Showing posts with label Travelocity. Show all posts

Thursday, June 18, 2015

#Travel! Take a Great Trip, AND Save Money! #TravelDeals #Holiday! #Victoria #Tofino #BC #Hotel #CarRental #WorkVisa #Summer #Vacation! #Roses #Gardens #Cruises #Cruiseships #CovidTest to Travel

I got you a #discountcode! 😍🤗⚕️💖

#Code: Ailsa30

https://letsgetchecked.7no9.net/c/362137/998577/8695  #ad 

If you need a #covidtest to #travel✈️

#LetsGetChecked #Medical #tests to do at home

Yay!! Some Fantastic New Travel Deals for You!! Yippee!
(And I get a wee something from every sale through my blog, so thank you sooo much! and that doesn't affect your deal, at all - I can get you all the best deals - yahoo!)

I got you a #discountcode! 😍🤗⚕️💖
#Code: Ailsa30
https://letsgetchecked.7no9.net/c/362137/998577/8695  #ad 
If you need a #covidtest to #travel✈️
#LetsGetChecked #Medical #tests to do at home #MensHealth #womenshealth 

#VitaminD Levels #HPV #STD #Cancers #Diabetes #Kidney #fertility https://letsgetchecked.7no9.net/c/362137/998577/8695

(In case you're coming our way! #VictoriaBC #Canada is ALWAYS gorgeous! Our beautiful city!)

Wow - and did you know that there are all sorts of amazing deals when you turn 55? Omg, I'm so excited! Pays to be 55+ - lol! Finally, it has happened to me - hahaha!

Cheap Airline Deals with CheapOair.com Promo Code: AIR50

Super Saver Flight DealsCheap Hotel Deals with CheapOair.com Promo Code HOTEL30

Last Minute Flights with CheapOair.com Promo Code: LM20

Handpicked Top Flight Deals On CheapOair - Promo Code: DAILY16

Look at these gorgeous Fall Faces! So pretty!

Victoria, BC, Canada - so full of flowers and Autumn Colors! You'll love it! : )

I love getting the Booking Buddy deals right in my email - so super easy! Yahoo!!

Butchart Gardens at night - stroll through the gorgeous gardens, just outside of Victoria, in the evenings - and there's a concert, every night, is soo gorgeous! And light out 'til 10pm : )

Oh my goodness, the amount of color in the Gardens, right now - is ah'mazing! You'll love it!

I think this is around 8:30, 9:00pm, the other night - just the perfect temperature for a lovely walk!

Well, not the best pics o' me, but great pics of the Rose Garden! lol!

And here's mah' boy, my new Graduate (!), Aidan! lol!

Aidan's always happy to go along for a walk with me! Yahoo! : )

Oooh, I Love Traveling! So Much Fun! Who doesn't love to jump on a plane, or jump in the car, and head somewhere soo cool? (That's a lot of jumping around - lol! Jump around to different destinations! Yahoo!! Yippee!)

ENTER to WIN a $3,500 Southwest Airlines Sweepstakes!

Oooh, Win a Free Trip - love it! Aaand, Get a $25 Amazon Gift Card for booking through TripAdvisor? sweet deal! Yahoo! I love a freebie! Yippee!! : )

Book a hotel using TripAdvisor Instant Book, leave a review of your stay on TripAdvisor.com, and get a $25 Amazon Gift Card! $200 minimum spend. (8/15-10/3)

Wow, we're getting a visit from the Royal Family, next week! So exciting! That's JUST how gorgeous we are, up here (out here? haha!), that William and Kate want to come out for a visit - and bring Prince George and Princes Charlotte! How exciting is that? I really hope they take the kids over to what we call, the Octopus Park - maybe Gyro Park? I'll pop in to see what the real name is, since we rename everything, purely for our own amusement, but this is one of the funniest children's playgrounds I've ever seen - and we've been to about a million parks, over the years - lol!

