Restaurant Discounts - Dining Deals

Most travellers are going to eat out more while on trips than they do at home. In fact, travel dining expenses can easily be most expensive part of your trip. Here are some easy ways to save some money on restaurants, whether at home or for trips:

1. Costco sells restaurant gift cards at a 20% discount. Some national chains included are McCormick & Schmicks and Baja Fresh. Costco members can visit warehouses on their trips, too. Cheap basic prepared food ($2 giant pizza slices, $1.50 hot dog & drink), goods, and gifts are obvious purchases, but also look for local restaurant gift cards. The other day I bought a $100 gift card (for $80) for Glory Days in Northern Virginia.

2. Restaurant.com certificates have been a favorite of mine for years. In fact, they are celebrating their 10th anniversary now. They sell $25 certificates for $10. Wait, there's more. Sign up to receive promo codes by mail (and there is ALWAYS a sale) and save up to 90%. Yes, you can buy (and I have, many times) $25 certificates for $1.

3. I have used Entertainment discount books even longer than Restaurant.com certificates. 2-for-1 dining coupons are the primary draw, but they offer attraction and other travel (air, hotel, rental car) discounts, too.

4. also check local sources, such as Half Off Deals and Living Social. When travelling (or before), I like to browse local newspapers and tourist guides.

Happy Dining!

How to save on airfares the easy way

This is my article published many years ago on USAToday.com. I have been involved recently in many research projects. I will continue to re-publish favorite travel skills articles. Let me know what topics are of interest to you

How to save on airfares the easy way

Check various routes to ensure you find lower airfares. A nonstop flight may be more or less expensive than a connecting or direct flight. Lower airfares may result from connecting in certain airports rather than others. Being a bit more creative with the routing can save you a bundle. On longer (such as transoceanic) flights, try splitting your itinerary into two separate roundtrips. For instance, lower airfares between Northeast cities and Hawaii can often be found through California (LAX, SFO, OAK). Buy separate Northeast-to-California and California-to-Hawaii roundtrip tickets; the total price can be much lower than the Northeast-to-Hawaii fare. In addition, split tickets allow consumers to select preferred airlines and create a stopover vacation

It pays (saves!) to shop around. Sometimes lower airfares are offered by certain websites, travel agents, or directly from the airline.

When you see a fantastic fare price, such as during a fare war (which can be up to nine months before flying), make your plans. You might not find better deals as the travel date approaches. When the fare drops, however, most airlines allow consumers to rebook and receive a travel voucher for the difference (as long as seats are available).

-Charles McCool, author, Winning the Airfare Game

Global Top 5 Under $5 Must Eat Dishes

In the September 2009 issue of Travel & Leisure, there is an article called, "30 Dishes Worth Traveling For." Of course you would have to be a hypertraveler to have tried more than a few of them.

What particularly caught me attention was the sidebar that they called Global Top 5 Under $5. Here they are:

* Duck-fat fries at Hot Doug's, Chicago
* Soup noodles with braised brisket at Kau Kee, Hong Kong
* Custard tart at Pastéis de Belém, Lisbon
* Poutine at La Banquise, Montreal
* Soup dumplings at Nanxiang Mantou Dian, Shanghai

Sorry, no mention of In & Out or Five Guys.

Has anyone tried any of these dishes? Are they worthy of inclusion? What are your top 5 under $5?

Thank you.

© 2009, Charles McCool

European Hostel Tips

I just finished reading Rick Steve's article about hostels in the latest issue of International Travel News. Of course you should read the entire article but here are some quick tips I got from it:

• stay in Northern Europe hostels (much less expensive than standard lodging)
• skip hostels in Southern Europe (budget lodging is plentiful)
• city and on-the-Eurail-path hostels are overrun with younger travellers
• rural and off-the-train-path hostels are more quiet with mature travellers

I must admit that I have only stayed in hostels in Anchorage and Cairns. I have seen my share of budget lodging in Europe (rooms, inns, the car) but have not tried any of their hostels. Next trip...

© 2009, Charles McCool

Quantity Discounts - NOT

You would think that by buying more of a product that you would get a price break. Sure, that works in practically every industry, except travel. What can you do about it?

