with locals all around you.

Strike up a conversation with the guy sitting next to you. Get the skinny on getting

around in your destination. After all, he probably lives in your destination, not in

Dallas or wherever.

Recently, my Norwegian friend Dag visited us in Argentina. We decided to take a

trip up to Mendoza wine country, invited our friend Alfonso to join us, and bought

the bus tickets. We departed at 7 p.m. As soon as we cleared urban traffic, a

steward served us a meal, including champagne and wine.

10 Travel Tricks: How To Travel Better But Pay Less

After dinner, we watched a movie, in English with Spanish subtitles. When it was

over, we pushed our enormous lounge seats all the way back, practically to the

horizontal. Soon we were asleep. Next thing we knew, it was early morning in

Mendoza.

Instead of renting a car to get around in

Mendoza, we again chose the bus. We

wound up in Tupungato, the heart of one

of the newer wine regions, at a fine

downtown spot with an outstanding eatery.

A fellow passenger on the bus to Tupungato

had recommended the place.

We’d never have found it on our own.

During our stay in Tupungato, we hired a private car and driver, as needed, to get

around the countryside. Let him worry about insurance, repairs, filling the tank, and

finding his way.

Two tips: First, always buy the best seats and standard of service available. It’ll still

be a fraction the cost of a plane ticket for the same trip.

Second, in Continental Europe, you have an additional option. Bus travel in France,

for example, can be comfortable, pleasant, and very cheap. However, train travel

can be more comfortable, certainly quicker, and still affordable. Indeed, Continental

train service is the most advanced in the world, far preferable to travel by plane in

that part of the world.

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TIP#7: Avail of Senior Discounts

In many parts of the world, reaching a certain milestone—whether it’s 50, 55, or 60—has its advantages, allowing you to save on your travels. In some cases, you need

to be an AARP member to qualify.

Airlines

Airlines are no longer as generous to senior travelers these days. A couple years

back, United Airlines stopped accepting new members to its popular Silver Wings Plus

Program, while U.S. Airways discontinued its Senior Saver Pack program. Still, it

doesn’t hurt to ask when booking your flight. Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-

atlantic.com) doesn’t advertise senior discounts on its website, but they are available

on certain itineraries to those aged 60 and over. Inquiries can be made by phone.

If you do manage to secure a “senior discount” with an airline, just be sure that it is

indeed the lowest fare available at the time—sometimes, another special offer will

undercut the senior discount price.

Hotels

More generous than the airlines, many hotels—particularly the large chains—offer

reduced rates to senior citizens. The Marriott, for example, offers discounts of up to

15% to those aged 62-plus at over 2,000

participating hotels worldwide. Meanwhile, the

InterContinental Hotel Group (www.icg.com) has a

Priority Club for seniors (again, those aged 62 and

over) through which you can earn points toward free

hotel nights.

12 Travel Tricks: How To Travel Better But Pay Less

Transport

Many of the international car rental companies (Hertz, Budget et al.) offer discounts

on car hire (usually in the region of 10% to 20%). Also check out what’s available

through local companies. If you’re visiting Australia or New Zealand, for example,

seniorcarhire.com.au and seniorcarhire.co.nz are dedicated to finding visitors over 55

the best available car rental deals—and the offers go beyond the daily rate. On the

Australian site, for instance, you’ll find a coupon for a free tank of fuel for a drive

from Adelaide to Melbourne (a distance of about 450 miles).

Many European countries offer rail discounts to seniors. If traveling in the United

Kingdom, BritRail (www.britrail.com) offers a variety of flexible rail passes,

depending on your area of interest. Senior discounts of 15% are offered on first-class

tickets only.

TIP#8: Save on Expensive Hotel Calls

We all know that the surcharges for long-distance calls from a hotel room are

extortionate. But sometimes, you just can’t avoid making a call. However, next time

you’re travelling and have more than one international call to make from your hotel

room, here’s a tip that should help you save on those surcharges that apply to every

call.

After you finish your first conversation, don’t hang

up. Wait for the person at the other end to end the

call, then hit the pound (#) key. You should hear a

dial tone, at which point you can proceed to call the

next number on your list. This means the surcharge

should only show up once on your hotel bill.

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TIP#9: Don’t Rule Out a Five-Star Stay

When searching affordable accommodation, be sure to check all options. A friend who

recently spent a four-night break in Amsterdam told me how he paid 1,200 euros for

his accommodation (that’s US$400 a night at the current exchange rate). Nice hotel, I

thought. But no. Turned out that was the price for his standard three-star bedroom.

One night during his trip, he dined at a five-star hotel, not far from his own hotel and

discovered he could have enjoyed a luxury stay there for the exact same amount. This

is where research comes in. So, even if you think they’re beyond your budget, never

discount upscale hotels—you never know when you might find a good deal.

On a related note, if you’re taking a weekend break,

you can often get a good rate at business hotels, who

tend to lower their rates at the weekend when

business is quieter. Conversely, hotels geared toward

the weekender set often have good mid-week deals.

Choose a hotel off the main tourist beat and you’ll

likely find better deals.

Bonus Tip: I never book accommodation without researching what other travelers

have to say about the place. Tripadvisor.com is a useful resource for this, and you’ll

be hard-pressed to find a hotel, guesthouse or B&B that some reviewer hasn’t spilled

the beans on. (More resources for online communities in the Appendix section.)

14 Travel Tricks: How To Travel Better But Pay Less

TIP#10: Go Like a local

How often has it happened that you’ve saved on your flight or accommodation, but

return from a trip feeling like you’ve been seriously ripped off on everything from a

coffee to the price of your museum admission to the souvenirs you picked up at the

airport?

It’s probably because you’ve fallen for all the tourist traps—stopping for lunch at that

convenient restaurant just beside the cathedral, palace, or gardens you’ve spent the

morning strolling. To get the best value on your travels—and to get a real feel for a

place—you’ve got to look beyond the immediate hot spots, which are designed to lure

in hungry, thirsty, shopaholic tourists. The best way to do this is to literally follow the

locals...or ask them for recommendations. If you’re looking for ideas before your trip,

expat forums in your country of interest can be helpful, as can websites like

Tripadvisor.com and IgoUgo.com.

Here are a few further tips to help you travel as a “locavore:”

• Use public transport, rather than relying on taxis. Most international airports, forexample, offer good rail or bus service to downtown and beyond.

• Shop for food at local supermarkets as well as

outdoor food markets (farmers markets and organic

markets, for example), where you’ll find many tasty

goods. Even if you’re dining on hotel meals or eating

out most days, you can still shop local markets

for snacks.

• Check out the pricing schedule for any attractions you wish to visit. Many museums,

historic buildings, etc., offer a reduced rate one day of the week (usually Sunday or

Monday). Locals in the know time their visits accordingly.

Appendix: Travel Rolodex

Useful websites for airfare* searches:

www.kayak.com

www.expedia.com

www.cheaptickets.com

*Note: All of the above can also be used for accommodation and car rental searches

Round-the-world ticket resources:

www.airtreks.com www.roundtheworldticket.com www.aroundtheworld.com

www.roundtheworldflights.com

Online hotel bookings

www.hotels.com www.hotelopia.com

Online travel communities and forums:

www.tripadvisor.com

www.IgoUgo.com

www.bootsnall.com

www.travellerspoint.com

Senior traveler resources:

www.eldertrav.com www.eldertreks.com

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