How To Travel on a Budget

Score the Best Seats on Your Flight

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:16:32 +0000

Have you ever been on a long flight in the worst seat possible? Sitting in an uncomfortable seat can make an already long flight seem endless. No matter what you do, you can’t seem to get enough sleep, your legs are cramped, and your chair doesn’t fully recline. While there is no way to guarantee you won’t get an incessant talker next to you when all you want to do is sleep, you can use these tips to try and get the most comfortable seat available.

Know Your Airline
Certain airlines are more spacious than others. Certain airlines have newer planes than others. The more you travel, you will see these differences. Check out travel forums and sites such as SeatGuru.com and SeatExpert.com to see which airlines are the best to fly on. JetBlue offers about 2 inches more legroom than competitors, which may not seem like a lot, however in such a cramped space every inch counts.

Know Your Airplane
SeatGuru.com and SeatExpert.com allow passengers to see which seats are more spacious and convenient than others. Some seats have power outlets and seatback televisions, however the airline website won’t indicate which ones. These sites will give you a heads up.

The Exit Row
These seats are the most spacious in the plane. You can’t always buy these tickets ahead of time, however check the seats 24 hours before your departure, to see if you can choose them. Some airlines, such as JetBlue offer these seats at a higher price, but not by much. Usually it is no more than $15.

Early Reservations
The earlier you book, the more likely you are to get the seat you desire. If you have certain preferences like sitting in the front of the plane, those seats tend to go fast. The quicker you book the better.

Avoid Busy Travel Days
Needless to say, if you travel on a busy travel day, such as holidays or the weekend, your choices will be limited. Try to avoid these times to travel in order to get the best seats and the best prices. If you must book on these dates, make sure to do so early.

Be Friendly
It doesn’t hurt to be a little charming to the gate agents. If you are friendly and ask for an upgrade, you may be lucky enough to get it. The only way to find out is to ask. There are a few tricks that may help you get what you want as well. Dressing up helps your chances, seeing as the agents would chose someone in business attire over someone wearing a Hawaiian t-shirt. Some people are so bold to bride the agents a little. Of course there is no guarantee and you also run the risk of insulting the person behind the counter.

Image via: eye2eye
Article: How To Score Best Airplane Seats

Online Travel Auctions

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:02:56 +0000

Online travel auctions are a great option for travelers who are flexible with their schedule. Priceline allows customers to name their own price, however you do risk not knowing the exact hotel or flight time that will be given to you. Before you start bidding you should check other travel resources as well, such as Kayak or Expedia, to get an idea of the prices the competitors offer. Auction sites such as SkyAuction, are known to surprise bid winners with hidden fees and other inconveniences, so beware before you buy, and look at all the fine print.

CNN published a story about bidding on Online Travel Auctions.

Avoid Getting Ripped off: Some of the World’s Worst Travel Scams

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:10:32 +0000

New technology has not only made going abroad easier for travelers, but also it has created more organized travel scams. Now accomplices can communicate through phones and BlackBerries. There is no need to be paranoid, but you should be wary if anything out of the ordinary should happen when you travel, especially if it is fairly obvious that you are a tourist and not from the area. Travel + Leisure created a list of the World’s Worst Travel Scams. Here are a few of the scams on the list.

Fake Art Shows and Gifts
In Asia it is popular to approach tourists and convince them to attend an art show, where they will be pressured into buying amateur art pieces at inflated prices. Once while traveling in Egypt we were prompted into a local shop where the owner said he was giving us a gift. He put our names on his ‘gift’ which was a painting on papyrus and later told us we had to pay for it. If anyone offers you a gift of art or another souvenir politely decline.

Baby Toss
This scam is an extreme version of causing a distraction to rob tourists of their belongings. A woman will toss her baby into the arms of an unsuspecting tourist and her cohorts will rob the tourist amongst all the confusion. When they leave the tourist realizes that the baby was in fact only a doll.

Missing Cash
A person walks by you and drops a bag. When you go to help them pick it up you realize it’s a bag full of money. Of course when you return it, the owner of the bag accuses you of taking some of the money, but will drop it for exchange for some money you give him.