First, let me explain a bit. You should already know, if you are a loyal reader or just a common sense travel consumer, that travel suppliers charge more when there is higher demand. Rates (airfares, cruise prices, lodging, car rentals) are at their peak, for instance, during the New Year's break in the Caribbean and many destinations. Makes sense, right? On a micro level, airlines charge more when capacity is fillings and hotels charge more during the week than on weekends.

Let's say that you are a group of four travelers. There are only two seats on a flight at the lowest price. However, when making your reservation (whatever source you use), the airline will charge the higher price times four. Hotels do the same thing. The weekend rate is substantially lower than the weekday rate but the property will charge you the weekday rate for each day; or they will charge you less each weekend day but not as low as the available weekend rate. I have seen it time and time and time again.

What can consumers do?

For the airfare situation, I will find out what the price is for one passenger (then two, then three, until I find the "magic" price break point). Many times, I have broken the group reservation into two separate itineraries to save money. For example, if two seats are available at $100 but the next two are $150, then I will buy 2 @ $100 and 2 @ $150, instead of 4 @ $150 (and save $100).

A similar process works for lodging and rental cars. I will find out the rate for each day and for each set of days. Similarly, I can make separate reservations at the same property for consecutive days in order to save money. For example, their weekend rate is $99 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) and their weekday rate is $199. For an entire week, they may quote $199 for each day or perhaps $199 each weekday plus a "discounted rate" for $159 for the weekend. By booking separate weekday and weekend stays, I would save $180 ($60 for each of the three nights).

Add this strategy to your travel planning arsenal and save money on your next--and EVERY--trip.

© 2009, Charles McCool

finding travel deals departing FROM your home airport

It is annoying, and not productive or efficient, to visit websites that do not sort their travel deal listings. That is, many websites just list a bunch of "special" rates or fares, but do not filter based on a departure city. A relatively unknown website that shows travel specials from your home airport is voyij.com.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

© 2009, Charles McCool

Check for Lower Rates After Making Your Reservations

Earlier today I checked the current rates at a property I have a reservation at later this month. Sure enough, I found a lower rate, which I quickly reserved. I cancelled the original reservation after receiving confirmation of the new rate. For my trips, I typically re-check lodging and car rental rates after making my reservation and before the actual date. Of course, I encourage my clients and you to do the same.

No, the rates are not always lower. Unfortunately, rates usually increase. Sometimes, though, like today, I find a lower rate. Most often, when I find a lower subsequent rate (after initial booking), it is for car rentals rather than lodging. I sometimes find better quality lodging or car options, whether or not the rate is lower.

This is my first post of 2009 and I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Incorporate this technique into your existing travel process and you will likely save money on at least one trip this year.

© 2009, Charles McCool

$29 flights, DC area to Orlando, January 2009

I do not want to turn this blog into a deal finder. There are plenty of those in the internet world. You and I can always find a travel deal. The question is whether or not it will be appropriate, useful, and convenient. Here is a great deal for readers in the Washington, DC and Orlando, Florida areas.

Allegient Air is selling flights between Hagerstown, Maryland and Orlando/Sanford airport for only $29 each way. Flights are available on Mondays and Fridays during January 2009. I just looked at Allegient Air and there are plenty of seats; a couple of the dates are more expensive.

Please remember, if you buy something from Amazon.com, please use my affiliate link at http://www.lowerairfares.com or
======> click here

© 2008, Charles McCool

Save Money on Disney Cruises

Would you like $600?

Next time you book a cruise, on any cruise line, find a travel agency that is a preferred provider for that cruise line. There will be at least one travel agency specializing in making arrangements for your desired cruise line. It is important for you to find this travel agency because they provide lower rates than the cruise line or other travel agencies. If that important to you then read on.

Let's say you want to take a Disney Cruise vacation. Do your research on DisneyCruise.com; find the right dates, itineraries, and rates. You can shop around. In fact, I usually do, but, I end up booking with one travel agency because they have the lowest rates AND best service.

All Seasons Travel consistently sells Disney Cruises for much less than Disney. Looking at a sample cruise (7 night cruise, departing May 2, 2009, 4 persons), every All Seasons price was over $600 less than from Disney. Percentage discounts vary between 7% to 14%, depending on the Category.