Yep, just checked - it's Cadboro-Gyro Park, just down from the University of Victoria - and maybe they'll take a little walk around the Gardens at UVic, too - always so gorgeous! Really, everywhere you look, here in Victoria, BC, Canada - it's all beautiful! No wonder we love it so much!

Victoria's Parliament buildings at night - always so gorgeous - and for Fish and Chips, we always go to Barb's, over at the Fisherman's Wharf - really good food, big fat pieces of fish (we like that! lol!), and we love their Clam Strips - yum!

And Red Fish Blue Fish, in the Inner Harbour - is just harder to find parking, really long lines, but the Fish and Chips are amazing - soo good! And, for sure, try the Deep Fried Pickles - ah'yum!

I'm so excited for the Royal Visit to Victoria, because I know they'll have a lovely time, and it'll be lots of fun for the kids, too! : )

This IS what I love to do - choose a place you would loove to visit, then see if you can get a Work Visa and a job there - in any country - you can usually get a 1 Year Work Visa, sometimes longer - Australia is more open to Youth Travel, America is much harder to get into, but worth a try, especially if you're well-educated, and your Profession is on the list of needed Professions.... but there are so many opportunities out there, for you to try - Discover Your Whole World!

Up to 65% off Vegas Weekend Getaways + free buffets and resort credit!

Oh, Hello, Free Buffet! Yum!

Up to 40% on hotels in beautiful Victoria British Columbia when you book with Travelocity.ca

In case you're coming out for the Royal Visit, in Victoria, BC, Canada, September 24th - so exciting!!

Extended Stay America is a great option, especially if you are planning on staying for a while, and need a nice place to stay while you're looking for more permanent accommodation - or, and this happens a lot in Los Angeles - you can literally just live there - it might be a lot less than a regular rental, so that's something to think about, if you are going for a while, and not sure where to stay - would give you your bearings, get to know the place, right? And a full fridge, Extended Stay America has a Pet Friendly Policy - just check to see if it's right for you : )

ExtendedStayHotels.com-Find Great Deals in Hot Markets and Last Minute Week-End Discounts! Click Here!

I always feel, if you love it, fantastic, see if you can stay longer, and if you don't particularly love it, look around see where you might like to go, next - have fun with your life - at any age! : )

Teach English overseas.

Oh, man, what a cool #Contest! Hello, Free Trips! Tag your #bookingyeah photo moment for your chance to win $20,000 in Booking.com Accommodations!

Victoria Hotels Walk this way... to Victoria, BC, Canada - this is where we live! We looove it in Victoria - it's endlessly beautiful, here! We have mild weather in the winter, gorgeous and hot in the summer - really, it's like we have an amazing Summer, jam-packed full of flowers, then a gorgeous Fall, then it's kinda like Spring for the rest of the year - lol! Always green (with envy? haha!) - is so pretty, all the time : ) We have Palm Trees in Victoria, too how cool is THAT??

This is at Butchart Gardens, about a 15 minute drive from Victoria, BC, Canada - you can take a bus tour out there, or just take the regular city bus - #BCTransit has a new $5/Day Bus Pass - very useful for Tourists (not good for High School Students - why doesn't the School District in Victoria, #61, make a deal with BC Transit - why don't ALL School Districts make a deal with their own local bus or transit system - to give students a bus or transit card, $10/year, $25/year, $50/year... you get the idea... we had this when I was in University, at Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and back then, (okay, you got me, it's a looong way back - lol!), but Queen's University had a deal with the Kingston Bus system, Transit System, where every student paid the $10/year Student Fee, and that gave them a Bus Pass, and you could just use it any time you wanted to - was fantastic.

And it gave the Transit System a huge check (cheque, in Canada! lol!), at the beginning of the year... so, wouldn't this make the cost of going to school much more manageable? I'm shocked they can even CHARGE students to go to Elementary School, Middle School, or High School - all aspects of school should be free, or very low cost, so everyone has very easy access to education - including transportation to and from school, AND school lunches.

