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Travel Tips – How to Get More for Your Money
- Published: September 9, 2010 by Umma Queenan Comments (0)
Here are a few insider tips on how to get those really cheap flights, upgrades, the VIP lounge and airport parking…
1.) Get free flights by applying for a new credit card.
Some airline-backed credit cards offer free flights when you sign up. All you need to do is apply, spend on the card (in some cases, there’s no minimum spend), pay off the bill, and you’ll get a voucher for a free return flight to Europe. Then cut up the card and apply for another one.
2.) To find the best seats
Go to www.airlinequality.com for passenger reviews and the all-important rows and numbers to ask for at check-in. Seat size, along with the amount of legroom, varies according to the airline – at www.seatguru.com you can check each airline’s seat size before booking.
3.) Fly as a courier to get cheap airline tickets.
Fares vary according to where you’re going, but rest assured all you’re carrying is paperwork. Contact airlines for details. If you’re traveling as a couple, you can take advantage of one reduced fare, buy the other standard price, and you should still be able to check in and sit together.
4.) It goes without saying that the best seats will be first class
But if you can’t afford the airfare, join the airline’s frequent flyer club as you’ll have more chances of an upgrade if you’re a ‘loyal’ customer. Ask at check-in if you can be listed as ‘SFU’, that’s airline speak for ‘suitable for an upgrade’ which gives the impression you’re a regular flyer who’s been upgraded before.
5.) Stressed and hassled before you’ve even boarded the plane?
Relax in the executive lounge first; there are over one hun¬dred tucked away in airports across the world, and while it costs from around $13 a time, once in you can enjoy unlim¬ited food and drink. So that could be a glass of champagne before your flight, or a leisurely breakfast reading the complimentary papers. Go to www.loungepass.com for reservations and locations.
Last-minute shopping
Buy sun cream and paperbacks at the supermarket before you go. Stocking up at the airport usually costs more. Price-match your favorite perfume or tipple in the high street before you hit duty free; some supermarkets offer cut-price deals so you may find it’s cheaper to buy once you’re back home than at the air¬port. Plus buying and packing those extras before the airport means you will have time to relax rather than embark on a full-scale shopping trip.
Airport parking
Don’t turn up and park on the day as you’ll pay more. Pre-book your space online for the biggest discount: www.gosimply. com/airport-parking and www.holidayextras.co.uk are great sites for savings. Or book an overnight stay at a hotel near the airport; many offer free parking while you’re away and a night’s accommodation will be much cheaper than two weeks’ parking.
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