Sound good? The wonderful thing for consumers is that this process works for any cruise line. not just Disney. I am not going to list the preferred travel agency for every cruise line but I will do independent travel research for you. It should not be too difficult to figure it out. Just check out the websites where people talk about your desired cruise line.

Please remember, if you buy something from Amazon.com, please use my affiliate link at http://www.lowerairfares.com
or ======> click here

© 2008, Charles McCool

Holiday Gift for Travellers

Are you looking for a gift for someone that loves to travel? Looking for something unique? Practical? Something guaranteed to save money?

Get them (or yourself) a gift certificate from LowerAirfares.com and me, Charles McCool. I offer two services, both guaranteed to save you money. If I do not show you how to save money, you get a full refund.

My first service I call Assisted Trip Planning. This service teaches you the best sources and methods to plan future trips. It is like getting a personal lesson in building a house, cooking a gourmet meal, or another skill. It is intended for the do-it-yourself trip planner (anyone that makes their own travel arrangements). For more details, click above or here.

The second service is full trip planning. I will research and design your trip, anything you want. I charge 50% more for this service because my focus is teaching people how to save money, time, and stress on every trip. For more details, click above or here.

Both services are fully guaranteed to save you money. No questions asked. If you are not completely satisfied, I will issue you an immediate refund.

I am a small business and do not have a bunch of obstacles for clients to buy and use any service. Let me know what you want and I will see if I can help. Fori nstance, I will print and mail a gift certifcate to someone, if you wish.

This is not my last post of 2008 but I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a wonderful rest of 2008 and all of 2009. If you are new to this blog, please read past posts. New or not, please tell others to visit TravelSkills.blogspot.com. Thank you.

Anything else? Comment.

Please remember, if you buy something from Amazon.com, please use my affiliate link at http://www.lowerairfares.com
or ======> click here

© 2008, Charles McCool

Air Traveler's Holiday Wish List

This was published in December 2002. What do you think? Still true?

The following is the last verse, to be sung to the tune of the popular Christmas Carol, "The 12 Days of Christmas." Enjoy!

On the Twelfth Flight of Christmas, the airlines* should give us:

Undamaged Baggage
Pleasant Customer Service
Easier Check-in
No Overbookings
More Non-stop Flights, Please
Better Eating Choices
Convenient Parking
L O W E R A I R F A R E S
Increased Leg Room
More jetBlues**
Fewer Delays
and NO Lines at Se-cu-ri-ty

* Sure, the airlines are not to blame for every air travel problem. What fun is there in teasing the airports or FAA?
** Substitute "Southwest" for "jetBlue," if desired.

******************************************************
Happy Holidays!
Charles McCool
author, Winning the Airfare Game
http://www.LowerAirfares.com

Please remember, if you buy something from Amazon.com, please use my affiliate link at http://www.lowerairfares.com
or ======> click here

© 2008, Charles McCool

Creative Rental Car Uses

For our family trip last summer, I booked our outgoing flight from Baltimore (BWI). After three weeks, we were to return to Dulles. If we were to return to BWI, I would have looked into one of those stay and park deals at a hotel near BWI or just used long-term parking. Instead, I needed to find someone to give us a ride (75 minutes each way) or pay $100+ for a shuttle. On a whim, because that's the way I roll, I checked the car rental companies. Hertz and Avis were too much. National, though, charged $30 total for the one-way rental. Sweet!

I have used rental cars to move between residences, when my car was too small (or broken) or I did not have a car at the time. Of course, those were the days when I did not have much stuff. I have used rental cars to move across the country. I would rent a car (or van) for three weeks, giving me enough time to drive each way between California and Florida with some time to visit. I did this three times in a row (nine weeks total). At about $100 a week, it was less expensive and more luxurious than a moving truck. On the other hand, I have seen U-Haul dealers offering trucks for $100 or less, because they needed to get them to another location. Sort of similar to the Florida exodus car deals in the spring.

Of course, people rent cars for many purposes--to haul junk to the dump, to haul people around town, car is in the shop, whatever. If you need a car only for a short time, Zipcar is a cool concept. They rent cars by the hour.

