Travel Tips
Negotiating For Travel Discounts and Freebies
A lot of people are too timid to ask for things when they're traveling, but they shouldn't be. The system is far more flexible than they think. True, the rules for negotiating travel deals aren't
as clear as, say, haggling over the price of a car or a house. Still, you'd be surprised by how easy it is to get what you want just by being friendly but firm, talking to the right person, knowing
what to ask for and, in some cases, letting other people do the negotiating for you.
Remember Travel Agents?
Perhaps you dumped your travel agent and started researching and booking your trips online years ago. But while the Web gives you access to a lot of the
same information available to travel agents, these professionals still have a leg up when it comes to negotiating big-ticket discounts. Often calling a travel agent is the best way to get a deal.
This is because agents typically belong to large travel networks they can negotiate deals that individuals could never find on their own. In some cases, they are privy to air, car rental and hotel
packages that cost less than what you'd pay just in airfare alone.
Membership Still Has Its Privileges
There may be a dozen money-saving opportunities tucked in your wallet and forgotten, whether it's your American
Automobile Association membership or your American Express card. Many such organizations and frequent flier or guest programs negotiate travel discounts for their members. The trick is remembering
what affiliation gets you what discounts and where. Although some reservations agents will ask if you belong to any such group, make it your job to keep track of these perks, and always ask if
your membership warrants any special treatment. In fact, it's a good idea to write the names of all of your affiliations and their major partners on one piece of paper and keep it with your travel
itinerary.
Dancing With the Airlines
Airlines have gotten stingy when it comes to waiving flight-change fees or upgrading honeymooners to first class, but they haven't completely
closed the gate on negotiation. Your best opportunity to ask for freebies is when the plane is overbooked and the airline is looking for volunteers to take another flight. The percentage of people
being bumped this year is (and will continue to be) particularly high because airlines cut their capacity and are getting fewer cancellations than they had expected. Airlines typically overbook
flights anticipating that a certain percentage of passengers will not show up. While airlines can "bump" passengers involuntarily, they will try to avoid that by first soliciting volunteers
with the promise of travel vouchers. The vouchers can be used to help pay for a future airline flight. Typically, an airline will start with a smaller dollar amount and steadily up the ante until
it has gotten enough volunteers. You can wait until the airline makes a generous offer, or sign up to be bumped before the airline makes a general announcement
(this puts you in front of everyone else jumping up to be bumped) and then ask for the highest voucher available when it's time to hand over your boarding pass. Tell them that you don't mind volunteering
but you would appreciate getting the best deal of the day. When you're haggling for the best deal, you can use the price of your ticket as a negotiating point -- assuming that your ticket is worth
more than their best offer. If you paid $500 for the flight, you should by all means try to get a $500 voucher for delaying your trip. Also, ask for the airline for things like vouchers for meals,
phone calls or admissions to the executive club to help pass the time while you're waiting for the next flight. Seat upgrades are extremely hard to come by now that so many frequent fliers use
their miles to fly first class and business class, but there's no harm in asking. Be real nice and remember that appearance is important. If you're in a T-shirt and haven't shaved for a week, they're
probably not going to put you up with the first class passengers. It is also perfectly appropriate to ask about vouchers when your flight is severely delayed or canceled. If the airline is responsible
for your delay, whether because of a mechanical problem or a scheduling glitch, you should ask the airline to accommodate you. They often won't offer you anything unless you ask for it. Be nice,
though. You're more apt to get what you want if you refrain from taking your frustration out on the agent. Still, you should point out that your inconvenience was caused by the airline and that
you expect them to make good on their error. You might first ask them to exchange your ticket for a similar flight with another carrier. If you'll be held up overnight, you might ask for meal and
hotel vouchers, as well as transportation and phone vouchers. If the airline is not at fault for the delay, such as when there is bad weather, you shouldn't expect any favors, but don't let that
stop you from asking. A good strategy is to show that person that you're reasonable. Start by saying, 'I know this is a little out of the ordinary but would it be possible to…'"
The Car Shuffle
Always book a compact car. The likelihood of being upgraded when you pick up your car is pretty high because rental companies typically run out of compact cars.
Even if the car rental hasn't run out of cars, you may be offered to upgrade for less money than you would have paid to book the larger car in the first place. If you're picking up your car at
an airport, where there are dozens of rental companies right next to one another, you can try to play one car rental company off of the other. Ask other car renters at the airport if they can beat
that rate. Even if it's the same rate, ask them if they'll give you a free upgrade. Even then, the negotiations don't stop until you reach the lot. If you notice that the lot is filled with luxury
cars you might just ask if you can have one at no extra cost.
Five-Star Treatment, Three-Star Prices
The price of a hotel room is far more flexible than many travelers assume. Although you may not have much luck haggling
over the price with the reservations agent, you should always ask if you're getting the best rate when you check in. Sometimes hotels are willing to extend corporate rates or AAA discount to anyone
who asks for them. You don't have to limit yourself to the hotel's best rate. You can even try asking for its competitor's best rate. Keep in mind that your chance for success has a lot to do with
demand. Prices won't be very negotiable during the peak of the travel season, but during low season or remodeling or at a new hotel or business hotel on weekends, there is often some leeway. This
is particularly true if there are several people in your group. You can also question the price of your room if the experience is not up to par. Maybe your room was next to a loud elevator or reception
hall, the television didn't work, or a tournament kept you off the tennis courts or golf course.
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