Credit cards rewards, membership programs, and various discounts are thrown at us every day. We are here to break down the best for flights, hotels, and travel.
Traveling is great but it can be a serious hit to your bank account, especially if you do it a lot or are planning a big trip. Our team of expert travelers has uncovered a few trick to help lessen the costs of airfare, hotels, and more.
Stick with one airline or hotel group.
Yep, loyalty is worth it. Stick to one and join the rewards program to start racking up points or miles. The more you stay at the same hotels or fly on the same airline, you'll see the rewards start to pill up quickly. Moreover, the customer service you receive is noticeably improved when you are a "member". Plus, there are often perks such as discounts on additional tickets, free meals included, and more.
Download the apps.
Hopper, a semi-new airfare tracking app, is one of our favorites. Plug in the flights you need to book, and even ones you're daydreaming about, and let the algorithm do the rest. The app will notify you when flight prices drop, rise, and when you should buy. Another app we love is one that helps with budgeting and saving for that dream trip: Qapital. It automatically saves money based on your desired settings but makes it even more fun because it allows you to set goals like "ski trip to Utah."
Apply for a travel-related credit card.
Instead of racking up minimal cash back or arbitrary rewards points, get a card that will give you specific travel rewards like miles on that airline you love. We love the United Mileage Plus card because for every dollar spent it rewards with flight miles. Who doesn't love 'not paying' for flights?!
Travel at off-peak times. Hotels often drastically drop their prices during non-holiday weekends and seasons. The added benefit is that the destination will be less crowded. Plan your travel to avoid the popular long weekends like MLK Weekend and President's Day Weekend, and hit the islands in the early summer rather than January - March.