What are your experiences with rental cars? Anything creative? Let me know.

© 2008, Charles McCool

Lodging Ploys - Alternatives to Hotels

When planning trips, most people only consider hotels. I urge you to consider other types of lodging. Some will save you money, while others are just more fun or convenient.

Motels are our first stop. Motels have a unique history in America. "Motel" was first used by a property that called itself a motor hotel and shortened the name. These properties are smaller and usually more inexpensive than hotels. By the way, Motel 6 is a hotel chain or at least a very large motel.

Bed and breakfasts, commonly called B&Bs, are another alternative to hotels. B&Bs are individually owned and operated, thus each property is different. B&Bs can have varying qualities, price ranges, and amenities.

OK, you probably know about motels and B&Bs, so I just wanted to mention them. Following are some more interesting ploys.

Vacation rentals are one of my favorites. Properties offered for rent include houses, condos, apartments, villas, boats, castles, and so on. Vacation rental properties are much more fun and convenient than hotels, and, most importantly, usually cost less!

Timeshares are always available for rent, because owners cannot use their assigned week or plans change (work, emergency). Often timeshare properties are listed at the last minute and you can get incredible deals. I once rented a 2 bedroom condo in Florida for $100 (total); another property was a 3 bedroom condo in Kauai for $33 a night. The two above links are popular timeshare websites but listings can also be found on eBay.com, craiglist.com, and many other places. Many people get discounted lodging by attending timeshare sales presentations.

Corporate apartments are sometimes available for short-term rentals. Oakwood is the largest agency but there are many others. Some require a 30 day minimum stay and others do not. One of my corporate stays was at a 3 bedroom apartment in South Florida for less than $40 a night. The beauty of corporate stays, besides saving loads of cash, is that they often do grocery shopping for you, they have nightly happy hours or bbq dinners, and the property is vacant during the day; while the business people are at work, we have the pool and facilities to ourselves. If you just love hotel chains but long-term rentals appeal to you, check out Marriott's Execustay or Extended Stay America, although any hotel/motel/etc. will offer lower rates for longer stays. Ask!

Don't forget about hostels. Most are not just for youth, either, especially during the off-peak periods. You just may find yourself staying in a castle, lighthouse, boat, or other unique property.

Of course, there are always options like camping, sleeping in airports or train stations, couch surfing, freeloading, and so on.

© 2008, Charles McCool

Slash Travel Costs by Eating Healthier

In my classes, I regularly teach that it is easy to save money on overall travel budgets by staying in the right type of properties. Sometimes you will pay a little more money but sometimes not. What I advise you to do is look for lodging options with kitchenettes.

Properties with kitchenettes can save you money when you decide to dine out less and eat in more. Dining costs can easily exceed $100 per person per day. By using the kitchenette instead of eating in restaurants, you can slash more than 50% from your dining costs. You decide how much to save.

Kitchenette properties do not have to be fancy, or, like I said earlier, cost more than regular lodging. Many hotel rooms have a refrigerator and microwave; if not, you can request one or both. Hotel companies have entire suite properties, with full kitchens. Non-hotel rental properties include condos, apartments, and villas.

Think of just breakfast. Ballpark figure may be $10 per person per day. That would be $250 to $300 for 4 people for one week. By simply buying cereal, milk, orange juice, and fruit, you can save over $200.

Lunch and dinner costs (and savings) can be more dramatic.

Not only will you save money but it is more healthy. You can choose quality ingredients and create sensible portions. One meal can be on your balcony or watching TV, another can be in a park or on the waterfront.

What do you think? Do you have your money saving tactics? Send me e-mail or post a comment. Thanks!

© 2008, Charles McCool

Myth #3: Lowest Hotel Rate Can Always be Found at {fill in the blank}

Many believe that hotels.com, Expedia, Priceline, the company (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, etc.), or some other website either automatically gives the lowest rate or will guarantee to match it, if a lower rate is found elsewhere. Just like with Travel Myth #1, there is no single website that will always give the lowest price on a hotel room.