(Oh, yes, me gots a lot'o da ideas on how to make all aspects of school easily affordable, and preferably free, for all students, everywhere... lol!) (And, yes, I AM a teacher - how could you even guess? haha!)

And if you love cycling, you are in for a treat on Vancouver Island, or anywhere in BC - we have amazing bike paths all over the place - we love our bikes! And Kayaks, and Canoes... and Paddleboards.. you get the idea! And we have the BEST walks and hikes! : ) We love the outdoors!

Gorgeous GIANT Blossoms - so pretty! Finnerty Gardens, in UVic, Victoria, BC, Canada

These gardens are so pretty - there are soo many gorgeous and free parks, all over the City of Victoria, BC, Canada : )

Soo pretty! We love the Finnerty Gardens - if you love flowers, and love a nice walk, or a lovely stroll through the gardens, you'll love Victoria! : )

So pretty!

Blossoms, galore, Baby!

Haha! The Finnerty Gardens is located on the grounds of UVic, the University of Victoria, a beautiful, beautiful university campus, and a great university - and Parking is Free on Sundays, in Parking Lot 6, the last parking lot as you go around the circle road (ring road? lol - Finally, a ring? hahaha!)

The UVic students - they so funny! A Panda in the Bamboo Garden - hahaha! hilarious!

Wow, can you believe the size of these Rhododendron Trees? And those are my most wonderful children, under the Rhododendron tree - sounds like a good name for a book, right? Under The Rhododendron Tree (They Fell In Love? haha!)

Wow, you will be blown away by how enormous the Rhododendron Blossoms are - this is me looking UP into the Rhododendron Tree, at the Finnerty Gardens. Oh, and no admission to the Finnerty Gardens, just parking, if you're there any day other than Sunday, since Parking is Free on Sunday - as it should be, everywhere - why not try that as an experiment, for cities, see if that improves business in the downtown cores, right?

People (okay, it's me! lol!) hate paying so much for parking, so they just go to the malls - that's not good City Planning. It's certainly not good for business, in the downtown core of almost every city. Or make parking fees waaay less - and quit scaring people away with constant threats to tow their cars... seriously, who writes these rules? (I wanna say, 'Cyclists'', buuuut, me do love cyclists... I jsut want more business in the downtown core, make downtown a good place to go shopping, again, and a more likely place to choose for dinner out, right? Yeah, I'm sure I'm not the only one put off by annoying parking rules, regulations and fees - and stooopid parking tickets - booo! Who came up with THAT idea? Parking Fees and Parking Tickets are not business-friendly, and they are definitely not people-friendly.

I'm busy getting Great Deals for You, so you can have a great time, AND Save some serious money - good plan, right? lol! : ) Happy Travels!!

Save up to 50% this Spring! No booking fees ever.

Save up to 50% this Mother's Day! Free cancellation on most rooms.

Booking.com-Save on over 825,000 hotels worldwide! No booking fees ever.

Victoria Hotels

Enjoy Luxury Accommodations all over the world with Booking.com

Wow, what a deal! Cruise Deal Alert! Save 82% - 4-Night Caribbean Cruise from Carnival starting at $159! (Deal Ends 4/30)

Get Cheap Flights and Compare Airline Ticket Prices at BookingBuddy!

Visit Dubai

- Oooh, so cool! This one's for my UK Friends!

Traveling soon? Find hotel deals & read millions of traveler reviews on TripAdvisor!

Save on Campgrounds all over the world with Booking.com!

Enjoy Golf Accommodations all over the world with Booking.com

Yahoo!! Spring Break!

I love VRBO - they're fantastic - you can find fantastic accommodation, for any amount of time, at a fraction of what a hotel would cost - or, a much bigger place, and it might STILL be less than a hotel - is fun to look at how many beautiful places are for rent, on VRBO! And then it's like you're in your own house, have all the amenities of your own place - it's so great!

VRBO has no booking fees and is free for travelers.

