Point taken.
Points, points, points and points. Every holiday earns you a crazy amount of points/miles. In fact an international vacation can earn you enough points for a free domestic holiday. So never forget to collect those points and miles, even if you have to go an extra mile for that 😉
There are 3 ways you can primarily earn points or miles from your holiday.
- Airlines Miles: Before you book your tickets, join the official loyalty program of the airlines you are planning to travel on. Some airlines give you extra miles if you book on their website.
- Hotel Loyalty Program: Just like airlines, almost every known hotel chain runs a loyalty program of their own. And you can earn some fairly descent points for every night you stay in a hotel. If possible try to stick to one or two hotel chains for all your stays. This will ensure faster upgrades and more points.
- Credit Cards: Find out which credit card gives you maximum rewards for using it to book your holiday. Almost every bank offers travel/airlines specific credit cards and most of the times with lots of bonus miles and ‘x’ times reward points for travel usage.
Look around before you buy
Compare all popular sites for prices before you book your travel. You will be surprised with the variation in prices. And to add to the chaos, there is no single site that gives best rates every time. If a hotel is cheap on one for a certain date, it might be priced lower on another one for a different date. There is no escaping the hard work. You can also try Happy Journey Price Check to compare hotel prices across sites. We also tend to forget checking the prices on airlines or hotel’s website. They also run attractive promotions.
Excuse me, just wanted to know if…
One of the easiest and simplest things you can do is to just ask. You will be surprised how many times they would give you extra benefits just because you asked for it. You can simply ask for airport transfer, upgraded room or business class seats. It doesn’t hurt and you’re no worse off than you were before you asked. In other words, you have nothing to lose.
Time it right.
Travel is at its most expensive during holidays, festivals, school vacations and other peak times of the year. On the other hand, off season travel is not only cheaper but better at times as you get more choice, less crowd and some really good off-season packages. However, if the time of year to travel is important to you, try to book as far in advance as possible.