Search Results for: blog more bad news for cash strapped flyers

Last-Minute Holiday Travel Deals

  Today is considered one of the busiest travel days of the year, along with the day after Christmas and January 2nd.  If you are looking for deals on a holiday getaway, your window of opportunity isn’t completely closed.  According to travel experts, you can still score last-minute savings on flights to some destinations if you travel on Christmas day.  You can also save a little money if you take-off three or four days after December 25th. Another way to save is to book online.  Check the websites of individual budget carriers, as well as travel aggregate sites. Flying on … Continue reading →

Studying Airfare Structures

Saving money on air travel doesn’t come without a little effort.  Or, in some cases, a lot of effort.  The advent of the Internet has made booking more convenient, but not all sites are easy to navigate; consequently, finding the best fare can be quite challenging.  Add to that the vast array of fare structures that vary from airline to airline and you may be tempted to drive to your vacation destination rather than fly. To help travelers find prices that best suit their budgets, American Airlines recently unveiled a new fare structure.  It offers potential fliers three coach-class fare … Continue reading →

Ways to Save on Airline Fees

Just when you thought commercial carriers couldn’t possibly penalize your pocketbook any more with their exorbitant baggage fees, Spirit Airlines just announced it plans to charge passengers $100 for carry-ons. Fortunately, there are ways you can avoid being hit with this outrageous fee. Beginning November 6th, Spirit will slap passengers with the 100-buck fee if they wait until they get to the boarding gate to pay. If you fly the discount airline and pay before getting to the airport, you will save a substantial amount of money. Here’s how you can avoid being hit with the sky-high baggage surcharge: Option … Continue reading →

Adding Up Travel Expenses

Traveling isn’t cheap. Whether you are embarking on a cross-country drive to see Mickey and friends in Anaheim, California, or you’re hopping a puddle-jumper from Milwaukee to Minneapolis for a marathon shopping spree at the Mall of America, traveling expenses can add up fast. Hotels: Before booking a hotel room make sure to inquire about all fees. Don’t be blindsided at check-out just because you neglected to read the fine print on your receipt. Some of the most egregious fees include mandatory valet parking. The privilege of being able to park in the hotel’s lot can set you back a … Continue reading →

Make Peace with Packing

We all love to travel, but unless you are Martha Stewart-organized, packing for vacation can be a real pain. Whether you are jetting off to grandma’s house in Omaha or planning to watch history being made in London during the Summer Olympics, you will likely need more than just a toothbrush and underwear to get through a week-long trip. Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce stress when packing for a summer getaway. For starters, if you are flying on a commercial airline that charges an arm and a leg for excess baggage, consider wearing your heaviest shoes and clothes … Continue reading →

Avoid the Pains of Packing

One of the downsides of taking a vacation is packing. Let’s face it; packing is a pain. Fortunately, there is a way to lighten the pressure of gathering travel essentials and placing them in various bags. The key: Keep it simple. Given the astronomical luggage fees imposed by commercial airlines these days it’s best to streamline your packing. Don’t take items that you can find at your travel destination. For example, most hotels feature hair dryers, towels, shampoo and bathrobes, so keep yours at home. If you are worried that your accommodations won’t have certain necessities, call and ask, so … Continue reading →

Playing the Airfare Game

Timing is everything when you are trying to land an amazing deal on airfare. This is especially true if you are booking online. Whereas there are dozens of travel websites out there, convenience and accessibility doesn’t make snagging a rock bottom deal less complicated. For example, many travelers scoop up airline seats thinking they’ve scored a super deal, only to discover that two days later prices plummeted by 30 percent or more. So how do you win at the high-stakes game of airfare poker? According to travel experts, there are two main strategies that come into play when searching for … Continue reading →

The True Price of Flying

I am constantly on the look out for cheap flights to Hawaii. Last year, I thought I had struck gold when I happened upon a roundtrip, non-stop fare from Chicago to Honolulu for a mere $500. Turns out the actual retail price after taxes and mandatory fees was a not-so wonderful $665. How is that possible? I didn’t bother doing the math to determine the exact breakdown of the additional costs. Rather, I chocked it up to the chokehold the airline industry has on consumers and went about sulking. Fast-forward six months and I’ve turned that frown upside down. According … Continue reading →

Freaking Out Over Airline Fees

Just when you thought commercial airlines couldn’t suck you dry any more than they already do, several carriers are making headlines for the astronomical fees they charge for severely overweight checked bags. American Airlines reports that it charges passengers a whopping $450 for a bag weighing 71-100 pounds on its Asian flights. Meanwhile, United and Continental Airlines charge $400 for bags that weigh 71 to 99.9 pounds on international flights. According to a USA TODAY survey, those are the most expensive fees that airlines charge flyers these days. I am stunned by the numbers, but at the same time, I … Continue reading →

Luggage Graveyard

Scottsboro, Alabama. Ever been? If you are looking for lost luggage you may want to book a trip, pronto. In a previous post I shared my lost bag story of woe. At the time I was wearing my aunt’s clothes while the carrier tried to find my electric blue suitcase, I never dreamed that my bag could end up in a 40,000-square-foot structure along a dusty country road in Alabama. But alas, Scottsboro is where many lost bags come to die… or find new owners courtesy of rock-bottom prices. The southern city is home to the Unclaimed Baggage Center, a … Continue reading →