As the holidays quickly approach, the desire to travel may be at the top of your bucket list. Travel for many people can be expensive, but with the right tools, tips and tricks, you can cut down on your travel expenses and maximize your time away.
Whether you’re headed to Aspen, Colorado for a Winter cabin trip with scenic mountainous views, or a tropical destination to the Caribbean, many trips can cost a chunk of change.
To help you best plan your trip, Essence GU spoke with travel guru, Jessica Morrobel, of Traveling with Jessica, to help you navigate this special time!
Search for Travel Deals
Hotels and airlines are always offering deals for frequent travelers. You just have to be able to find them. Morrobel suggests turning on alerts for popular websites like Google Flights, Sky Scanner, or Hopper, which allows you to track prices. Setting alerts will let you know when popular travel destinations have price drops for the holiday season allowing you to jump on these deals quickly.
Downloading the app allows these alerts to be sent straight to your phone. When planning a trip, be flexible with your dates and consider leaving during less popular dates and times.
Additionally, Morrobel recommends using sites like Expedia to find package deals. Oftentimes these deals include flights, hotels, car rentals and excursions at a discounted price. This way, all of your travel necessities will be bundled and will cost you less.
Sign Up For Loyalty Programs
It pays to be loyal! When you stick to one airline or hotel chain, by signing up for loyalty programs, you are able to rack up points. After flying or staying frequently, you can become eligible for free or discounted stays. For example, Marriott BonVoy members can receive perks like complimentary WiFi or late check out. As you stay longer at the hotel chain, your perks elevate and can be redeemed.
For flights, before you book it, enter your airline specific travel number to keep track of your previous flights. Additionally, loyalty programs will allow you specific perks at an airline or hotel chain like pre-boarding or free snacks in a hotel restaurant.
Consider Travel Credit Cards
Credit cards from banks are often a great way to earn rewards on travel accommodations, dining, and rental cars. Most banks allow additional perks like cash back on specific purchases. For example, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card allows you to earn 3% cash back in spending categories like travel, online shopping and dining. Certain credit cards offer bonus cash rewards for specific spending categories — these categories often change monthly and need to be activated on your bank’s app.
When considering which credit card to pick, Morrobel suggests looking at sign up bonuses, especially if you are signing up for your first ever travel credit card. Sign up bonuses often offer up a substantial amount of points after spending a certain amount of money during the first couple of months. These points can be used to kick off your travel benefits. Morrobel also suggests looking at specific credit cards like the American Express Platinum, that includes perks that can be combined with airline or hotel partners.
Maximizing travel perks can turn any traveler into an expert. Remember to start off small and learn more as you go.