Deals
Note: This story was originally written and published at Thrifty Traveler, a flight deal and travel website. It has been republished here with their permission. You can read the original story on the Flight First Rule on their website.
By Kyle Potter
Thrifty Traveler
Most travelers follow a similar script when planning any trip: Set the dates, pick a spot, book a hotel, book a flight, and go.
You’re doing it wrong: That’s a recipe to pay too much for flights almost every single time. But four simple words could help you significantly cut the cost of airfare every time you fly. And no, it’s not by clearing your cookies or booking flights on a Tuesday. This is even bigger than that.
We call it The Flight First Rule. And it’s exactly what it sounds like.
Instead of deciding on the dates of your trip before booking your flights,… Continue reading
With the European Union announcement that fully vaccinated travelers should be able to fly to Europe at some point this summer, sufficiently jabbed baby boomers can take advantage of some truly exceptional airfares currently being offered to the Continent.
There are also some lower-than-low airfares to Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and within the U.S. Some are almost mind-boggling.
But you have to know where to look — and just as important, when to look.
That’s where the website ThriftyTraveler.com comes in.
By subscribing to its Premium service, you’ll get email notifications of hot airfare deals around the globe within minutes from the time they appear — which is good, because some of these deals disappear within a matter of hours. Thrifty Traveler considers a fare worth writing about if it’s $250 or more off… Continue reading
Here’s a way to get some of your travel juices flowing even if you’re confined at home for safety purposes, as I am, and can’t travel for the time being.
It’s the three-day Travel Like a Pr0 Summit, with Jerry Winans as ringmaster and interviews with more than 20 travel writers and bloggers, including yours truly. It’s filled with travel tips that, with good fortune, we’ll all be able to use as the world eventually return to normalcy.
I hope you’ll find it informative and inspirational, in a time when we could all use a little inspiration — keeping in mind the thousands of Americans and those around the world who have lost their lives to COVID-19, many of whom contacted the coronavirus while traveling in infected areas, on cruise ships, and in other settings.
Links to the interviews for days one and two are available today; watch… Continue reading
On a tight budget? You can still travel the world.
I’m pleased to present another guest post from Jim McKinley, our financial writer in residence (well, virtual residence), who always has good tips for baby boomers who want to make wise use of their travel funds — and who doesn’t?
In today’s post, Jim — a baby boomer himself — looks at several ways to save money on a trip, both leading up to and during your travels.
By Jim McKinley
Many baby boomers have more time to travel now, whether it’s because they’re empty-nesters or retirees, and they’re pursuing it with more intense interest as well, as bucket lists beckon.
The good news is that travel is good for you, with benefits for the mind and body.
You’ll stay active strolling around museums and markets, swimming in the sea, or hiking in the forest, and it’ll broaden… Continue reading
White Rhino
As a follow-up to our recent post “5 Great Reasons to Take an African Safari,” we bring you this offer from Kenya Airways:
A free safari with the Nairobi National Park Stopover Package!
Yes, passengers traveling on Kenya Airways flight 101 from London’s Heathrow Airport to Nairobi and transiting to one of seven other East African destinations can spend a long layover looking for wild animals rather than vegetating in Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport waiting for their onward flight.
Animals you might see include rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hippos, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and birds (with over 400 bird species recorded).
If you have at least six hours to kill between flights, and book the arrangements in advance, you’ll be:
* Met on arrival at the transit terminal by the “KQ Karibu” hospitality team
* Fast-tracked through immigration using your granted eVisa
* Transferred… Continue reading
One of Europe’s sleek new trains. Photo from Rail Europe.
My favorite method of traveling through Europe is by train, and Americans are fortunate to be able to buy Eurail Passes, which offer a variety of ways to tour the continent by rail.
You can choose among the One Country Pass — allowing you to thoroughly explore, say, France, Italy, or Spain; the Select Pass, which lets you choose among two, three, or four bordering countries; or the global pass, good for exploring the whole of Europe, up to 28 countries.
And from now until December 31, you can purchase Eurail Passes at 20 percent off their usual price.
On top of that, you’ll get an extra 15 percent off if two of you travel together on all segments. (Make sure you choose you travel partner carefully, since you will just have one pass with two names on it,… Continue reading
JetBlue is a low-cost carrier. Photo by Tony Hisgett on flickr
Today we’re featuring the second in a series of How to Travel on the Cheap by Jesse Miller, who writes for the website JenReviews.com.
This post is filled with tips on how to save money on different forms of transportation: flying, taking trains and buses, going on cruises, and utilizing public transportation, car services, and my own favorite method of getting around manageable distances: walking.
Here, then, are Jesse’s tips on getting the best deals on what is often the most expensive part of your vacation:
By Jesse Miller
In order to take your trip, you’ll need ways to get around. Because these transportation services are typically the most costly, it’s important to weigh your options based on your budget instead of convenience.
Even though flying is the most common mode of travel when taking a vacation, there… Continue reading
Photo by Tony Hisgett on flickr
In Part 2 of our multi-part series on travel deals and discounts for active-duty military and vets, Alex Miller, writing for upgradedpoints.com, takes a look at websites and airlines that offer special airfares for military personnel past and present.
Following that up, Miller then details websites that offer deals on resorts and other lodging options for veterans.
To read Miller’s previous post, which outlined a number of websites dedicated to travel (and other) deals for the military, go here.
By Alex Miller
Booking Flights as a Military Veteran
The following websites provide discounted flight booking for veterans:
- Military Fares: Military Fares allows users to search a variety of airlines for military airfares. The platform is a Priceline Partner Network that provides an extensive offering of flights. Recent military deals that users have purchased are displayed so visitors… Continue reading
Photo from USAA
If you’re a military veteran or part of a veteran’s immediate family, keep reading — you won’t regret it.
The website upgradedpoints.com recently came out with a detailed guide to travel discounts for active-duty U.S. military and veterans, and it’s eye-opening.
While I was familiar with the concept of military discounts, I had no idea so many travel deals were available for vets and how many organizations provide access to resources.
In the first part of a multi-part series of guest posts, writer Alex Miller profiles ten organizations that offer travel deals (along with other services) for the military and provides links for further info.
He follows that with a look at four websites where vets can book discounted travel and bring their families along.
By Alex Miller
Over 8 million consumers are part of the U.S. military community when you count active duty, retired personnel, reservists,… Continue reading
Before you fly, check all your options.
How to find the lowest airfares?
It’s a vexing question in this day and age in which many of us essentially act as our own own travel agents.
This usually means combing a variety of Internet search engines and airline sites, taking a stab at sometimes obscure “airfare hacks” that may be overly complex or irrelevant to our situations, or just quickly booking a flight and hoping for the best because we simply don’t have time for all the other stuff.
Of course, one thing is always in the back of your mind: Could I have saved hundreds of dollars or more by checking more sites, trying more hacks, booking on a different day?
Steve Cuffari, Senior Content Marketing Manager at couponbox.com, an international savings website that includes a travel component, feels your pain. He notes that “Flight hunting is… Continue reading
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