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Posts Tagged ‘Discount’

But the trouble is that it is so expensive that not many can fulfill this dream of theirs. So far travel is considered a luxury that only rich can afford. But things have changed now because discount techniques are there for anyone to use and make travel affordable and enjoyable.

The basic concept of discount travel is flexibility. The more particular you are about your program the more expensive it becomes. By just being open about your travel dates you can save a huge amount on just air fares. If you widen the choice of places also it can become even better.

For example if you want to visit South America and not set on any particular place then it can be much cheaper than if you do it otherwise. Anybody who is a a travel freak and believes in discounts will have this flexibility as opposed to going to a particular place on a particular day.When you come across people who do not earn much and yet travel a lot you will find that this is the way they do it.

Your attitude towards flexibility is does not have to be limited till the arrival of the destination. If you really want discounted travel then you should have your itinerary also very open. The true discount traveler recognizes the worth of this flexible touring because he knows that there is going to be equal benefit from this as it would be with expensive travel both enjoyment and interest wise.

The discount traveler is aware of the result of rigid itinerary – more cost. Once you become rigid about visiting a particular place at a particular time you have to depend heavily on the travel agents who may fix everything for you at exhorbitant prices.

The idea of being open to everything also includes food and entertainment. The prices of the food depends from country to country so whatever you get at the best price why not try that? Drinks follow the same pattern: say if you are in Mexico Tequila will be extremely cheap, so keep your eyes open for places where you plan on spending your money on activities.  Read more...

This discount travel idea was eventually stumbled upon because travel can be quite expensive compared to most people\’s incomes. Unless you are pretty well off, you will not be able to travel as much as you like until you master some very simple discount travel techniques. The art of budget travel is more than just a couple of saving tricks. There is an overall strategy which you can, and should apply to every element of your journey.

For example, you should explore charter flights and last minute offers, etc. to get the cheapest possible flight. When you travel to a foreign country, you should get to know some of the locals and establish just where the cheap places to eat and stay are. Discount travel involves a series of minor things that when used together result in big savings, and allows even those on a moderate budget to travel in comfort and style.

A major discount travel tip for if you want your money to last longer while you are in a foreign country is that of bargaining. In most other countries, particularly those of the developing world, bargaining plays a big part of everyday life, and you will find yourself continually overspending if you do not participate in it.

Most North Americans are terrible with these types of negotiations, although you can\’t really blame us. Negotiations just do not play much of a role in our daily transactions except for major purchases like buying a car, and perhaps even with a property investment. Most of us are just not accustomed to it and we definitely are not used to haggling over small everyday items.

The first thing to understand – and a great discount travel idea – is that in the third world, everything is negotiable, and usually very heavily negotiable. When you start to haggle, you will soon see that the kind of negotiations going on in other parts of the world is very different from the North American style. People often start with numbers that are twice or more than their desired amount.

Why pay hundreds of dollars for a plane ticket if you do not have to? There are many credit cards that offer tons of frequent flyer miles just for signing up (and sometimes meeting a spending threshold). Even after the annual fees that are common in these days, travelers still come out far ahead with these credit cards.

Airline-specific cards

1. American Express Gold Delta Skymiles

This card awards 20,000 bonus miles after your first purchase. You can add up to two additional card holders for an extra bonus of 2500 miles per approved cardholder. The $95 annual fee waived the first year. If you keep your card, you will receive a $99 ticket each year at renewal. The card also provides a Skymile per dollar spent.

* Annual fee: $0 the first year, $95 after

* Mileage Bonus: 20000 to 25000

* Additional benefits: No seat restrictions or blackout dates on Delta or Northwest when using the \”Pay with Miles\” feature, a mil per dollar spent

2. U.S. Airways Premier World MasterCard

This card gives 12,500 miles after your first purchase and 12,500 more miles after spending $750 in the first 90 days as a cardholder, for a total of 25,000 miles. It is enough for one price ticket. The card has several benefits including a free day passes to U.S. Airways the club (exclusive, fancy waiting area), early boarding and two discounted companion ticket per year. The annual fee is $89 and U.S. Airways\’ award travel booking fee is $25, which means that you can get a plane ticket that you might have spent $400 on for only $114.

