Two of the most expensive costs of travelling are the plane tickets and accomodations/Hotels.
Somehow, in our most recent travels we manage to solve these budget items by using my husbands airmiles and using our points from hotel websites.
AIR TICKETS
To date, we have travelled by using Air Miles and just paying taxes which costs about US$61/passenger on the following routes:
Singapore to Manila- via Singapore Airlines using United Mileage points ( we travelled for free twice)
Toronto to Las Vegas via Air Canada using United Mileage points
Toronto to Orlando,Florida via Air Canada and Continental Airlines using United Mileage points
It is important to note that you can maximize your air miles by travelling using Saver Awards. For example, travelling to Las Vegas or Florida from Toronto would require:
25,000 points per passenger using Saver Awards
37,500 for Mixed Awards or
50,000 points for Standard Awards.
The trick here is to take trips during less busier times of the week like Tuesdays and returning on Thursdays or to travel during off peak months(just at the beginning of school year or after holidays).
However if you are going to buy tickets, it is best you go to fare tracking sites like
Yapta.com
Fare Compare
If you are living in Asia, enroll or register for travel alerts from any of these airlines: JetstarAsia,Air Asia and Tiger Airways. They usually alert their members to seat sales.
So far, I had been lucky in snagging "dirt" cheap tickets for some of our vacations, such as:
Jetstar Singapore to Perth Airtickets - S$117 September
Jetstar Singapore to Siem Reap tickets - S$110 October
Tiger Airways Singapore to Saigon -S$76 November
Air Asia Singapore to Bali - S$40 1st week of December
Note that I indicated the month we travelled since this is important in snagging deals.In Asia, the travel hubs are Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, so you would probably get higher chances on getting bargains travelling from these hubs.
Here are some other tips to getting the cheapest tickets:
1. Don't Buy Too Early or Too Late
The lowest price tends to hit between eight and two weeks before departure. Buying tickets farther in advance usually doesn't save money. However take note of some airlines selling seats one year in advance .These tickets can also be the cheapest.
2. Avoid Travel during Peak Season
Avoid Friday departures for spring break, and Sunday returns during the summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.Avoid dates when everyone is travelling.
3. When the price drops, jump
Fifty percent of reductions are gone in two days and even minutes. If you see a cheap fare, snatch it up.
4. If prices seem high, hold off
If last year's $200 flight is now $250, you'll probably find that too dear and won't buy. Everyone else is thinking the same thing. So when airlines hike the price of a route, they often have to cut rates later to boost sales.
5. The day you fly matters
Dont get flights on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday which can easily cost $50 more than those midweek.Tuesdays to Thursdays are the best days to fly.
6. Markups vary by destination
Flights to Europe in July can be $350 higher than in May or September. Check out the peak months in certain destinations you are going to before buying tickets.
ACCOMODATIONS/HOTELS
Next to finding a cheap flight, finding free or inexpensive lodging will have the biggest impact on your travel budget.
One thing everyone has in common is that no one wants to pay a fortune for accommodations. In fact, one of the best ways to take a cheap holiday is to cut down on accommodation costs. Reducing this expense can save you a lot of money of the total cost of your trip.
If you are not a picky or choosy traveller, here are sites where you can get dirt cheap to free accomodations:
Couch Surfing-is referring to the practice of moving from one friend's house to another, sleeping in whatever spare space is available, floor or couch, generally staying a few days before moving on to the next house.
Roomorama- short term rentals and short term apartments for short term stays in the most popular US, Canadian and European cities, or you can rent yours.
Home Exchange-This probably works best for older travelers who already own a home. These programs have been around for a long time but are growing in popularity due to good marketing and word-of-mouth on the Internet. Home exchanges are just like they sound — for a set amount of time, you swap homes with a family from another country. It’s a great way to live cheaply abroad.
In fact, home exchange was highlighted in the movie The Holiday where Cameron Diaz swapped her LA house to stay in Kate Winslet UK house.
If your husband or anyone in the family travels a lot, make sure you buy rooms through travel sites that give points for every night stay which you can use for future accomodations. My husband who travels often has a Holiday Inn and Marriot Hotel cards that allow us to stay for free in certain cities using his earned points.
For last minute travels, you can also try using HotWire which sells unused room inventories of hotels. My sister was able to get a room in Orlando near Universal Park at only $45 at Hotwire when it actually costs $75 at other travel sites.
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