Tips To Save On Holiday Travel
 By R.K. Sparkman

Holiday travel for business or pleasure promises to be a lot of work and not always fun. There are ways to make it easier, less stressful and even less costly.

Big questions:

1. When should you book flights, hotel or rental cars for the best deals?

2. What days should you avoid traveling?

3. Are there secrets to getting the best deals?

Short answers:

1. The sooner the better.

2. The crowded ones.

3. Yes, there are secrets, but read on.

Most airlines give discounts for early bookings, so the sooner you book, the cheaper it’s likely to be. Best rates usually include a Saturday night stay and travel during weekdays.

Research and preparation avoid hassles and save money. Online services such as Expedia.com assist in comparing airline rates, which vary widely. Some credit cards offer special discounts for particular airlines.

Cut costs by splitting your trip into two roundtrips with a midway stopover, rather than flying direct. The tradeoff is the hassle that comes with changing planes.

To reduce hotel and car rental prices, consider a package combining the flight with them. Ask about and then apply for any special discount programs. Whatever the price and whatever you’re buying, ask if it’s is the lowest rate available. Sometimes discounts for age groups, students, government, military or corporate employees and even for large groups aren’t mentioned. So ask.

Always check special deals through membership in associations, such as AFS. For example, AFS Members save up to 25 percent through Budget Car Rental at participating U.S. locations and in 120 countries. AFS membership also extends a 10-percent savings on Enterprise Rent-A-Car and 15 percent on Hertz rentals. Adding convenience to savings, you will find these car rental locations in hundreds of airport terminals.

Speaking of convenience, what would you do if you had a medical emergency while traveling? Assist America Emergency Travel Assistance Services gives AFS Members access to qualified physicians and medical facilities around the world when traveling 100 miles or more from home. Get medical consultations, emergency evacuation, transportation home when medically necessary, even assistance if you lose your prescription medication.

When planning holiday travel, be aware that congestion is worst on peak travel days, December 19-23 and January 2-6. The more you distance yourself from these dates, the less trouble and uncertainty you can expect.

Here’s a checklist of other travel tips:

• Check airlines’ Web sites for business partners offering bonus points or miles or discounts.

• Consider an alternate destination for a cheaper rate. Maybe fly into a neighboring city, then cover the difference by car or bus.

• Cheap is good, but also consider investigating for on-time, safety and customer service records and even for the most lenient luggage policy. For these go to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report Web page at www.dot.gov/airconsumer/index1.htm.

• To avoid long, slow lines at airline ticket counters, check in electronically and use curb-side luggage kiosks.

• Fly early in the day to increase chances of getting on another flight that day if your flight is cancelled. Taking early flights also helps you avoid delays that invariably build up during the day..

• Resort hotels catering to holiday travel often enhance offerings with theme park or ski lift tickets, etc.

• Get to the airport two hours early. Earlier for international flights.

• Leave pocketknives, scissors and other prohibited items at home or packed in luggage you check, rather than carry on.

• Leave gifts unwrapped to avoid having to unwrap them at security checkpoints.

• Have photo identification for boarding. For international travel, a valid passport and a visa also may be required.

• Depending on your sense of adventure, Northwest and Delta airlines plan to continue normal operations despite filing bankruptcy. You might want to monitor changes through Expedia.com.

Finally, avoid post 9-11 grief. Don’t joke about security issues in airports. You could end up arrested.

(Posted November 2005)

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