Get the most you can out of your holiday
With the rising costs of travel and budgets being squeezed, it has become more important than ever to know how to bag a great deal.
Based on a Hotels.com focus group in partnership with the Association of Personal Assistants (APA), along with input from travel bloggers, the PA’s Insider Guide offers the best top tips and tricks of the trade to make this an indispensable tool, when booking a holiday or night out.
Looking for a place to stay?
Making the most of reward schemes such as those offered by Hotels.com , signing up to Twitter and learning how to blag effectively are just some of the moneysaving hints the guide has to offer
When a hotel gives you lemons… If you have a bad experience with a
hotel it can sometimes work in your favour. A noisy building site might
be just near your bedroom, or perhaps your room wasn’t ready upon
check-in? See if they will compensate you by upgrading you.
Book a medium priced room – if you’re in the middle price-range it’s that
bit easier to get bumped up. It’s worth simply being friendly and asking –
sometimes it’s all you need to do to get an upgrade.
The early bird doesn’t always get the worm - A later check in, e.g.
between 4pm and 6pm, can make a difference as it means the front
desk can clearly see the cancellations and no-shows of that day.
Top Transport Tips
The guide steers you towards some of the best transport deals, with tips such as dressing smartly to help ensure an upgrade, avoiding booking flexible fares and becoming a friend on Facebook, all helping to lighten the financial load when travelling
If you have the opportunity to check in online, take it. Not only will you
avoid the long queues at the airport but you’ll also be in with a better
chance of getting your preferred seat.
Never book a ï¬exible fare unless absolutely necessary – it is more expensive
Local Knowledge
Choose a set lunch not supper, consult local papers, or sign up to one of a growing number of voucher discount sites, to ensure you are paying under the odds for your holiday entertainment.
If it’s your birthday or anniversary, or that of the person you are booking
for, blag your way to the best table or to receive a free bottle of wine, by
letting the staff know at the time of booking.
Don’t forget the things you would do at home to save money. It’s unlikely
you would eat out for lunch and dinner every day, so do look out for the
mini-supermarkets wherever you are. You can grab a picnic lunch and
hang out in a park or town square instead of a restaurant every day.
Tagged in Travel travel tips