Excerpted from Condé
Nast Traveler
Time it Right
1. Fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.
Traveling on off-peak days – and at off-peak times – means
lower fares, a less crowded cabin and a greater chance of snagging those
elusive mileage-award seats. Taking two days off for a long weekend? Instead of a Thursday to Sunday or a Friday to
Monday trip, save money by flying on a Saturday and returning on a Tuesday.
Photo by Cynthia Dial
2. Hop Between Cities at Midday.
When you’re traveling through Europe or Asia and need to get
from one city to another, consider scheduling transportation for the middle of
the day. If you leave at dawn, you miss
the sunrise – ideal for photography and observing locals – and reach your
destination at midday, when temperatures are highest, the light is at its worst
for photos and it’s too early to check into your hotel. (You may also have to fight rush-hour
commuters and miss a breakfast that is included in your rate.)
3. Visit Islands During Shoulder Season.
Peak-season rates on islands often reflect nearby countries’
vacation schedules rather than the best time to visit (Bali’s hotels, for instance,
fill up with Japanese in early May and with Australians in January). In low season, many businesses shut
down. Shoulder season – when crowds are
thinner but the weather is still good – is the solution.
Find the Hidden Deals
4. Sign Up for E-mail Notifications.
The best airfare and hotel sales are largely
unannounced. Airlines and hotel
companies target specific subsets of travelers – loyalty program members,
holders of certain credit cards, people who’ve registered on their Web sites –
and alert them by e-mail. To keep your
in-box from being bombarded, get a dedicated e-mail address for such alerts and
check it when you’re ready to start planning your next trip. If you can make quick purchasing decisions,
sign up for alerts from flash-sale sites that sell hotel rooms at discounts of
40 percent or more, such as Jetsetter and Tablet Hotels.
Find the Right Human Beings
5. Get the Best Room for Your Dollar
At luxury properties, rates vary substantially according to
occupancy. A room could be $350 one week because there’s a big group and $250
the next because nobody’s coming. For top-end
hotels that have on-site reservation desks, call and ask the manager when,
during your travel window, the hotel will be emptiest and thus have the lowest
rates. Then ask something like, “If I
come on that date, would there be a chance of an upgrade to ocean-view?”
No comments:
Post a Comment