Fourteen tips for traveling right now.
Things are rough out there right now—stressed travelers, changing flight schedules, reduced hotel service.
Here are 14 tips on how to make domestic travel go a bit more smoothly.
1. Dial the airline’s international call center.
It’s hard to get through to airlines on the phone. When the website isn’t helpful and hold times are long, dial the international call center (for example, Singapore for Delta; Australia or the UK for American) or the Spanish help line. (Even though my Spanish is decent, I’ve discovered most agents who answer also speak English.)
2. Hang up and call back.
When you don’t get the answer you want, hang up and call back. Agents don’t always tell you the right answer or know all the possibilities that are available. Keep trying until you’re told No at least three times. And remember you can go beyond the phone: try Twitter, airport check-in counter, customer service desk, gate agent, and club lounge, too.
3. Keep checking for price drops.
Most airlines have dropped change fees on their non-basic economy tickets, so keep checking for price drops and then cancel/rebook for an airline credit for the difference. Use HotelSlash.com to track hotel price changes automatically.
4. Book via the hotel’s website.
Book your hotels direct unless there’s big savings through an online travel agency (rare). When you book through a third party site, some hotels give you a worse room. You also give up hotel points and credit towards elite status.
5. Avoid online agencies.
They’re fine for comparison shopping but can be a pain when anything goes wrong: terrible customer service plus interminable wait times for help from agents who don’t know what they’re doing.
6. Look to Autoslash.com for the best rental car rates.
Rental cars are more expensive than ever, sometimes it’s the most expensive part of the trip! Consider car-sharing services like Turo, though pick-up arrangements can be clunky. For traditional rentals, AutoSlash.com applies all known discounts and coupons and tracks price changes to help you rebook when prices fall.
7. Use AwardWallet.
AwardWallet will track itinerary changes for you. (You want to be ahead of the game on schedule changes, because you may want to adjust your plans or use them as an opportunity to get a refund.)
8. Get the best seat.
Don’t like your seat? ExpertFlyer.com has a free option to track seat chart changes. It will notify you if/when a better seat opens up.
9. Join the elites.
Elite status matters most during irregular operations. Focus on a single airline if you can because they’ll treat you better. You get priority phone help and booking on alternate flights.
10. Access a lounge.
Get a lounge membership (annual/day pass or via credit card benefit) for the airline you fly most often. While lounges may not be great right now, the agents there are terrific at rebooking during irregular operations.
11. Get an airline credit card of the airline you fly most.
Not to necessarily spend on, but for the cardholders benefits—free checked bags, priority boarding, free carry on even when flying basic economy (United).
12. Stay in the know.
Find out where your aircraft is coming from and track if it is on time, so you’ll have a head start on making alternative arrangements. The easy way is to do this is input your flight info at flightaware.com
13. Help the agent help you.
When things go wrong during your travels, don’t rely on the airline to solve your problem. Know what flights have availability to get you where you want to go and ask the agent for them. A simple way to do this is to search for a new ticket that’s available to buy.
14. Book your own room.
Forced overnight? Don’t stand in line for forty-five minutes at the airline counter for a voucher from some low-end hotel. Instead, reserve your own if you booked your trip with a credit card that offers trip delay coverage and your circumstances qualify.
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I purposely omitted reference to the challenges of Covid testing and international travel. The country-entry rules are changing too quickly!
Be prepared to adapt to a changed situation by giving yourself flexibility. Avoid non-refundable lodging and flights where you won’t at least receive a credit if you cancel (and pick travel providers you’re confident will still be in business when it comes time to use that credit!).
Rules can change while you’re on a trip; stay updated on entry requirements, including those for cities you’re connecting through.(Irregular operations could mean you have to overnight there!)
Twist’s Take: Travel is challenging at the moment; be prepared with these 14 tips!