And, if you happen to have a property of your own, and you would like to rent it out, VRBO is a great service for you - so easy, you'll love it, and you'll make some extra money when you're not using your property. : )

List a new property on VRBO for FREE! No upfront free to get started. Only pay for bookings you receive.

Rent a house for half the price of a hotel®

No Booking, No Fee Guarantee: Earn 10X your membership fee in the first year or we'll EXTEND your membership for 6 months for FREE.

Every Time a Home Owner Signs Up For A 12 Month Listing, They Will Receive An Additional Month Free with code: CJQ4

Sometimes you want to travel for a lot longer period, and really get to know the area - that's how I like to travel - start out with a year, see how it goes - lol!

You know what is a great idea when you're travelling? The Entertainment Coupon Book, for your own area, but also for whatever area you are planning to visit - is the best - great deals, places to go for things to do, places to eat, restaurants, grocery stores, travel deals - you'll be amazed, if you've never had an Entertainment Coupon Book - they pay for themselves in no time, and with 50% Off the Entertainment Coupon Book, AND Free Shipping? Wow, that's a great deal!

Oh, and it's on your iPhone, too - #SoEasy!

Save 50% Off All 2016 Entertainment Books and Get FREE Shipping at Entertainment.com! Use code SAVE50 (Offer ends 03/15/16)

Choose Holiday Inn Club Vacations® resorts and get a $100 gift card.

Wow, that's a great deal! :)

Lots of Great Deals for the whole family! That makes a big difference, when you're travelling as a family : )

Oooh, Sweet Deal! Sandals is so gorgeous - great for a Romantic Getaway, or a Honeymoon - or really, does it make you immediately think of Stella, getting her groove back? lol! haha! Hello, Sandals, you look like a whole lot o' fun! : )

Whaaat?? What kind of amazing deal is this?? Holy Schmokes, Batman, that's incredible!! Yippee!! And, if you have kids, there are great deals where the kids can stay for free - and I loove the deals where you get the whole deal for a couple no more of this very annoying new thing where the hotels charge you for each person - that's so annoying - me hates that - is so crazy - all cray-cray, right? Cabo San Lucas All Inclusive Today only $299 per couple and 2 kids under 12 stay FREE!

What's in your future? Is it a Trip? hahaha! Oooh, and Lots of Love and Money?? haha! Some Sun??

5 Star Cabo Beach Resort All Inclusive Today only $299 per couple !

(Yippee!! Affordable AND Fun, you say??) Save 77% on All Inclusive Luxury Resorts in Cancun from BookVIP.com

Tofino, BC, Canada

More than 15,000 daily hotel deals at RatesToGo.com

Book now and save on over 70,000 hotels worldwide!

(Sometimes you're better off getting your Hotel and Flight booked separately - check it first, to see where you can save the most money : )

So gorgeous, right? We love BC - that's why we moved here! lol! We choose where we live by where we really want to visit, then I research it, see if it's viable, then, Whammo, we move - there's nothing that says you have to live in the same place, all your life... you can feel free to live anywhere in the world, you just have to figure out how to do it, then go ahead and give it a try, right? Sure, why not?! Or at least take a nice little trip, there, see how much you love it!

Tofino is about a 6 hour drive from Victoria - I'm just gonna Google Map it, to make sure that's right - maybe it's 3 hours there, 3 hours back? Will go look for you!

Okay, so I was wrong on both my numbers - it's about a 4 and a half hour drive to Tofino, BC, from Victoria, BC - straight up the 1, Highway 1, cross the island at Nanaimo - a very pretty drive, and lots of nice things to do along the way, too - plenty of places to stop and look at the views, stop for lunch or overnight... we do our trips very slowly, stop wherever it appeals to us, really get to know the area - and what's the rush, right? lol!