Inflated Bill
You go to a restaurant and the waiter promises you excellent food and dishes that are not on the menu. After a delicious meal the bill comes and it is astronomical. Make sure to always see a menu or get a price check before ordering at any restaurant.

For the full list check out Travel + Leisure World’s Worst Travel Scams.

Peak Travel Times

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:22:35 +0000

The Independent published an article about the peak travel times in the US. Here is a list of the times you should avoid traveling or at least expect to pay some extra fees.

Dates to expect a peak travel surcharge for travel in the US

November 29-30, 2009:   Weekend after Thanksgiving
December 19:     Saturday before Christmas
December 26-27:             Weekend after Christmas
January 2-3, 2010:         Weekend after New Year’s Day
March 14, 2010:              Sunday before many student spring breaks
March 20-21, 2010:       Weekend after many student spring breaks
March 28, 2010:              Palm Sunday, weekend before Easter
April 11, 2010:                 Sunday after Easter
May 28, 2010:                  Friday before Memorial Day

Holiday Travel Warning – Expect Airline Surchages

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:21 +0000

It is no secret that the airlines are adding on fees and surcharges to most flights in order to make up for the money lost in this economy. If you’ve flown recently chances are you have paid over $100 for extra baggage fee or even $25 for checking any baggage at all. Now that the holiday season is around the corner, airlines are using this opportunity of high travel to cash in with more holiday surcharges.

You can expect charges up to $20 each way for some flights around peak travel season. Becky Worley of ABC warns that these charges may spill over to after the holidays well into the new year with charges tacked on after Easter, daylight savings, and even the Super Bowl.

Holiday Travel Warning Video

Cheapest Days and Times To Take a Flight

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:39:11 +0000

Frequent travelers know that certain days that are more or less expensive depending on the day, time, or season. Flying on a Friday is typically expensive, whereas if traveling on a Wednesday will get you the cheapest flights, mostly because of the inconvenience of traveling midweek. According to farecompare.com, Tuesday and Saturday also are cheap days to fly. The earliest flight is usually the cheapest as well. Rule of thumb, the more inconvenient the flight, chances are it’s a little cheaper. With the holiday season coming up and Thanksgiving just next week, many people will be flying home. In order to find the cheapest flights for Thanksgiving you should fly out this weekend. The closer you get to next week, the more expensive the flight will be.

Fare Compare is a great website with lots of tips and tricks for travel. They created this video to help travelers chose the best days and times to travel.

Street Food In NYC

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:56:31 +0000

CNN reports on the surge in food carts in cities across the country. A slow economy makes people more likely to opt for street food. It is also much easier for entrepreneurs to open a cart than put up the costs for a restaurant. This is the reason why many entrepreneurs have started to look towards carts rather than finding investors for restaurants. Although carts may be cheaper to start up they still require permits and inspections to make sure they are clean and properly run.

Check out how to find cheap eats for your next trip.

How To Choose Your Next Trip

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:45:53 +0000

How do you choose where you travel? Is there a method to the madness? Maybe you returned to the game of your childhood where you would spin a globe and see where your finger lands. Boise Mississippi may be your next stop.

We all choose vacation destinations for various reasons. Some of us want to explore and unknown land and others want to laze around a resort with a bottle of sunscreen in one hand and a margarita in another.

Duration
The time that you have to travel will greatly affect which destination you choose. If you do not have a lot of time, it won’t be a good idea to go halfway across the world.

Ambiance
Each destination has a particular ambiance or vibe. While you shouldn’t overly generalize the places you visit, it is possible to decipher the general ‘feel’ of a place before you go there. If you go to Tokyo you can expect to be in an Urban setting around a lot of people at all times, versus going to Napa Valley which has a completely different ambiance.

Pace
Vacations can be quick paced, slow and relaxing, or a little bit of both. Depending on where you go and what time of year, the pace of your trip will differ. If you want to relax, consider a tropical location near the beach. If you want adventure, consider outdoor activities such as hiking or rock climbing. If you want to experience a fast pace, any urban sprawl shall do the trick.