How to Travel for Less 

You can travel for less if you are willing to do a little homework and if you have a schedule flexible enough to take advantage of last minute opportunities. While it’s true you probably won’t be flying first class or staying in 4 star hotels, you can still travel cheaply and have a very satisfactory experience

Scour the internet for travel sites that offer comparisons of flight costs. On most of these sites, you can sign up for email or text alerts when a lower fare is available for your desired destination.

Be willing to fly stand-by. You can always fly Standby. The Airlines pay you to relinquish you seats even pay for Accommodations or give you other Airfares to use at a later date.

Use a credit card that will earn you frequent flyer miles with every purchase you make. Put all your purchases on that card; your frequent flyer miles will add up fast.

Visit the websites of various airlines to see if they are offering any spectacular vacation packages. Many of these airlines also offer special promotion deals, or a chance to win a free trip.

Be a courier and fly for free or for a drastically reduced rate. Some couriers hand carry sensitive documents that a company doesn’t want to entrust to a mail service. Some companies simply want someone to occupy a seat on a plane that is carrying their cargo so that the cargo is treated as “passenger’s baggage” so that it goes through the customs process faster

Investigate hospitality exchanges. You can stay at a local’s home for free; sometimes the furnishings are sparse, but it won’t cost you anything and you’ll get to meet people from all over the world.

Offer your services as a house sitter or pet sitter when other people go on vacation. Many people have second homes in resort areas and are happy to have someone staying in their home during the off season.

Call hotels directly to find the best rate.  Front desk clerks are often authorized to offer a better room rate when asked, especially if there are a lot of empty rooms available for the nights you are inquiring about

Volunteer to join the crew of a sailboat. You don’t have to have sailing experience to be on a crew; all boats need cooks and other help. If you have specialized culinary or mechanical skills, you may even get a paid position on the crew. But there are plenty of captains who are looking for people who want to exchange work for free passage

.Find websites that are looking for volunteer crew members. This is a great way to travel and dock at ports for your travel destinations.

Visit a marina and ask around;  there’s sure to be a captain preparing for a voyage and looking for free help.

Book flights that have multiple stops. Flights that require you to connect to other flights before your final destination can help increase your chances of either missing a flight, having a cancelled flight, or getting bumped along the way. When this happens, you will most likely be offered a travel voucher.

• Pack lightly and avoid checking any bags. This way, if you get bumped to another flight, you will be ready to go. If you do check your bag to a different flight, you may have to wait a couple of days before you get your luggage.

Stay with one airline. It is easier to accumulate flying vouchers and frequent flyer miles if you keep using the same airline. By showing your loyalty, you may be eligible for extra perks and upgrades too.^[7]

Find companies that offer promotional vouchers. Some airline companies offer free or discounted vouchers for flight tickets. To find these deals, you need to look into airline benefits offered by different credit card companies on airline websites.

• The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card offered by American Express offers a free companion voucher each year for their customers that you can apply toward a flight ticket.^[8]
• Watch out for bad deals. Some promotions require you to book through obscure travel agencies. Also, you may end up paying at least double the price of the ticket before you qualify for a “free” ticket.”
• Watch for deals that have blackout dates and capacity restrictions. You may not want to pursue offers that have too many limitations.

Work for an airline. Flight crews and most other airline employees receive free flight benefits. The perks range depending on the airline. Some airlines give two free flight tickets for their employees each year, and other airlines give discounted tickets that can be as much as a 90% reduction off the full ticket price.^[15]

• Southwest airline allows employees, spouses, eligible dependent children, and parents to fly on Southwest planes for free.^[16]
• American Airlines allow all of their employees to travel for free in coach class.

Go during the off-season. Most places have a tourist off-season when fewer people come and prices drop. For the Caribbean, this is usually April to August. Europe’s off-season is January to March. Visitors to Africa find better prices from May to September. You can also contact your accommodations directly prior to booking and ask them when their off-season begins and ends. ^{Off-season often coincides with less than ideal weather, so make sure that you consider this when packing your bags}

Create a budget. Start by choosing your destination and the number of days that you’d like to travel. Then, estimate how much you’ll need to buy a flight. Use the information that you’ve gathered on food, entertainment, and other expenses to determine a daily cost of living. Add up all of your costs until you have a total estimate for the trip.^[4]

• If you divide your total trip estimate by the number of days you are travelling, you’ll know the cost per day. This will help you to determine if you can afford a longer trip or if you need to cut it short.
• Look over your trip costs and see if there are areas where you can cut costs, such as eating in more instead of dining out.

Comparison shop for airfares. Check discount airfare sites, like Skyscanner, at least once a day looking for deals to your destination or just a low price ticket anywhere. The more flexible that you can be with your destination and dates, the better options you’ll get. Don’t be afraid to travel budget airlines, as they’ll likely offer fewer amenities but cheaper fares.^[5]

• Sign up for email or text alerts on the websites and they will reach out to you when prices drop. You can also sign up for an app, such as Hopper, which will track flight prices for you.^[6]
• Before you press that final “Book” button, make sure that you know exactly what you are getting, including any associated taxes or fees. For example, some websites may tack on extra administrative charges to the initial price.

Tips:

Keep a backpack or carry-on bag packed and ready to grab at the last minute so you can easily take advantage of special air flights.

Arrange to have all your bills paid through online banking. That way, you can leave at a moments’ notice without worrying about making special arrangements.

It’s not true that couriers have to be ready to fly at the drop of a dime. You do have to have some flexibility, but it is a very worthwhile way to travel.

Always ask about pricing in a bar or restaurant prior to ordering. This will let you know what to expect on your final bill. And, when you get your bill, read over it carefully before paying

Before you travel, investigate the attitude toward gratuities in your destinations. Most places request a 10 percent tip or even less

If you choose to exchange currency, only use bureaus that post both the buying and selling rates. This will let you know if the place is up selling the currency or not.

References

https://solotravelerworld.com/luxury-travel-on-a-budget/↑

https://www.wheretraveler.com/play/how-travel-budget-your-20s

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/thrifty-50-tips↑

http://thebudgetnistablog.com/2014/best-travel-tips/↑

https://www.wheretraveler.com/play/how-travel-budget-your-20s

 

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