And you can take the ferry from Victoria, BC, over to Port Angeles in Washington - we love Port Angeles - best fish & chips, ever... and I looove when the ferry pulls into Victoria, from either Seattle or Port Angeles - is endlessly pretty - flowers everywhere, looks like you've just arrived, magically, in a European city, is so pretty. You can take the Anacortes Ferry, too, from Anacortes, Washington, to Sidney, BC, or take the many ferries over to Vancouver, or to the islands.. it's all good - you'll love it! : )

Spring in Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC, Canada - ooh, so gorgeous! I hardly have any pictures where we're not all in them - lol! But I thought this was such a gorgeous picture - I think this was in late April, early May : )

That's me - lol! I love Butchart Gardens - is, literally, my favourite place in the whole wide world, and that's how we chose to move to Victoria, BC, Canada. The roses are probably up, right now - we were out at the gardens, a couple of weeks, ago, and it was just a little bit early for the roses, but July and August, going right into September, are all great months for the roses - but you will love Butchart Gardens any day of the year that you get the chance to go - I always wanted to be their Educational Director - wouldn't THAT be a fun job? lol! Turns out, they don't have a position like that - but most of the main gardens do have Educational Directors, if that's the sort of thing you might like to check out, for yourself, or for your class, if you also happen to be a teacher, or the parent of a student - lol!

It's always great to get the opportunity to travel anywhere that appeals to me, and to get a great deal, too? Fantastico, right? lol!

Save 10% on your next Weekly or Weekend Dollar or Thrifty rental of Economy through Full-size cars. Offer valid for booking now at participating locations. Use code J10KE. Pick up from June 1 through August 15, 2015.

I love to travel, and I've been to many, many amazing places, thanks to a wonderful childhood where my parents took us on great trips every year, and since my Dad was a teacher, we always had March Breaks, long Summer Vacations, and all sorts of other holidays to discover North America and beyond. I always thought it was really important to truly know your own Country, so I am particularly fond of Road Trips, and I used to love camping, but now, frankly, I love the Driving Holidays, but we always book ahead into a great hotel so we know we'll be happy and comfy each night. Makes a big difference every where we go!

Some great options for all my Canadian Friends : ) (And me! lol!)

Book Summer Travel Early & Save! Get up to C$15 off with Promo Code EARLY15 Book Now!

Quick Tip: I just discovered this on our trip to Canada... if you get to the Hotel, and you chose it because you are like us and love to go for a swim in the evening, or first thing in the morning, but you get there and their pool is inoperational (yes, freezing cold water counts as 'inoperational'!), you can ask the person at the front desk if they will give you a discount off your bill because of the situation with the pool. Sometimes you will get a discount off the total of your bill, and sometimes they will comp you a little something. Better than nothing, and it's their job to provide the services they say they have, right, so it's okay to ask.

I check all the Travel Sites ... you know I love a great deal! I am constantly surprised at how incredibly different the prices are from site to the next, so take a few extra minutes to shop around, save yourself some money.

Teacher Tip: I just found out that some hotels offer a discount for 'Government Employees', and I had never really viewed myself (a Teacher!) as such, but Teachers are considered to be Government Employees because they are paid through the State. Good to Know, right?? Always ask for a Discount. Why not??

Oh, and if you happen to be a Triple AAA Member, or CAA in Canada, BCAA in BC, Canada, be sure to ask if they have a discount for that, too : )

Last Minute Deals: Everyone loves a last minute deal... Sometimes it's just fun to pop in there to have a wee look to see what 'last minute deal' you might see for the future. At least you'll have an idea of how much a certain Travel Package might cost for when you do happen to have a window of opportunity for a little travel adventure, right?

More Ways To Save on Travel!

Make sure you have all your Travel Documents up-to-date and handy whenever you are travelling -- it'll make your trip that much easier. Make sure you have your Passport up-to-date, and any other paperwork you might need to carry... and share your travel plans with the important people in your life, so other people know where you are going, and generally what you're up to - lol - not too much sharing, though, fo' sures : )

Taking selfies just got easier. Get this must-have product. Buy now at Brookstone.com. So you can take lots of great pictures on your trip - lol!

