I get it – not everyone can travel as much as they would like, or even at all. There are financial limitations as well as corporate PTO limitations, kids, dogs, etc. There’s also the stress and hassle of planning and going to new places. It all takes time and money. I understand! We have a mortgage, two dogs, and all other adult responsibilities, including full time jobs. We’re not the backpacking type and we’re not trying to live our life in a van. We just want to travel as much as we can with the limitations that we have that I think are very relatable to the average traveler. This is why I hope this post helps you learn how to save money on travel and maximize your vacation days!
We started traveling in 2017. Our idea of travel was going to Florida once a year and throwing in a road trip to Ohio or North Carolina. Fast forward to 2021-2022, we were able to go to Iceland, California, New York, Chicago, Hawaii, Rome, Sicily and Washington all in one year! Keep in mind, we both have full time jobs with only 15 days PTO a year, plus holidays. Remember, there’s never the perfect time or perfect price to book a trip! Just book it!
I’ve talked about google flights in some of my other posts and that’s because I honestly think it’s done a lot for us. Google Flights lets you put in your origin airport and your desired destination. Stay flexible on the dates and you can search the calendar for the cheapest dates to go! This is how we found $500 flights to Hawaii. You can filter the airlines and duration of flight or number of stops as well. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that it is always worth it to pay $100 more if it means less total travel time! Google flights also helps if you don’t know where exactly you want to go but just want a cheap flight! On the Explore tab, you can hover over the map and see how much it would be to fly to the different destinations! It’s such a helpful and easy tool. I can’t recommend it enough. I stopped using hopper, I don’t think that’s helpful. Google Flights is seriously where it’s at for me.
Brand Loyalty:
When we first started traveling, we were just booking the cheapest flights we could find and it didn’t matter what airline. Delta was always more expensive so we didn’t always book with them. That is the biggest travel regret of mine so far. Yes, the flights are a little more pricey most times. But brand loyalty means travel miles! In 2022, we were able to book two tickets to Chicago from Detroit, using only our miles. We were also able to get our flights to Washington using our just our miles. That’s a total value of around $1200 that we just had accumulated in miles! We also both have sky priority status now because of the flights we have taken on Delta, which means faster boarding and other perks! The miles don’t come from booking delta flights alone, but those flights do help a ton! This is of course not just limited to Delta, check out the other airlines too but the point is, pick one and stick with it. Chose an airline that has affiliates overseas so you can fly other places within the brand too!
Credit Cards:
Personally, I have the American Express Delta Credit Card. With the Reserve, and even with the Platinum, you receive a free companion ticket per year to use for travel within the US (besides Hawaii and Alaska). That’s worth more than what the annual fee is! We’re going to Arizona this year and the tickets were well above $500 a piece. Now, Paul’s ticket is free because I used my companion pass for his flight. Not only that, but I also get into the Delta Sky Lounge for free with the Reserve and receive two companion passes. I can’t tell you how many times before the sky lounge, we would get something to eat and maybe one beer each in the airport and we would end up spending $50. The Sky Lounge is $39 a person with unlimited alcohol and food once you’re in. Oh, you also get a free checked bag and offers for TSA pre-check.
When I upgraded cards from the Platinum to the Reserve, I received $300 cashback and 15,000 bonus miles. That was a no brainer. Wait for the deals like this and don’t forget to check the delta app for those offers! **This offer may not be available for everyone and I’m not guaranteeing that**
Maybe you’re just getting started and don’t travel that much for the Reserve to be worth it. Right now, the Gold card is $0 annual fee for the first year and then $99 a year every year after that. By signing up and spending $2,000 in the first two months, you receive 75,000 bonus miles. That’s like 3 round trip tickets to Florida!!
The highest level, the Reserve, is $550 a year for the annual fee. Sounds expensive, I know, but take the Arizona trip for example. That annual fee is a wash because of the companion pass I receive. Right now, you also receive 125,000 bonus miles for signing up and spending $5,000 in the first six months. You also receive 8X the miles for anything you purchase through delta. Other categories for things you purchase are 2, 3, or 4X the points (miles). Okay, I think you get it. The point is, take advantage of these credit cards if you can! The Chase Sapphire Card or the Capital One Venture are also great ones to check out if you’re not tied to Delta.
Maximize PTO Days:
ALWAYS try to book trips around a corporate holiday. Sometimes, this means the flights are a little more expensive, but it means more travel time and I’m all about that. We went to Iceland on Labor Day weekend, so we could take advantage of having one day off there, without using PTO. We did the same with Washington and will do the same with our upcoming Arizona and Colorado trips!
In my experience so far, very rarely is this not the most cost-effective choice, vs. a hotel. You get so much more for your money with an Airbnb because you can have a kitchen and save money by not going out to eat every meal! (I always also bring my favorite breakfast to eat in a rush most mornings and it saves us so much money! *Use code: Alysa – to save 15%*. Sometimes you can find condos or hotel rooms on Airbnb for a fraction of the price. Example of this: we booked an Airbnb in Key West last year with another couple for about $400/night in the Santa Maria Resort. This resort is usually around $850 a night if you were to book it on their website! Don’t forget to link your Delta and Airbnb app to get more miles for your booking.
Car Rental – Turo:
Similar to Airbnb but for your car! Car rental companies seem like they have been through the roof lately so I have found myself booking on Turo instead. It’s a marketplace for shared cars! People rent out their cars, like they would a house. Usually there are a lot of unlimited mile options and it’s more convenient than waiting in line for a car rental at the airport. The only thing to pay attention to with Turo is the location of the car. You may type in that you want to pick it up at the Detroit airport, for example. But if you check the map, it might be 5 miles away – not actually at the airport. Its not a big deal at all. We’ve taken an Uber or walked to some of our car rentals depending on how close they are. It’s just something to pay attention to, along with the requirements and mileage. I haven’t had a single rental yet where I’ve had to communicate face to face with the person. You just take some pictures of the car before, fill out the other requirements on the app and drive away!
Go on the off season!
This one should be a no brainer. Not only is everything way cheaper in the off season wherever you are going; but there’s less crowds!! Why wouldn’t you book in the off season?
Costco Travel:
Maybe Airbnb isn’t for you because you want a more luxurious spa or just a worry-free hotel experience. If that’s you, check out Costco travel! You can browse the trips without a membership, but you do need to be a member in order to actually book. I have never done this but know people who have, and they have nothing but good things to say! They seem to have pretty good deals and packages that include all transportation, to take the worry out of planning.
This is actually something I recently stumbled upon. I have not tried it, nor do I know anyone who has. BUT… if you are an animal person, you can sign up to stay in someone’s house for free, in exchange for watching their animals! It looks legit, they’ve gotten tons of reviews, and it’s definitely something I’ll check out for myself. You need a membership on there to actually book but you can browse the locations without one.
That’s all I have for now – Thanks for reading! What travel tips do you have? Drop them in a comment below and please share if you found this helpful!
Great advice and very well written.
Timely and relevant as we transition from traveling as a family of 4, around school schedules to traveling without our (now) adult children.
Thanks Erin!