Traveling need not be an expensive affair if you are careful enough. The dynamics of traveling have drastically changed over the years. Travelers have more control and less anxiety now when it comes to a dream holiday. No one needs to constantly worry about the availability of hotel rooms, or whether the price of accommodation is reasonable. Everything from itinerary to lodging and sightseeing can be managed online. Therefore, the traveler has more options and thus more scope to research before deciding on a particular service. Still, not everyone is tech-savvy, or aware of the simple tricks that can make a big difference in travel budgets. Here, we try to list certain proven ways to save money while you plan your trip.
Tinker with Your Browser: Contrary to popular belief, prices for services are not the same for everyone on the internet. They vary specifically depending on the location of the traveler. Further, there might be some arcane company policy instated that cause prices to soar for a particular country/region. You must check this out before you book your air tickets or search for affordable hotel rooms. You can browse in incognito mode or use VPNs and compare the price difference. This process may take some time, but it is a sure-fire way to pay the best prices on services. The internet often makes use of complex algorithms to determine prices, and the strategy mentioned above can give you a break from this absurdity.
- Clear Your Cookies First
You must practice this trick especially if you are a returning customer with a service. Just add a cookie remover plug-in to your browser and click on the icon to turn it on when you visit the relevant website. A lot of companies offer special discounts and promo codes to first-time customers which you might lose out on, otherwise. You can also sign in with a different account to make sure you are taking advantage of all the offers.
Further, cookies are effective data traps that mechanically gauge the psychology of internet users. If you are planning a holiday, you must have searched about it on the internet. Cookies let the service provider know about your fixation with a holiday location, thus causing a price hike. The money you will save by applying this simple trick can be utilized in booking your hotel room or a tour package.
- Book Through the Hotel’s Website
Hotels more often than not have loyalty programs that reward frequenters. However, even if you are visiting a hotel for the first time, you should make your booking on the hotel’s official website. Third-party websites might pose a difficult set of problems. Firstly, they might charge extra bucks as commission. Secondly, there is the issue of trust that needs to be checked and rechecked. There is no dearth of phishing and fraudulent sites on the internet. Keep away from sites that have no reviews, or have only positive reviews pit up that sound too good to be true.
Further, if you book your stay through the hotel’s official website, you are more likely to crack unofficial deals. These include free Wi-Fi facilities and maybe even free breakfast. You might even get additional discounts on the total price if you call directly. Search engines list and sort prices from low to high, but they are often not updated.
- Take Advantage of Flyer Programs
Airlines often provide discounts to loyal and frequent customers. They assign unique flyer numbers to their customers which, when entered on the site while booking a flight, might unlock special discounts. While you enter the number, double-check to make sure that you have entered the correct number. Often, technical glitches happen and your trips are not rewarded with a flyer number. it is difficult to keep track of these things. The best workaround is to check your ticket for the number, and if it is not there, ask to update the booking. You can do this right at the airport, and the excess amount charged will be refunded to your account soon.
- Always Compare Prices
Different airlines charge different rates for a trip, and this does not depend on the type of your booking. You will find certain airlines that are cheaper and provide complimentary meals, while others charge gratuitously. These are just company policies that nobody understands, but you must do your research before choosing your flight. You can install relevant browser extensions that automatically compare prices for the same flight on different websites. You can also search for flights on dedicated travel search engines for better and pertinent results. Check the reviews written by verified customers before you shortlist your preferred flights.
- Check Prices with the Airline
The airlines have a deal with the travel websites that will not offer a cheaper price on their website. However, if you directly call the airline, you might get access to some exclusive perks. These offers are not put up by the airline on its sites to avoid allegations of predatory marketing. Further, you may also get recent updates on services and offers that are not mentioned on the website. You might even have early access to flash sales that are still not up and running on the website.
- Pay for Luggage Allowance in Advance
These days there is hardly any free service offered at airports. At best, you can reduce spending with careful deliberation. If you are traveling with luggage, pay the luggage allowance beforehand. This strategy is a smart one because once you check in and try to pay for your luggage, you will most likely be charged extra. Sometimes, this amount is outrageously more than the amount that you would pay if you pay in advance.
These were some strategies that you can apply if you are going on a holiday. Overpaying for services has a bitter aftertaste and is best avoided. It is better to do the due research on the place you are visiting to come up with new strategies yourself! We wish you a happy and safe journey!
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