Features

20 ways to be a smart traveller

30 Sep 2007 by BusinessTraveller

HOTELS

1) DON’T SETTLE FOR ‘BEST PRICE’ CLAIMS

Always shop around, even if a hotel website claims to have a “best price guarantee”. Websites such as ebookers.com and lastminute.com can still offer cheaper prices and sometimes have more favourable cancellation policies than hotel websites.

2) GO FOR A PACKAGE DEAL

If you’re spending a few nights in a city, take advantage of leisure deals. It’s usually cheaper to buy a package than booking flights and hotels separately. At busy times this can also be a nifty way of getting a room in a hotel advertised as fully booked on its website, as package holiday companies buy room allocations and may still have some available.

3) BOOK DIRECT WITH THE HOTEL

If you regularly visit a particular hotel, try to make contact with someone in the sales team and get a phone number or email address. Then, instead of booking your room online or through central reservations, call them up directly and you’ll have more chance of negotiating an upgrade or better rates.


CAR HIRE

4) BOOK WHERE THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Check out the US or Australian website of your favourite car rental company and you might find the same car for a cheaper price. Like airlines, rental companies sometimes offer different rates in different markets around the world, so use this to your advantage.

5) CHECK YOUR OWN TRAVEL INSURANCE AND CREDIT CARD INSURANCE

Don’t scrimp on insurance when hiring a car, but don’t fall into the trap of over-insuring yourself. Alison Smith, UK director of sales for Carlson Wagonlit, says: “You can end up buying all sorts of insurances that you don’t need because your company might already have a blanket policy which covers you.”

6) BOOK THROUGH A BROKER

Book through a car rental broker (such as carbroker.com), as this can often work out cheaper than booking directly with the company. If you’re reluctant to use a broker in case they can’t help when something goes wrong, note their lower rates and barter with the rental company for a cheaper price.


FLIGHTS

7) MAKE THE MOST OF CLEVER TICKETING METHODS

Large carriers price flights differently in separate parts of the world. If you fly a route regularly, save yourself hundreds of pounds by buying “back-to-back” tickets where the price is right. Just don’t do it too often, and don’t use your frequent flyer card or the airlines might catch on.

8) START YOUR JOURNEY IN EUROPE

Consider flying long-haul from a European hub if the flights are cheaper than in the UK. Flights from Germany to the US are particularly well-priced and often include a transfer in London. To take advantage of the price difference, buy a one-way ticket to Germany to catch the outward journey, then cancel the second leg of the return journey, so you can stay in the UK.

9) INCLUDE A SATURDAY NIGHT IN YOUR TRIP

Take a long-haul flight on a Saturday instead of a Monday and you’re likely to make a saving of up to 50 per cent. Including a Saturday night in your journey classes you as a leisure, rather than a business traveller, and provided you’re prepared to sacrifice your weekend at home, you won’t necessarily have to waste any time at your destination – you can arrive on Sunday morning in the Middle East at the start of the working day, or on Sunday evening in the Far East ready for work on Monday morning.

10) FLY PREMIUM ECONOMY

Still looking for that elusive upgrade? You have a much better chance of being upgraded from premium economy (think of the number of people in economy fighting for a better seat, compared with maybe 16 in premium economy – your chances have immediately multiplied ten-fold).

11) BOOK SEVERAL TICKETS WITH A BUDGET AIRLINE

If you know your travel destination but not the exact dates of travel, or know your dates but have a choice of several locations, buy a few budget flights well in advance. You can always discard the ones you don’t use and it might still work out cheaper than booking last minute. Make sure you book one-way tickets though – if you don’t take the outward leg, the return leg will be cancelled by the airline.

12) BUT DON’T ASSUME LOW-COST CARRIERS ARE ALWAYS CHEAPER

If you book your travel several months ahead, a low-cost carrier can be a good option. But always check their fares against scheduled airlines instead of just assuming you’ve found the best deal. Peter Kite, managing director of HRG UK, says: “If you take a so-called low-cost carrier and look four weeks out, then it will normally be cheaper than a scheduled carrier. Three days in, it’s probably going to be more expensive.”

13) READ THE SMALL PRINT

Make sure you’re familiar with a hotel or airline’s cancellation policy before committing yourself to a purchase. Maurice Veronique, deputy chairman of the Guild of Travel Management Companies, says: “This is where business people tend to fall down. They might go for the cheapest price and end up paying out a huge amount because the ticket is non-changeable and non-refundable”.

14) GET AN AIRLINE CREDIT CARD

Earn miles while you shop by applying for an airline credit card, such as those offered by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.


EXTRAS

15) TAXIS: KNOW YOUR FARES

Get hold of the telephone number of a taxi company in your destination – possibly through the company you’re visiting – and book taxis with them instead of hailing one on the street. Always make sure that you agree on a fare before setting off and be familiar with the exchange rate so you don’t get ripped off.

16) TRANSFERS: USE AN AIRLINE WITH CHAUFFEUR-DRIVE

Some airlines include chauffeur-drive from the airport in their business and first class fares. This saves you money on taxis and prevents you from losing out on airport exchange rates if you arrive in your destination without any cash in the local currency.

17) WIFI: GET IT FOR FREE AT THE AIRPORT

If you’re in a lounge which charges for wifi, have a wander around checking for other unsecured networks. Other carriers may provide complimentary access in their lounges nearby, and you can grab a free ride.

18) PHONE CALLS: BUY A LOCAL OR A WORLDWIDE SIM

If you spend a lot of time in one country, invest in a local SIM card for your mobile phone. This way you won’t be charged for incoming international calls and can easily communicate within your destination country at local rates. Alternatively buy an international SIM card (such as Oneroam), which allows you to use your mobile in most countries without incurring roaming charges.

19) FOOD AND DRINK: STAY ON AN EXECUTIVE FLOOR

Book yourself onto an executive floor so you can take advantage of the complimentary food and drink. It’s best to get as many services included in your hotel room as possible. Maurice Veronique says: “Extra costs have been cut by hotels offering services included in the room price, such as airport transfers, wifi and executive floors with free breakfast, snacks and afternoon tea. This saves travellers quite a lot of money.”

20) FINALLY, BE NICE!

Common courtesy can get you a long way. You may arrive at your hotel or airport tired and frustrated but good manners can get you anything from a smile to an upgrade, so be polite and keep them on your side. Remember that people in service industries are treated very badly, and are likely to be more responsive when treated with due respect.


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