First of all, read the price-matching guarantee restrictions. Guarantees only apply to publicly available rates (see below) and exact matches (room type, dates, restrictions). If the rate cannot be cancelled, then the price match guarantee does not work. Guess what? The lowest rates on company websites, like Hilton.com, cannot be cancelled.

Second, the lowest price may not even be found on the internet.

{wait a few seconds for reality to hit...}
{proceed}

OK, I said it. Often, better deals can be found somewhere other than the web. This does not mean you have wasted your time on the computer (after all, you found this blog!). Lower hotel rates may be found be calling the property directly. Ask the hotel if they have any special rates; I use keywords like visitor, weekend, and promotion.

Even lower rates may be available from a wholesale source, like a city's visitor center. These rates, from the visitor center, often include free parking and/or meals. Many visitor centers offer their rates online but many only make reservations by telephone.

If you are driving, stop at the state welcome center and pick up a lodging discount booklet. If the welcome center is open, ask about lodging deals.

A wonderful website for researching hotel rates is Travelaxe.com. Travelaxe is a great time saver as it searches hotels.com, company websites, and dozens of other websites.

Upcoming posts will be about saving money, time, and stress on lodging. If you have a specific topic or issue you would like discussed, send me e-mail or post a comment on any blog entry.

© 2008, Charles McCool

Luxury Does Not Always Cost More

With rental cars, the least expensive cars typically cost the least. The more expensive the car, the higher the rate. Makes sense, right?

This common-sense process, however, is not always true.

Car rental companies always have special deals. The special deals could be one free day, car class upgrades, dollars off the overall rate, free GPS/car seats, etc. Often, the special deal will be in certain car classes, because the car rental company has excess inventory (too many cars). A great example is car rental companies offering great daily and weekly rates on SUVs during the winter months in snowy destinations, such as Denver, Burlington VT, and Manchester NH. By the way, there are often too many convertibles in Florida during the winter months, so look for lower rates there and then.

To find these lower rates on higher class vehicles, intentionally show the rates for all vehicles (instead of just looking for the lowest rates). When the results are displayed for all car classes, I am often pleasantly surprised. A full sized car may be less than the economy class. A premium class may be less than the mid sized car. Another strategy is to look for these deals on information websites, like SmarterTravel.com. I have even rented from a company I usually would not because of a great deal. Two examples include a great daily rate on a jeep and a great weekly rate of a small pickup. Again, it all depends on the car company's inventory. If they predict that they will have too many cars in a certain class, then they will lower those rates.

© 2008, Charles McCool

The Almighty Rental Car Discount Code

Here is the secret to getting lower car rental rates. Are you listening? Ready?

THERE IS NO SECRET.

You can use a booking website, like Kayak or Orbitz, to scan and compare rates from various car rental firms. These rates, unfortunately, do not include any discounts. They are public or non-discounted rates. I call these rates the "sucker prices." Hardly anyone pays them. They are like rack rates for hotels and full fares for airfares. In my last blog post, I mentioned that discount codes are the key to getting lower car rental rates. Discount codes, then, are the secret to getting lower car rental rates; but, it is not really a secret.

How do you find a discount code?

Look, first, at your memberships. Rates on Hertz are heavily discounted with AAA discount codes; there is a different discount code (or CDP, in Hertz language) for each AAA club. Costco, Sam's Club, AARP, and many other organizations offer discount codes. ORganizations may have discounts for only one car rental firm (like AAA's discount for Hertz) or for many agencies (like Costco).

There are countless rental car discount codes and sources for discount codes. Your workplace, school or alumni association, or other group may have discount codes. In fact, if you have your own small business, contact car rental firms (and other travel suppliers) and negotiate your own discount code program. Discount codes may also appear in ads (internet, newspaper, magazines), be printed on inserts in your credit card bill or bank statement, or be presented by an airline's website after buying a ticket. The Entertainment book is a fantastic source of car rental discounts.

You can even scour the internet for codes. Just type "discount codes" and the name of the car company] into google.com. Many of the results point to unhelpful websites. Two excellent sources are Fatwallet.com and FlyerTalk.com.