* Annual fee: $89

* Mileage Bonus: 25 000

* Miles needed for a free domestic ticket: 20 000

* Fees associated with the free tickets: $25 booking fee

* Additional benefits: A free day pass to the U.S. Airways club, early boarding and two discounted companion tickets per year, and a mil per dollar spent

3. United Mileage Plus Visa

This card rewards you with 30,000 miles after you spend $50, which is more than enough for a round trip economy tickets in North America. The card has a $ 60 annual fee. Additional benefits include regular one mil per dollar spent, a seat upgrade certificate and a $25 certificate to a United ticket.

Unless you are planning a short domestic trip, the cost of airfare is usually a deciding factor in an overseas trip. Most people with moderate incomes simply can’t afford to fly regularly, as much as they would like to. There are, however, some people out there who are flying all the time on regular incomes. The secret to achieving this is a willingness to be flexible and shop around with airfares, as well as employing some tried and true discount travel techniques.

The key to getting a cheap flight is to shop around, and the internet makes this easy for almost anyone to do. There are a plethora of websites that will conduct searches around the world for cheap airfares. Although the internet is a valuable tool in discovering cheap airfares, it’s important that you don’t rely on it entirely. Many sites claim they are searching “all flights” for the cheapest possible fare, but you really don’t have any way of knowing what they do and don’t have access to. Oftentimes the cheapest flights can come from the airlines themselves, and you’d be well advised to check their sites as well in your search.

No matter how much research you do online, you should always visit some travel agents. Keep in mind that these people make their livings selling airfares, and will often have access to deals that aren’t available to you online. Think of it this way: if you really could always get the cheapest flight online, travel agents would be out of business. The fact that they are not suggests that good deals are to found the old fashioned way: by visiting the office of a travel agent.

When looking for discount travel, you should also explore non-traditional methods of finding flights. Websites like http://priceline.com offer reverse auction systems, that is: you place a bid of what you’re willing to pay on a given route on a given date, and if it turns out that an airline is willing to release a seat for that price, your credit card is billed an a ticket is issued.

Another good avenue to explore is “bucket shops” – companies who buy bulk tickets from airlines at a heavy discount. They don’t have the choice that travel agent has, of course, but if you’re flexible you can often get a good deal. A typical bucket shop system will work as follows: you give them a week-long window during which you’d like to fly and some destination choices, and then if something comes up at the last minute you can have it at a heavy discount.  Read more...

When spring starts is a great time to look for a discount hiking backpack before hitting the trails. Hiking provides great exercise for both body and mind. It brings you closer to nature and the beauty of the outdoors. When hiking you want to travel as lightly as possible while taking everything with you that you might need when you are hiking off the beaten track. Where you are going you are unlikely to find a convenience store.

A good quality backpack is a necessary purchase, and can sometimes even be a life saver. You need to choose the right backpack in order to carry everything you’ll need on the hiking trip. Depending on the length of your trip you can choose between a day pack or a multi-day hiking backpack.

Choosing Your Hiking Backpack

When choosing your backpack, ensure that it has wide sturdy shoulder straps which have plenty padding and curves. Don’t just look at it … try it on and load it up with appropriate weight. Make sure it is still comfortable when fully packed. Check the zippers. They are very important; usually zips with big teeth are more durable and stronger. Look for waterproof zippers. A waist strap is important when hiking. The waist strap will allow your backpack to move with your body as you walk. A backpack without a strap will often move counter to your stride and bump and chafe you. Look for a backpack made from ripstop nylon or polyester. These are lightweight water resistant fabrics. Search out end-of-season sales to find a discount hiking backpack at a reduced price.

A few hiking necessities that you shouldn’t leave home without:

* Water is always the first necessity. Take as much as possible; it is easy to become dehydrated when hiking, especially in cooler weather when you are less likely to be aware of it. Your body always needs water.

* Water purification tables are useful if you will be relying on streams as a water source.

* Food of course. Try and pack meals separately so you don’t have to open and expose food every time you are hungry. It will save on space and it encourages you to only take what you need. Dehydrated meals can be useful and light in weight to carry if you will be away overnight.  Read more...