I have been a travel professional for a little over a year and a half. Upon entry into the travel industry, I had significant experience traveling to various parts of the globe and the U.S. I developed a few special tricks and techniques along the way to discovering the very best deals online. I also had an above-average skillset in finding the best hotel locations with accommodating public transportation routes. Routes that allowed me to navigate cities very quickly and inexpensively.
After becoming an agent, I soon discovered that I was unaware of the most substantial time and cost-saving techniques in the industry. I was utterly shocked to find out that there were insider tips and tricks that could have lowered my travel costs and, most importantly, reduced my travel stress. Also, I was amazed at just how simple and easy most of these “insider tips” were to implement. So, let me take the time in this blog post to pass along seven insider tips to you. First, you have to take a long-range approach like a marathoner running a race.
Think Far in Advance About Your Future Travel Needs
Many Americans have gotten accustomed to fast food drive-thrus, home delivery services, electronic audiobook deliveries, and the list goes on and on. Our culture has taught us that we no longer have to wait for anything these days, but pick up the device and start ordering. These concepts are suitable when applied to the foodservice industry, but this just-in-time approach, when applied to travel, does not always yield excellent results. Travel involves generally going to a unique location and experiencing the culture, food, and other noteworthy attractions. Since the most popular tourist locations are in high demand and the supply of hotels and transport is high as well, the price for traveling to those highly sought after locations is steadily on the rise. Hence, it is more cost-effective to book or plan those trips well in advance. It fact, I tell my clients to book highly desirable locations at least a year or more out. If a client wants to celebrate a special occasion on a famous or forthcoming cruise ship; or new resort, I recommend that the client books the vacation at least 14-18 months out mainly for two reasons. First, the price is always lower far in advance, and second, the selection and availability of exclusive amenities are far better as well. So, establishing your travel plans as far in advance as possible is still a wise financial decision.Ask for the Special Rate Package
Often, many people automatically assume that the bottom-line price at a resort, cruise, or all-inclusive is always the best price-to-value bargain in a particular vacation market. The best price-to-value deal is generally not the cheapest. Why would you think a supplier would give you the best value for the lowest price? Remember, suppliers are trying to attract a particular consumer that they can quickly “upsell” amenities, tours, and other luxuries. So, many suppliers want their clients to purchase at their mid-point or higher amenity level. Here is where the bargains (best price-to-bargain propositions) are generally placed. So, once you are on the phone with your travel agent or supplier, ask for the “special or specials.” Incidentally, this is like asking the waiter at a restaurant, what is the chef’s recommendation. So, start with considering the “special rates” before settling for the lowest price available.Create an Email Notification
One of the reasons I prefer working with a travel agent is because I can set a price range or price point for a particular vacation option, and my travel agent will always search various properties over and over again. Sometimes, a supplier will run a surprise sale; airlines will change contracts with hotels, and air suppliers or airline prices will suddenly fall. This dip will cause the rates to take a significant price plunge. So, once the price drops, my travel agent will send me a text, and now I’m well-positioned to cash in on the price drop. So, why spend your time searching for a bargain, when you can have a professional search for the deal on their time. On a side note, make sure the price range you are looking for is realistic; otherwise, the travel professional will place your request in file thirteen.Hotel Packages (Food)
During my short career as a travel professional, I’m amazed at the number of times a few friends have told me what a fantastic deal they found online. They automatically start telling me about the amount of money they just saved by booking their vacation with some site. The first question I always ask, “Does the price include any meals.” Ninety-five percent of the time, the answer is always “No.” Then, I get this deer-in-the-headlight look because they now want to strangle me because I was not there sitting beside them when they booked their vacation. Once, I had my iPad out, and I looked up a resort with the “not-so-client” sitting there and discovered that the morning buffet was $35 each day per person. So over the course of 7 days, the client and his wife were going to pay an additional $500 (not includes taxes and gratuity) just for breakfast. Sadly, if the couple would have added the daily breakfast package, it would have only cost them $100 more dollars in total. In the end, it is essential to consider adding food/beverage cost to your vacation package whenever possible. Failure to take advantage of the food/beverage package upgrade can become a very expensive afterthought.Vacation Bundles (published and non-published air)
The best money-saving tip I learned in the travel industry was to stop buying vacation items a la carte and start buying in bundles. Most people continue to waste valuable time on the internet surfing through countless websites to find bargain hotel deals, airfares (published air) and rental car prices. In many cases, it is financially more beneficial to book all of these travel options in one place. Insider secret: Most huge travel suppliers have contracts with hotels and rental car companies to receive their services or fares at a discounted rate. For that matter, most hotels and rental car companies realize that they can make more revenue from the increased volume of sales. In exchange for this partnership, travel suppliers are provided non-published air rates, which the consumer will not be able to find on-line. In many cases, the buyer also receives the rental car at a corporate rate, as well. Now, all of this is not shown on the invoice, but the overall price is lower than if purchased separately. In the end, the bundling of products is often cheaper than buying travel products from separate suppliers.Hand Washing, Hand Sanitizing and Disinfectant Wipes
Let’s face it; no one likes getting sick on vacation. There is nothing more disappointing than to save up for months for a long-awaited vacation and then have to spend half of your vacation in the bed sick. According to the Center for Disease Control, “Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.” So, if you don’t have a good habit of washing your hands before meals or using hand sanitizer, I suggest that you develop this essential habit. I typically carry around a small bottle (pocket size) of hand sanitizer with me whenever I’m out and about on vacation. Honestly, I apply some hand sanitizer before I eat or drink anything—if the bathroom is not readily available. If I shake a few hands or touch a few rails or surfaces, I use it as well. Also, I typically take folded Clorox wipes in a Ziplock bag when I travel to wipe down hotel or cruise room surfaces to kill germs that the cleaning team may have failed to wipe. Please make sure you check with your airline’s regulations on cleaning products you can place in your luggage. Trust me; you don’t want to get sick from a diarrheal or respiratory illness, you want to take every precaution to prevent from falling ill.
“Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.” - Center for Disease Control
Find more information about handwashing here: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html