Traveling First Class, Cheap!

By Mike DuBose

For the last thirty years, there have been significant changes in how we travel and costs have risen significantly! However, as a frequent traveler, I have learned that you can travel at a higher level of accommodation and a lower price. Before you begin your travel, it is best to join travel organizations such as AARP (800) 424-3410 or www.aarp.com and AAA (800) 477-4222 or www.aaa.com. AARP only charges $8 per year membership and generally offers the premier discounts when renting cars or hotel rooms. Because of their significant membership base, these organizations have been able to negotiate with various airlines, automobile, and hotel chains to offer their members significant discounts. These associations (particularly AAA) will also provide complimentary, valuable travel information such as maps, travel assistance, auto towing, getting into your locked car, key replacement, discounted travel packages, and fuel when your car has run out of gas. Also, look for new Internet travel companies that provide discounted prices such as Travelocity, Priceline, and Lowestfare. Search engines such as Excite, AOL, and Yahoo are also helpful. They provide excellent prices most of the time. I have successfully obtained a cheaper price for a hotel in the San Francisco Wharf area using the above resources as compared with all of my other searches for cheaper prices. Always compare the prices to what the hotels, airlines, and car companies are providing.

I always book my own travel arrangements versus using a travel agent because sometimes travel agents are very busy and won’t take time to search for the best deals, do things such as search the Internet, or call the hotel directly. Their pay is often commission based, so the more customers they provide service to, the higher their commission. However, some individuals have established close relationships with their travel agents who know exactly what they want. This is an individual preference. The following are some suggestions on how to travel, while saving money.

Hotels - Hotels are accessible either through an 800 number or directly through the hotel. Most hotel chains have an Internet web page and advertise specials on that site. You can go to www.yahoo.com and type in your hotel chain’s name under the search feature to find the hotel’s web page. generally search the web page, contact the hotel’s 800 number, and call the hotel directly to find the best deal. As time nears your departure date, the number of deals on the web page will generally increase since they are trying to fill their accommodations. However, be sure to book your room early, even at a higher price. You can always cancel later and substitute a better deal you have found. Many folks attending our seminars wait until the last minute only to find no rooms! Also, if you are attending ours or other conferences, try to stay at the hotel where the conference is being held. It is nice to run up to your hotel room to freshen up, leave extra materials, and check in on your messages back home in peace. Also, while you may have found a cheaper room a mile away in areas such as New York, it may take you an hour to drive that one mile! Even if you obtain a cheaper price than the group rate being advertised for your conference, be sure to ask to be listed in the group sponsoring the conference. Training organizations that use a significant number of sleeping rooms at a hotel can ask for extra treats and refreshments for the participants and command extra attention.

When contacting the 800 number, most receptionists are instructed to provide the higher price initially. Therefore, it is best to inquire about different discounts and ask them about AARP, AAA, government, or corporate discounts. School districts are considered “government” agencies. They never check your ID. Ask them about special deals that the individual hotel is offering at the time such as free breakfast. Check the same chain in the area since rates are significantly different in the same area according to demand and the hotel’s location near tourist attractions. However, be aware that sometimes it is better to pay the higher rate and not have to pay for expensive parking (i.e., Times Square, NY Hilton charges $30 per day parking with additional fees if you take your car out during the day!).

Another surprising item I have learned is that by calling the 800 numbers at different times/days, the same hotel chain receptionists will give out different rates. You have to continue working the 800 number until you get the best rates. I have found that the key is to call on different days and shifts (i.e., 1st Shift is 7 am-3pm, 2nd Shift 3 pm-11 pm, and 3rd Shift 11 am-7 am). The unfriendly and less customer satisfaction oriented staff work the third shift and the most professional staff tend to work the first shift.

Always join several hotel chain clubs. Being a member of the club generally is at no or minimal cost and they often cater to you with extra perks such as free local calls, free breakfast, late check-outs, concierge club, preference in hotel rooms and floors, free morning paper, floor/room upgrades, no cost faxes, etc. Also, you will be provided frequent user points which can be traded in for free stays. Joining these clubs are very easy through the 800 number or via the Internet. You may also want to purchase a telephone long distance card you can use while staying at hotels since hotels charge hefty long distance charges when their services are used. The AT&T 1,000 minute card for $40 found at Sam’s Club is 4 cents per minute and is a deal.

Confirmations & Billing - When making your reservation, be sure to obtain a confirmation number and ask the receptionist to fax/mail you a written confirmation. Hotels frequently overbook their rooms and can lose your reservation. Check-in as early as possible (near 3:00 p.m. preferred) since hotel rooms will disappear as nighttime nears. A written confirmation ensures that your reservation exists. However, it is also recommended that you call the day before you travel to ensure your reservation still exists. One of my reservations was recently accidentally canceled for my New York stay by an 800 reservationist when I was making other reservations. Needless to say, I wish I had checked the reservation the day before I flew to New York to find I had no hotel room!

When checking in at the front desk, always be cheerful because the front desk clerk has control over the room they place you in. Always ask politely for “the best room available at the price you paid.” I have been bumped into suites and nicer rooms just by being nice and treating the front desk clerk with a cheerful attitude. Always check the location of your room on the floor. You want to be near an elevator but not too near to hear the ice machines and the elevator bell ringing during the night. Typically, the cheap rooms (about 10 miles from the elevator ☺) are given to the persons who pay the least. Also, always ask for an extra key because Murphy’s Law will help you lose them.