We all know how expensive Amusement Park Tickets can be, so do your shopping before you go to get the best deal possible. I'm gonna 'post this' to the internet, then pop in myself to see how much the Disneyland, Legoland & Universal Studio Tickets are... oooh, can't wait to take another vacation!

More Ways To Save on Travel!

Priceline customers have saved more than $5.5 billion on their travel purchases. No other major travel site gives customers more ways to save than priceline. We're always working to find you the best deals and stretch your travel dollar to the max!
Up to 50% off Last-Minute Flights!

Priceline Last-Minute Cruises up to 75% off from $60/ night!

Priceline.com offers airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages, and cruises. Priceline is the only merchant with offerings that appeal to both flexible and non-flexible travelers. With discounts of up to 60%, you're sure to get a great deal!

Priceline offers visitors a choice:
Name Your Own Price ® - fly any time of day, on any major airline, stay in any name-brand hotel or rent from any of the top 5 U.S. rental car agencies. Flexible visitors enter their travel date(s) and offer amount for an airline ticket, hotel room, or rental car.

-OR-

Fixed-price retail travel products - at Priceline visitors can shop, compare, and select the final price in advance. Visitors can select their exact airline ticket, hotel, rental car, vacation package, or cruise.

Let's say you go to Great Britain and you love it, and now you want to stay fr a year or so.... (or you are lucky enough to already live there, and you've had it with your Roommate, and you're looking for a replacement...Plus, I loved the Ad -- hilarious!

How about a Working Holiday? I love a working holiday, and they have special Work Visas to many countries around the world (where else? Mars, soon, maybe... lol!) A great Opportunity if you want to work while you Travel. But, for sure, if you have somewhere you would really love to go to, and relaly get to know the country, you might want to look into getting a Work Visa, see if you can qualify to work in their country, and go ahead and take the plunge - you'll love it - I love the idea of taking a whole year, see how you like it, and then see if you can extend your stay, if you love how your new life is going : )

The Entertainment Coupon Books are great to have for any City you think you will be travelling to over the next year - not only can you discover new Restaurants and Attractions, but you'll get a discount on them.

Wow, what a great deal, eh? AND, they used to always have a $5 coupon for Ralph's, or your local grocery store where you would normally shop, anyway, so there's the cost of the Entertainment Book, right there... but I loove the idea of getting an Entertainment Book for whatever city you are planning to visit - and it's a fun way to discover new restaurants, too : )

Now here's a nice little Bonus I didn't expect, but is definitely nice if you are a Traveler -- after I bought the Coupon Books for myself, I got an email from the Company with some additional Discounts off Flights and Hotels, so that's even better!

And if you're in Britain, check out these deals...

Save on Beach Holidays! Get up to £30◊ off with Promo Code BEACH30. Book Now!

Have you guessed that I really like to Travel -- AND I really, really love a great deal?? Me do! Haha!

Here are some great links for all your vacation needs -- there was a little someone who used to refuse to book our Hotels in advance ("How could ALL the good rooms be full in Vegas -- there's 5700 rooms for each hotel...!" Of course, by the time we got there, they were all full -- who knew other people might also want to go to Vegas, huh??). And so, now that we're on our own, I always book ahead...

And when we're on the road, and not completely sure where and when we'll stop for the night, we just quickly look up hotels in the next few towns, or so, see what looks good - is a great way to get your best deal at any hotel : )

We used to go to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina every March Break when I was a Teenager, so I really love it, there -- and the Azaleas in Georgia in the Spring -- gorgeous!! And we've been back many times, as adults - is always a great time, in beautiful Myrtle Beach : )

There's a new-to-me mall in Myrtle Beach, and they have THE best Pralines - omg, delicious. Expensive, but delicious - so deeelish, they're very hard to share (but you still should - hahaha!).

Oooh, and Benjamin's - omg, is THE best Buffet restaurant - leave room for the dessert - delicious little Lime Mousse - yum! Deelish! Oooh, AND, Benjamin's in Myrtle Beach has THE best Hushpuppies...yum!! Save Big on Myrtle Beach Hotels with Hotelwatchdog!