Can you use discount codes for programs you do not belong to? Many people do. I have used codes that I found online or other sources to save loads of money. There were discount codes from organizations I did not belong to, nor would ever qualify for membership. I did my homework and suggest you do the same. Never use a code that is identified as for employees only, for instance. If the code is unknown, search for it online (type the code + the car company in google, e.g., avis K199060); that should reveal the source.

Now that you are aware of the power of car rental discount codes, find them and use them. No more sucker rates.

© 2008, Charles McCool

Myth #2: Hertz is Expensive

In my recent travel class, a well-travelled attendee was surprised that I frequently rent cars from Hertz. "After all," she said, "Hertz is the most expensive car rental company. Isn't it?"

Whenever I discuss rental cars in my classes, I specifically use Hertz as an example, because the general impression among travel consumers is that they charge more than other companies.

Is it true? Does Hertz charge more? Why do I use Hertz?

First, a crucial factor for getting lower car rental rates is the discount code. The next posting will focus on discount codes. My Hertz discount code gives me competitive rates.

True, Hertz' rates are usually higher, maybe even the highest, if you have no discount code. Hertz' rates are also higher for business rentals (during the week) than consumer rentals (weekend or weekly rentals).

Second, it is more convenient for me to use Hertz since I can usually get a car and leave the airport quicker than with other companies. Not always, but usually.

Combine competitive rates and convenience; it is a no-brainer. I often use Hertz.

© 2008, Charles McCool

Packages - Less Expensive Than Airfares

Buying more and paying less. Who doesn't like that concept?

It is fun to beat the airlines at their own game. After all, air travel is a game--the rules are always changing, players come and go (mergers, bankruptcy, dropped routes). Even when you think you have it all figured out, you don't!

Sometimes travel packages cost less than the airfare.

Take a moment to let that sink in...

Yes, travel packages can cost less than just the airfare.

A travel package is a combination of travel components--like airfare, hotel, rental car, and/or activities (meals, attractions). So, it would make sense that if the airfare is combined with lodging and rental car, then the price would go up. Not so fast, my friend! The airline world is not the real world.

The other day I looked for a flight between the East coast and Honolulu. The lowest airfare was $1,660, because the departure was the next day. A travel package (with the same airline) was $1,374. By ADDING hotel and rental car (7 nights, in this case), you save almost $300. Note that $300 savings is from the airfare. The savings are much more if you factor in the costs of lodging and rental car.

Travel packages include various components (like air, hotel, and car) BUT you do not have to use them all. People will buy travel packages simply to get lower airfares (as above). I have heard of people using their hotel only a couple of days during their trip, and even not at all. Same with the car.

Even more fascinating is that travel packages are offered by the airlines (through their vacation desks). It is not a sneaky tactic; just simply click the "Vacation" tab on the airline's website. So, while the airline offers a $1,660 fare, the airline's vacation desk offers a $1,374 vacation (including air, hotel, and car). Classic!

This is just one recent example. I have seen much more dramatic differences, like $799 packages and $1,800 flights. Packages generally have less restrictions than airfares, such as no Saturday night and advanced purchase requirements.

Please share your experiences with travel packages or any of the other concepts, by adding a comment or sending e-mail.

© 2008, Charles McCool

Alternate Airports

Many metro areas have a major airport and one or more smaller airports. Fares to those smaller airports may be lower than fares to the major airport.

Check for alternate airports on both ends of the trip. You may have a choice of airports to start your trip (from home) but there may also be alternate airports at the destination.

Alternate airports are usually smaller airports. Smaller airports are less stressful and often more convenient to the true destination.

Some major airports and their alternates include:

* Los Angeles (Burbank, Long Beach, Ontario, Orange County)
* San Francisco (Oakland, San Jose)
* Miami (Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach)
* Boston (Manchester, Hartford, Providence)

A complete list can be found at: http://www.alternateairports.com/

Flying into Long Beach, instead of Los Angeles, for instance, places you closer to Disneyland, downtown, and many beaches. Retrieving your baggage, renting a car, and exiting the airport are much quicker in Long Beach than Los Angeles. Even if the fare to Long Beach was a little higher than to Los Angeles, if would be a more pleasant experience (less stress, more convenient). The beauty, though, is that many fares are the same or less, especially on jetBlue routes.

© 2008, Charles McCool