Say you were a plumber and you showed up for work without the proper tools. Ridiculous, right? So why do so many people travel blind, throwing money at airlines, hotels and rental car companies, without really knowing what they’re doing? Okay, you think to yourself, I’d be more skilled if I, for instance, traveled more. Well, here’s a tip: You’d travel more, maybe, if you did it right — making sure every penny went towards, for instance, more travel. Luckily, it’s never too late to get started — here are a few must-do’s that’ll get you on the right path.
#1 Don’t fly another mile without signing up for a frequent flier program. How often do you travel? More than once a year? Are you earning points as a member of a frequent flyer program? If not, start. Sure, these programs aren’t what they used to be, but this isn’t a walk down memory lane — we’re talking about today. And the future. A future involving free flights. Which airline to choose? Don’t get distracted by bells and whistles. No, what you want is an airline with a ton of service out of your home market and one that’s part of a global network. Sign up and be loyal — the results may surprise you.
#2 Stop behaving like a 16-year-old when it comes to hotels. You know what those hotels that look real pretty on the pages of a glossy magazine are good for? Looking pretty on the pages of a glossy magazine. How about we make this the year we start acting like adults? Join a hotel rewards program and start banking points for every stay. This doesn’t mean spending the rest of your life staying at the Marriott (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It simply means stop throwing money at hotels that don’t give you anything back. For example, joining the Starwood Preferred Guest program means you reap rewards from stays at W and Aloft brand hotels, as well as their network of Luxury Collection properties — rewards that can be redeemed for everything from future stays to flights and other travel awesomeness.
#3 Switch credit cards to those that give you travel points. Whether it’s British Airways or Hilton or whatever brand you choose, every dollar you put on a credit card should be earning you points towards those programs. It’s that simple. Pretty much every airline and hotel chain has them. Get one. Maybe even get two — one for your airline, one for your preferred hotel chain. Then watch the rewards rack up. Best of all, many of them have great signing bonuses, from free flights to a ton of points, to complimentary hotel stays and much more. Two things to watch for, though: Make sure there isn’t an overly steep annual fee for the card; also, as with any credit card, check and see if there are potentially prohibitive costs involved when using the card overseas.
#4 Ditto that debit card of yours. These days, even your bank card should be working towards your next vacation. Using your debit card from banks like Chase results in actual benefits — and we’re not just talking free gift cards to Red Lobster. Spend enough, and you’re looking at like free airfare. If you’re not sure what your debit card is doing for you, ask your bank; if need be, switch to a card — or a bank — that is going to be working for you.
#5 Monitor and redeem all earned points and rewards. After you join one or two programs, it can be difficult to remember what’s what. Easy fix: Sign up for a Web site like Awardwallet.com, which will easily track the whole kit and caboodle.
#6 Oh, and stop overpaying for your flights. Everyone who travels should be signed up to receive alerts from Airfare Watchdog (airfarewatchdog.com), a site that tracks all the airlines — including Southwest, Allegiant and others that don’t show up on search engines — and lets you know when fares are low. Dreaming of Hawaii? Set up a customized alert between your favorite area airport and the islands, track the fare and pounce when the time is right. Industry experts recommend this site time and time again for a reason.
#7 Ditto car rentals. The cutthroat world of car hire isn’t for the timid, but with a little savvy, you can go in swinging like a pro. First off, do some price shopping — use a site like carrentals.com to get a sense of how your desired market is behaving — and then go straight to the company and see if their rates are any lower (sometimes they are). Book a rate you like, then check out Autoslash (autoslash.com), which tracks reservations free of charge and automatically rebooks them at lower rates if they pop up. (Caveat: They don’t service all of the majors yet. For example: Hertz, yes, Avis, no.) If Autoslash can’t support your reservation, make sure you keep checking on your own — it’s not impossible to save $100 or more at the last minute, on the same exact reservation. (Yes, that is a thing that has really happened. Many times, actually.)
#8 Say no to the insurance con. Rental car insurance is a weak spot for most travelers. Even those who’ve been very smart airline-wise and hotel-wise often cave in and buy the over-the-counter insurance that rental car companies aggressively push on customers. A simple rule — check your existing policy and your credit card policies and make sure that you’re covered. If there’s any potential for trouble, get an American Express card (if you don’t already have one) and sign up for their Premium Car Rental Protection service. The cost is $24.95 per rental period — less than it costs to get the daily insurance bundle in many states — and it gives you a heap of coverage it should be mentioned) with no deductibles. Essentially, this is the perfect product for a car insurance-less New Yorker. (Note: Liability not included.)