I used to Fly Alaska Airlines all the time when I lived in L.A. -- they were always great!

Gee, that's so pretty!

Hawaii's next on our list of places we want to go! Save Big on Honolulu Hotels with Hotelwatchdog!

Save up to 40% on your Hawaii Getaway with Hawaiian Airlines! Build your perfect trip now and relax

Oooh, and you know what always really appealed to me? Those All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico - or anywhere - you had me at 'All-inclusive' - lol!

Save Big on Cancun Hotels with Hotelwatchdog!

Build Your Own House Site Menu ** Home

Recipes -- Cheesecake ,Cinnamon Buns, Salsa Chicken , Macaroni Salad ,Chicken Noodle Soup, Taco Spaghetti , Easy Pie Crust , Creamy Peach Pie , Great BBQ Marinade , 'Pass da' Pasta, Rosemary Steak, Onion Barley (an Aphrodisiac!),Stuffed Green Peppers, Fruit Puffs , BBQ Veggies, Apple Crumble for One , Barbequed Meatballs, Everything Else!!

To Top

Park 'N Fly offers more than just parking. They pick customers up at their cars within five minutes and transport them directly to their terminal. In addition, many of their lots offer special services like car washes, oil changes, and pet boarding. Airport Parking

Wow, did you know that about the pet boarding?? I'm amazed at that - that's a great idea!Airport Parking

HomeFlightsHotelsVacation PackagesCarsCruisesVacation RentalsDealsTravel NewsDestinations

Okay, so this just arrived in my email from BookingBuddy , so I hope it's okay to put in on here... some seriously good info for all of us, though, right? Sooo, enjoy! Any way we can co further, and spend less - WooHoo! That's a Win-Win, right? : ) I left in the links that were already in place, so, that should make it better, and I'll ask to make sure it's all okay : )

I loooove Booking Buddy - THE lowest prices, super nice company - love Booking Buddy!
Save up to 50% with BookingBuddy

10 New Rules for Finding Cheap Flights

Posted October 15, 2015 by SmarterTravel.com

People-youngwomanusingcreditcardonlinewithfullsuitcasenexttoher-dd

It seems as if someone posts or prints a set of air ticket buying tips every day now, and most of those tips belong to the "round up the usual suspects" family: Be flexible, check alternate airports, fly a low-fare airline, visit all the websites, buy domestic tickets two months in advance and international tickets three months in advance. Buy on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Sunday. Fly midweek. You've already seen all of them, many times, and you've found out that while often they help, sometimes they don't. But even when the many sources agree, it's clear that these old rules are no longer sufficient. The marketplace has changed, and your search strategy needs to account for those changes.

Extras First, Not Last

You have to build the important extras into your search from the get-go, not wait until the final buying process. Be specific about exactly what you want to buy. Airlines are offering more packages and options, at varying prices, and you can't be a smart buyer unless you have a clear idea of what you want and what you don't want. Each airline prices and packages these various features in its own way. At a minimum, decide whether you want:

One or more checked bags and a carry-on that needs to go into an overhead bin.
Meals/snacks.
In-flight Wi-Fi.
Advance seat assignment.
Early boarding (an alternative to an advance seat assignment on some airlines).
Preferred extra-legroom seating.
Waived ticket change fee.
No or minimal same-day standby fee for earlier flight.

Note any airlines on which you are trying to pile up miles, or if have frequent flyer status or a credit card that covers some or all of these options.

RELATED: World's Scariest Airports

Narrow Your Search Quickly

Because you have to check more sources than ever before, you need to limit the workload as much as you can. Start your search with an aggregator to identify the feasible schedules and flight options. There's no point in looking at Southwest if you want to fly to Charleston, WV, Pittsburgh, or Shreveport, for example, because it doesn't fly there or anywhere close. But don't ignore the outliers. Some search systems do not identify routes and schedules of Allegiant and Southwest. Chances are, however, that if Allegiant is a possibility, you know about it—and it's probably your only nonstop option.