On checking out of the hotel, be sure to carefully check your bill. At one of my recent conferences, a hotel charged $700 to my conference bill in error. Be sure to save your written bills to verify the amount is correct on your credit card. Paying by credit card is always preferred because you have legal rights if your stay was less than satisfactory. Always cross check your bill with the credit card bill. Another chain duplicated a $650 hotel bill twice on my American Express! If there is dissatisfaction (i.e., problems with the phone, movie you did not like), they always will give you credit if you ask for it cheerfully.

Airlines - Negotiating with airlines is more difficult. Because of the reduction in travel agent fees, agents make very little on the flights. Airlines such as Delta now generally provide you with the lowest fare. Be sure to join all of the major airlines’ frequent flier programs since they now quote the Internet price to you, members accrue frequent flier miles, and are treated better when problems occur. However, there are several tips you may wish to consider. All airlines have their own Internet web pages where special deals and discounts are offered. Sometimes, you may have to travel to a major airline hub or purchase 2-3 tickets to obtain the best price. For example, in reviewing a flight to Honolulu, Hawaii, the cost of coach was $1,675 round trip. However, my staff found that by driving to Atlanta, Georgia (a major airline hub), they were able to secure a round trip flight for $450. We also recommend that our customers look for multiple discounted flights to assemble a final lower cost. For example, we looked on Delta’s web page and found a round trip flight from Baltimore to Los Angles for $286 and another flight from Los Angeles (the major hub for Hawaiian travel) to Honolulu for $639. The cost of purchasing two Delta tickets versus one was $925 for a total savings of $750. I prefer to fly Delta because of their safety and customer satisfaction levels. However, sometimes mixing airlines will further increase the discounts. One should also check one-way ticket prices and using special deal combinations to save money.

Travel Club Membership Benefits - I also recommend that you join the airline frequent flier clubs. They cost nothing and miles can add up for free tickets, upgrades, special care, access to special 800 numbers, and priority for upgrades. Also look for special credit card deals that provide you with frequent flier miles in return for purchases. I charge all of my personal expenses such as groceries and my companies’ supplies, travel, and equipment on my American Express card and as a result, my family flies first class to great resorts every year.

It is often difficult to use your frequent flier miles to redeem free airline tickets. Airlines limit the number of free seats which are reserved for the paying customers and frequent fliers. The key is to reserve your tickets far in advance and keep working the airline’s 800 number until you obtain the desired seats and travel times. I keep calling at different times on different days and different shifts to obtain what I want. Agents vary and some will take the time to work with you, whereas some will check quickly and tell you nothing is available. Some airlines, like Delta, have special customer care telephone lines. These are trained, experienced agents who will take more time with you.

Always pay with credit cards that provide life and travel insurance such as American Express. Consider booking your flight on the Internet since you are often awarded additional frequent flier miles for doing so. You can explore the different deals by talking with the airline agent and then go to the web to make your purchase. You don’t have to be a trained computer expert to make this transaction on the Internet nor own a computer. Most libraries have computers and Internet access. All you need is an appropriate credit card. But you can only purchase a ticket in the name of the person listed on the credit card.

Automobiles - Renting automobiles is like renting hotel rooms and prices are all over the board. You should follow the same guidelines. We have found that AARP commands the best discounts and we typically rent from Avis since they are partners with Delta Airlines. Look for car, hotel, and airline partners that work together since you can obtain additional points for using certain partners. Government prices are the highest because of the billing problems the companies have to go through. One should also join the car clubs which are at no or minimal costs since you receive priority service when arriving at the rental car lot. Always pay by a credit card that provides insurance coverage beyond your insurance company. While this is a personal preference , some research suggests that you should decline the expensive, extra insurance coverage provided by the auto rental companies, but this varies according to your circumstances and insurance coverage. Compare the prices for unlimited miles versus limited daily miles. Sometimes, if you do not require extended travel, the cheaper, daily rate with limited miles may be preferred. Compare weekly rates as compared with daily rates. Recently, I found the weekly rate cheaper than a five-day rate. Consequently, I kept the car a couple extra days even though I didn’t need it. Sometimes, you can buy hotel/car/air packages through companies such as AAA that are cheaper than negotiating separate car, airline, and hotel reservations. Also, don’t forget those travel coupons that airlines often offer. They can provide you with an upgrade. Always top off your gas tank prior to returning since gas prices after the return can go as high as $4 per gallon.

Also, be sure to take a cell phone that has national (not regional) coverage with you when traveling. They are great for conducting business, arranging new flights when yours has been cancelled, and for emergency help! Prices for phones with national coverage (i.e., no roaming or long distance charges) have dropped in price. You can now obtain about 400 minutes per month for about $55 monthly fees. The small Motorola StarTAC has the lowest emission of radio waves if you don’t want to fry your brain while saving money ☺! Be sure to obtain a tri-mode feature regardless of the brand you purchase and sign with a national company (i.e., Alltel, Verizon, Sprint). The new cell phones have Internet access depending on your carrier.