People are always wondering how do I travel so much. Someone very close to me even has given my close friend, my sister and I a nickname, “The Fly Girls!” Quite comical because he says we are always on the go and in the air. It is true, we love to travel and our destinations range from in and out the United States. So I guess you are wondering if there is a magic trick to my travel habits. Here are a few things they really allow me to travel as much as I do besides the fact that I work for a living. People laugh at me because I always say “I work hard to play hard!” It is true.

Living Accommodations:

Of course if you have read my previous posts then you know I am employed with Hilton so my travel benefits for hotels stays are great. However, I do not and have not always utilized those benefits. I also use and have used AirBnb. I hear about some people having bad experiences, but I must admit, I have only had great experiences. I have used AirBnb in cities like Houston, Miami, and Tampa. You may rent out a room, apartment, condo or an entire house. It depends on your needs. If you have a large group, a house from AirBnb may be the best option for you. Just be sure to take care of their property, leave great reviews if you are happy and they will leave reviews for you as a guest. Having good reviews as a guest are a positive because people look at that as they are deciding if they want to rent their property to you. **FYI-Another income opportunity may be to put a room from your house on AirBnb if you have the extra space!! The link below  will give you a $40 credit for AirBnb.

$40 AirBnB Credit from Christy

Flights:

There are many myths about when the best time to book. If you have a flexible schedule I would definitely recommend traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday. It is true that flying out on a Tuesday is less expensive in most cases. Flying out on Friday of course is what most want and prices reflect that. My airlines of choice are Delta and Southwest. I am a rewards member of both. Southwest have great sales often and the great thing about them is their flexible option to change your flights without fees. Here is a scenario. I purchased a southwest flight to Las Vegas from Atlanta months in advance. I think the price was around $300 roundtrip. Later I saw the price had gone down. So I changed my flight to reflect those prices and this in turn left a credit on my account to use for a future flight. I love this about Southwest. You can always change your flights with no fees. I use it to my benefit. Most of the time I use my miles (Delta) or reward points (Southwest) to get free flights. **Look for a future post on how to get miles and points other ways without traveling.

3rd Party Reservations:

I personally avoid using 3rd party companies. Many use them because the prices appear less, but the truth of the matter is, you can get those same rates direct. For example, if you want to book a Hilton property (I speak a lot of them because its what I know) and you see a cheaper price on a 3rd party website (Expedia, Booking.com, Orbitz, etc.) all you have to do is call Hilton direct and there is a “Best Price Guarantee.” Check out the Hilton website about Best Price Guarantee and the details!!! You might be surprised at what you will receive so you will actual pay less!!!! Marriott, Hyatt and Starwood also have Best Rate Guarantee. Check them out!! Booking direct with hotels gives you more options. Hotels will be more likely to give your upgrades and may be more lenient with cancellation policies if you book direct!

Rental Cars:

I must admit, it is very uncommon for me to rent a car when I travel. I love Uber!!! I do not have to worry about parking fees or looking for a parking spot. I get curb side service with Uber. They pick me up where ever I am and take me where ever I need to go all at the click of a button from my phone. Most cities have Uber and it is much cheaper than a taxi/cab. If you have never used Uber, I have a gift for you. You can use my link/invite code and it will give you $5 off each of your first 4 Uber rides. If you are traveling with multiple people, have them to download the app too. Uber also allows you to split the cost if you want. Another similar company is Lyft.  I have used Lyft, but just prefer Uber.

Also, if you do decide to use rental car services and you have a particular brand you use, use it to your advantage. For example, if you have top tier status with National, Enterprise or some other company, you can do a status match with Hertz or vice versa. So you can get those elite benefits without having rented so many previous cars with that company. You get benefits such as extra points, guaranteed availability, upgrades, etc.

Uber Code From Christy