The new year ends the holiday season and brings new resolutions to start afresh. It is a common New Year tradition to have a few changes we want to make in our lives, from healthy eating to better financial planning. When it comes to finances, many people wish to save more money, reduce debts, and have better financial health. One of the ways you can keep up with your financial resolutions is by saving money through traveling hacks!
Money-saving traveling hacks are a great way to start better long-term financial management. As we are all too familiar with, making a financial New Year resolution can be easier said than done. Making a note of these new life changes isn’t often the problem, but learning how to get started can lead to procrastination. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about postponing your financial New Year resolutions to next week, next month, or even next year, as these traveling hacks are here to save you some money.
These travel hacks for flying are perfect for everyone. Whether you’re someone who only travels for the holidays or frequently for work, you’ll surely find creative travel hacks on this list that’ll make traveling a little easier on the pockets. If you’re ready to keep to your well-intentioned financial New Year resolutions, read on for traveling hacks that’ll save you money this year.
Park at the airport with discount codes
Airport travel hacks also include transportation. If you absolutely must park at the airport, search for coupons beforehand. Just like everything else at the airport, parking can be costly. In addition to searching for coupons, another great tip is to book ahead of time and choose long-term parking instead of short-term parking if you will be parked there for a few days or months, as this is more cost-effective. Also, if you have travel credit cards, this is another way to take advantage of the perks, as some may offer excellent parking deals.
Skip the hotel and sleep at the chapel
Things don’t always go as planned. Flights can be delayed or canceled by airlines for reasons outside of your & the airline’s control. For instance, the weather could pose a problem, and in these circumstances, the airlines are not required to provide you with a hotel voucher or other forms of accommodation. If you are in this situation and your budget doesn’t allow for impromptu transportation and hotel fees, you can sleep at a chapel. Airports like Washington Dulles International Airport and JFK International are some examples of airports with chapels. If you ever need a place to rest, ask customer service whether the airport you’re in has a chapel.
No need to fly business class for business meals
If you’re primarily concerned about food variety and portion size, especially on international flights, you don’t necessarily need to spend extra money on business class to get it. You can still book economy and order business-class meals. This will be at an extra cost but less expensive than purchasing a business-class ticket. Some airlines, like British Airways, give you this option. Since this option isn’t available for all airlines, it is always a good idea to call and inquire before booking your flight.
Fly on the exact date of the holiday
Many people like to travel a few days before the holidays. Rarely does anyone book their flights the day of the holiday itself. For instance, many people are already with their family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If it is not inconvenient, you are more likely to find some travel deals and cheaper flights by pushing your flight to those specific days.
Book a positioning flight
This travel hack is useful if your home city is more expensive to fly into. The goal of a positioning flight is to stop at a different airport hub than your home airport. You can expand your flight from multiple airports using the Google Explore feature. This way, you’ll likely find cheaper airport fares and compare costs to see which works best for you.
There are two different ways you can do this. You can book a flight from your departure city to the closest hub. Sometimes, the nearest hub may be within driving distance of your home city. If that’s the case, you can arrange a ride from there to your home city.
You’ll book two round-trip tickets if the nearby hub isn’t within driving distance. Let’s look at an example. Suppose you live in Miami, Florida, and are planning a trip to Brisbane, Australia. The Google Explore feature will show you the price of this travel within your chosen dates. Perhaps flying into Sydney may be cheaper during that time. Now, you will book a round-trip flight from Miami, Florida, to Sydney, Australia. Then, another round-trip flight from Sydney to Brisbane. This is great if you also want to visit Sydney, so you can plan your flights and connections accordingly.
When using this trick, there are a few things to remember. Give yourself some padding between your connections in case of unforeseen circumstances, such as delays or cancellations. Also, you will check and recheck your bags when applicable, so keep that in mind.
Take advantage of travel student discounts
Student discounts can offer free subscriptions, car insurance deals, and even travel savings. Unfortunately, major North American airlines, like JetBlue, United, and American, do not have specific student discounts at the time of this article. However, if you’re not opposed to using third-party websites, StudentUniverse is a search engine for flights and lodging that you can use to find discounted pricing.
One North American airline that offers student discounts is Air Canada. They do this through their student flight pass, a prepaid package of one-way flights. This is beneficial if you travel six or more times during the year, so if you’re a frequent traveler, this is something to look into. Go here to learn more about the Student Flight Pass.
European airlines, like Lufthansa, offer student discounts for flights from the U.S., known as Generation Fly. To learn more, here is an information page on the program.
Many people are unaware that student discounts and deals exist. Regardless of where you’re flying from, searching for student discounts is always a good idea to get the best savings possible.
Summary
There are many things you need for a flight, from in-flight essentials to necessities for your trip. Add accommodation and transportation, and costs can add up quickly. Traveling isn’t cheap, but that doesn’t mean you must abandon the idea entirely.
Planning your travel according to your budget can be difficult, especially when everything seems so inflated, but don’t worry! There are different ways to make it to beautiful destinations on a budget by simply using some traveling hacks. The goal is to treasure the experiences and enjoy yourself without financial burden and these traveling tips and hacks got you covered!
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