Expect a Connection

You will often find that your cheapest option is for a connecting itinerary rather than a nonstop. From my home airport in Medford, Oregon, for example, a mid-September round-trip fare to San Francisco is cheaper via Seattle ($240, five hours and five minutes, 1,031 total miles) than on a nonstop ($413, one hour and 18 minutes, 329 total miles). If you check peak season transatlantic fares, you may well find that the cheapest option is via Kiev, Moscow, or Istanbul. Most cases aren't as extreme as these, but you have to decide whether you'd accept a connecting itinerary, with all the extra time, risks, and hassles, to knock some big dollars off your cost.

You Can't Rely on the Aggregators

You need to compare the all-up costs of taking the trip you want, including extras. Unfortunately, the familiar aggregators and online travel agencies you used to rely on are no longer able to find the cheapest ticket that includes the combination of the extras you want. So, for each feasible itinerary, you have to check fares and extra fees on each airline's website. Look at both the lowest fares and the optional bundled fares, look up the fees for any unbundled extras, and note any extras your frequent flyer status or credit card cover.

The Lowest Fare Isn't Always the Cheapest

The airline with the lowest base fare is not necessarily the cheapest after you figure in the extras you want. The most obvious case in point is Southwest: If you intend to check a bag or bags, round-trip, its no-charge policy for two bags gives it a minimum $50 cushion over any competitor that charges the usual $25 per bag each way. Similarly, you may find that some airlines' bundles result in a lower total cost than others' individually priced fares and extras.

RELATED: 7 Secrets of Ultralow Airfares

Buy and Cancel

If you find what looks like a good deal early in your search, you might want to go ahead and "buy," knowing that as long as you're looking more than a week in advance, you can cancel within 24 hours without penalty. Then keep on looking for a better deal.

Quality Matters

This one doesn't show up on many lists, but it can be important. There are noticeable product quality differences in coach/economy among airlines. Carriers like JetBlue, Virgin America, and Alaska are niche players that compete on quality along with price. Flying on one of those lines may well be worth a few bucks more than flying on any of the "big three" giant network airlines or a low-fare airline. In Europe, Turkish has a somewhat similar reputation. On the other hand, Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant are quality bottom-feeders. Most people would probably choose to fly them only if fares or schedules are much better than options available on other lines. Ryanair is the equivalent in Europe. Air Transat (some planes), Meridiana, and XL Airways are bottom-quality transatlantic operations.

Seniors Must Check Southwest

Travelers age 65 or over should always check Southwest. It's the only North American airline with useful senior fares. Time was, seniors could usually get a lower Southwest fare with an any-age ticket than on the senior fare, but now those low any-age tickets sell out well in advance, and the senior fares look better all the time.

Avoid Penalty Fees

On many airlines—especially low-fare airlines—fees for checked bags, carry-on bags, seat assignments, printing a boarding pass, and other functions escalate as you progress from initial purchase to boarding the flight. On Spirit, for example, if you want to check a bag, you pay $30 when you first book, $35 if you pay online after the initial booking, $40 during online check-in, and $50 at the airport. You can print a boarding pass free at home, but pay $2 at an airport kiosk or $10 at an agent station. Other low-fare lines follow similar pricing systems. Clearly, once you have identified what you want in the way of extras, pay for them as soon as feasible. There's no reason to wait until you have to pay what amounts to a "delay of game" penalty.

RELATED: 9 Worst Airline Ripoffs

Airfare Sales Are Back

After several years of inactivity, you can see some indications that limited-time airfare sales are back. Typically, you have only a short time—maybe even just a few days or a week—to buy promotionally priced tickets, but several months to fly. The return of sales, however, poses something of a quandary: Do you buy up to three months in advance, as some old rules advocate, or sit around waiting for a sale? We have no ready answer there. The best advice: When you see a really good deal, pounce on it.

(Top photo: Thinkstock/iStock)